0
0
Mazda’s Tesla Model 3 fighter – the 6e – has lastly arrived in Australia.
Pitched as an oblique successor to the long-lived Mazda 6 sedan, the 6e is an electrical tackle the mid-size passenger automotive, developed in collaboration with Changan Automotive – the Japanese automaker’s Chinese affiliate.
Changan provided the automobile platform, electrical powertrain, and cabin expertise, whereas Mazda took cost of the outside design, inside supplies, and chassis tuning.
All of these substances come collectively within the Changan Mazda plant at Nanjing in China, the place the 6e is as a substitute often known as the EZ-6.
So, Mazda’s all-new mid-size electrical liftback isn’t precisely Japanese by means of and thru, neither is it merely a rebadged Chinese EV.
The advantages of this cross-continent partnership are clear to see. By saving on platform and battery growth prices, Mazda has been capable of convey the 6e to Australia as essentially the most reasonably priced EV in its class.
Then there’s the way it appears. With relative freedom to design round Changan’s platform, Mazda has delivered a liftback so modern and chic that it was recognised as 2026 World Car Design of the Year, beating out the Kia PV5 and Volvo ES90.
On paper, then, the 6e shapes up as a winner.
Does that maintain true in the true world? We headed to Byron Bay to seek out out.
How a lot does the Mazda 6e value?
The departure of the bottom BYD Seal Dynamic leaves the entry-level 6e GT as the most cost effective electrical liftback or sedan in Australia, alongside the Kia EV4 Air Standard Range.
|
Model |
Price earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
|
2026 Mazda 6e E35 GT |
$49,990 |
|
2026 Mazda 6e E35 Atenza |
$52,990 |
Even in flagship Atenza trim, the 6e remains to be extra reasonably priced than essentially the most primary variations of electrical equivalents such because the Tesla Model 3 ($54,900 earlier than on-road prices), Seal ($52,990 plus ORC), and MG IM5 ($60,990 drive-away).
Find your excellent new automotive with CarSkilled
For that cause, the 6e shapes up as a little bit of a discount.
EVs apart, the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Skoda Octavia, MG7, and Hyundai Sonata are all priced in the same ballpark and deserve consideration.
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
What is the Mazda 6e like on the within?
Close your eyes for a second and picture the inside of a brand new automotive co-created by Mazda and a Chinese automaker. Now open them. I’m guessing it seemed one thing like this, proper?!
The supplies and design are unmistakably Mazda, which we like, as a result of the model has developed a fame for delivering premium really feel at an reasonably priced worth.
And for $50k, you may’t ask for rather more than what you get right here.
Gentle curves create a clean movement between the sprint and door playing cards, each of that are completed in textured artificial leather-based – or suede, in the event you spend up for the Atenza – with neat distinction stitching, whereas the centre console is equally mushy to the contact.
It’s all very engaging, and the identical could be stated of the flat-bottomed steering wheel and single-piece entrance seats likewise trimmed in Mazda’s convincing leather-based substitute.
However, my perspective modified dramatically as soon as I spent a while behind the wheel.
Before attending to ergonomics, I’ll firstly say I’m not fully bought on the 6e’s construct high quality, as two of the vehicles I rode in displayed sprint and centre console creaks.
The greater concern, although, is the driving place. Even in its lowest setting, the motive force’s seat sits too excessive, perched up on prime of the automobile’s massive 78kWh battery, and there isn’t sufficient steering wheel attain adjustment. As such, taller drivers – hardly a rarity in Australia – could battle to get snug, though a dual-pane glass roof (with an electrical sunshade) makes the area really feel much less cramped.
The entrance passenger is even worse off, although, as they don’t have any option to alter seat peak.
These points had been raised in our conversations with prime Mazda executives, who stated the association ‘meets inside requirements’… however solely simply.
The seats themselves aren’t excellent both. Those one-piece seatbacks with inbuilt head restraints look nice however restrict adjustability, whereas the backrests don’t provide a lot lateral help across the ribcage.
In phrases of options, each entrance seats are heated and ventilated, though solely the air flow management seems completely on the infotainment display screen. Switching on the steering wheel heating can also be extra of a faff than it ought to be, requiring a dive into the settings except you’re keen to make use of voice management.
In truth, you might want to be fluent in tech to do absolutely anything within the 6e, given there are only a few bodily cabin controls bar a small number of unseparated steering wheel buttons which are too simple to press unintentionally whereas driving.
That alone can be sufficient to discourage some potential patrons, but the display screen that defines this inside expertise is way from excellent.
For starters, it appears like an iPad caught to the sprint, which detracts from the 6e’s in any other case stylish cabin aesthetic. The software program does not redeem it, both.
Developed by Changan, the system resembles these discovered in lots of different Chinese EVs, with a generic format, fonts, and app ecosystem, in addition to a deeply layered settings menu.
Further, the interface finds a number of methods to make easy duties extra sophisticated than they must be. Cabin temperature adjustments require a minimum of two faucets, whereas the seat settings menu pops up each time you make an adjustment, interrupting no matter you’re utilizing the display screen for on the time.
Then there’s the awkward mismatch between the centre display screen and the flush, sharp-looking driver’s show, which makes use of acquainted Mazda fonts fully at odds with these within the infotainment system. It’s greater than only a visible improve, too, providing helpful performance together with a navigation view.
Rounding out the expertise suite is an augmented actuality head-up show, whereas the 6e additionally brings new performance for Mazda in Australia, turning into the model’s first native mannequin to supply a Bluetooth key. The devoted 6e app additionally permits house owners to remotely alter the local weather management, home windows and locks, amongst different capabilities.
The 6e’s tech could also be hit-and-miss, however it positively trumps rivals within the cabin storage stakes.
Up entrance, there’s a deep centre armrest compartment, a decrease tray with USB-A and USB-C shops, two centre cupholders, a wi-fi telephone charging pad and an extra telephone tray. You may match a big drink bottle in every door, and there’s a glovebox – hardly a given lately – for further odds and ends.
In different phrases, the 6e is effectively outfitted to swallow all of your stuff. Just be ready for issues to rattle round, as the assorted storage areas aren’t carpeted like these in a Model 3.
The second row is sensible, too, each when it comes to storage and passenger area.
I’m on the taller facet at six-one, but discovered no points getting snug behind my most well-liked driving place, one thing that may’t be stated of the Model 3, nor different comparable autos such because the BMW 3 Series.
The base of the motive force’s seat can impede on toe room when set to its lowest place – as I had it – however in any other case there’s loads of area in your knees, and headroom is plentiful.
Add to {that a} comfortable rear bench boasting mounted lumbar help, a slight upward tilt, and mushy head restraints, and the again of the 6e is fairly rattling nice.
And, as I alluded to earlier, there is no scarcity of storage – unfastened objects of assorted sizes and shapes could be safely stowed within the beneficiant door bins, map pockets, centre cupholders, or a phone-sized nook on the base of the centre console.
Above is a single USB-C outlet (two would’ve been good), a set of air vents, and a small management panel that comes with local weather capabilities, sunshade controls, and a slider for the entrance passenger seat.
Mazda quotes 337 litres of boot area for the 6e – lower than you get in nearly any equivalently sized passenger automotive.
However, the numbers barely inform half the story, because the 6e’s liftback format makes it simpler to utilise all of the obtainable area. On prime of that, a roomy ‘frunk’ solves the issue of charging cable stowage.
As is the case with many fashionable vehicles, the 6e is not bought with a bodily spare wheel. Instead, it comes with a much less helpful tyre restore equipment.
|
Dimensions |
Mazda 6e |
|---|---|
|
Length |
4921mm |
|
Width |
1890mm (excl. mirrors) |
|
Height |
1485mm |
|
Wheelbase |
2895mm |
|
Cargo capability |
337L (boot to belt line, incl. under-floor storage) 72L (under-bonnet storage) |
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
What’s underneath the bonnet?
Australian-spec Mazda 6e autos are powered by a single, rear-mounted electrical motor producing 190kW of energy and 290Nm of torque, hooked as much as a 78kWh LFP battery.
|
Specifications |
Mazda 6e E35 |
|---|---|
|
Drivetrain |
Single-motor electrical |
|
Battery |
78kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
|
Power |
190kW |
|
Torque |
290Nm |
|
Drive sort |
Rear-wheel drive |
|
Weight |
2090kg |
|
0-100km/h (claimed) |
7.9 seconds |
|
Energy consumption (claimed) |
15.9kWh/100km |
|
Energy consumption (as examined) |
17.1kWh/100km |
|
Claimed vary |
560km (WLTP) |
|
Max AC cost charge |
11kW |
|
Max DC cost charge |
194kW |
It’s the primary rear-wheel drive Mazda for the reason that RX-8, and there are presently no plans for a dual-motor all-wheel drive model.
Nor are there plans to introduce the extended-range electrical automobile (EREV) model of the 6e bought in China.
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
How does the Mazda 6e drive?
As was the case with the inside, you may really feel the influences of each Mazda and Changan in how the 6e drives.
From skilled evaluations to the suitable deal
CarSkilled brings collectively evaluations, analysis instruments and trusted shopping for help, guiding you from analysis to supply with confidence.
The startup process is Chinese EV by means of and thru – there is no begin/cease button, and the drive selector is a steering column-mounted stalk.
For those that’ve owned Mazdas beforehand, that is an enormous change in itself.
But when you begin driving, it shortly turns into obvious that novel cabin controls are however the tip of the iceberg.
Obviously, being simply Mazda’s second EV in Australia, there’s an unfamiliar quietness to how the 6e operates. It slinks round in silence at decrease speeds, and stays hushed on the open street, with wind and tyre noise stored principally in test. Regardless of velocity, a delicate artificial soundtrack is performed by means of the cabin audio system whenever you speed up with some intent.
Doing so reveals straight-line efficiency that is… enough. The numbers will inform you that the 6e nearly retains up with most single-motor rivals, and that appears about proper. It’s actually not as fast as any model of the Model 3, however I used to be hardly ever left wanting for extra, possible as a result of the 6e does not actually encourage you to drive quick.
Instead, it shines brightest when steered in a relaxed method. That’s partly right down to the powertrain, and partly right down to the suspension.
It’s fairly softly sprung, this 6e, actually extra so than different Mazdas. While Australian vehicles obtain a European suspension tune, there’s nonetheless a discernibly comfort-first flavour to the journey. As a consequence, the 6e is refreshingly forgiving – albeit a bit of floaty at occasions – over Australia’s roughest nation roads, absorbing ruts and potholes with out fuss.
The damping is much less convincing, nonetheless, so the 6e can really feel jittery over smaller imperfections, struggling to really settle except the floor is completely clean.
All which means it by no means feels fairly as balanced as a Kia EV4, nor as planted as a Tesla Model 3. That stated, I’d favor the Mazda for long-distance touring. As for the each day commute, it is arduous to make sure, given this launch drive did not embrace a lot city driving.
Despite its softer setup, the 6e isn’t any slouch within the dealing with division. It turns willingly for a automotive weighing greater than two tonnes, retains physique roll in test, and advantages from an attractive rear-wheel drive format and grippy Michelin tyres that encourage confidence.
The steering is fairly good, too, speaking some street texture by means of the wheel. It’s faster and lighter than you may count on of a Mazda, although its weight could be adjusted by means of the settings menus.
I would not liken the 6e to a real sports activities sedan, however it actually possesses a few of Mazda’s ‘jinbai ittai’ – a Japanese phrase that interprets to “horse and rider as one body”, which has change into a model mantra.
The choice to ‘journey’ a bit of decrease within the driver’s seat would additional increase its credentials as a driver’s automotive, though any adjustments are unlikely given the battery lives immediately beneath the ground.
The regenerative braking system wants no such qualification, because the 6e begins to decelerate easily as quickly as you elevate off the throttle. Regen depth is configurable, with 4 distinct ranges obtainable. Again, although, changes can solely be made by means of the infotainment display screen, which makes the absence of tactile, user-friendly steering wheel paddles really feel like a missed alternative.
Continuing the theme of lacking bodily controls, there’s no change for the drive modes, so that you’re pressured to look by means of the display screen everytime you need to toggle between Normal, Sport and Individual – a unnecessary, inconvenient further step.
Overbearing superior driver help methods (ADAS) additionally detract from the general expertise. In quick, the 6e emits plenty of safety-related beeps and bongs – a prevalent disadvantage of recent autos in 2026.
More particularly, the camera-based driver monitor, lane-keep help and overspeed warning are too delicate. With that stated, the quantity of the chimes is comparatively low, and you’ll arrange a steering wheel shortcut to disable the latter system. You’ll additionally need to change off the ‘sharp flip forward’ message that performs by means of the 6e’s native navigation system. Thankfully, there is a single-tap everlasting resolution for this.
On a extra optimistic be aware, the semi-autonomous cruise management tech is sort of efficient, seemingly capable of deal with simple motorway journeys with out a lot driver intervention. In saying that, Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) remains to be the gold normal, and the 6e performs equally to the EV4, Ioniq 6, and Camry.
It’s additionally value noting that rear visibility is usually a little bit of a difficulty, because the again window is low and slim. That’s made worse at greater speeds by the 6e’s lively rear spoiler, which raises mechanically above 90km/h, additional limiting your view rearward.
Thankfully, low-speed manoeuvring is way simpler than that restricted outward visibility suggests. While the 6e is a correctly massive mid-size automotive at 4921mm lengthy (nearer to a Camry than a Model 3 or EV4), its surround-view digital camera with see-through view and entrance and rear parking sensors take a lot of the stress out of tight conditions.
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
What do you get?
There are two trim ranges within the Mazda 6e lineup, differentiated by upholstery and, curiously, a glovebox mild.
2026 Mazda 6e GT tools highlights:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Automatic LED headlights
- Panoramic sunroof
- Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors with reminiscence
- Power tailgate
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Keyless entry and begin
- Bluetooth key
- Augmented actuality head-up show
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- Tri-zone local weather management
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Leatherette upholstery
- Heated and ventilated entrance seats
- 10-way energy driver’s seat
- 4-way energy passenger seat
- 64-colour ambient lighting
- 14-speaker Sony sound system
Atenza provides:
- Tan leather-based and artificial suede seat trim with quilted stitching
- Tan artificial suede trim on the dashboard and doorways
- Two-tone tan and black leather-based steering wheel
- Glovebox mild
The GT comes normal with a black inside, though a Warm Beige colourway is on the market for an extra $1000.
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
Is the Mazda 6e protected?
The Mazda 6e has but to be assessed by impartial security authority ANCAP, although its European counterpart Euro NCAP awarded the EV a five-star ranking in 2025.
It acquired an grownup occupant safety ranking of 93 per cent, a toddler occupant safety ranking of 93 per cent, a susceptible street person safety ranking of 74 per cent, and a security help ranking of 77 per cent.
Standard security tools contains:
- Adaptive cruise management with cease/go
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
-
- Junction help
- Pedestrian and bike owner detection
- Reverse AEB
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Cruising & Traffic Support
- Driver monitoring system
- Front and rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane-keep help
- Safe exit warning
- Traffic signal recognition
- Surround-view digital camera with see-through view
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 9 airbags
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
How a lot does the Mazda 6e value to run?
Mazda backs its autos with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, which incorporates roadside help for a similar interval.
|
Servicing and Warranty |
Mazda 6e |
|---|---|
|
Warranty |
5 years, limitless kilometres |
|
Roadside help |
5 years |
|
Service intervals |
12 months or 20,000km |
|
Capped-price servicing |
Lifetime |
|
Average annual service value (5 years) |
$360 |
|
Total capped-price service value (5 years) |
$1802 |
Service pricing is capped for the lifetime of the automobile; the primary 5 visits value $220, $318, $726, $318, and $220 respectively.
That’s greater than you may pay to take care of an Accord, Camry, EV4 or Seal over the identical interval, whereas the Model 3 is not topic to set upkeep intervals. However, not one of the aforementioned fashions include lifetime capped-price servicing.
And, given the fee hole between petrol and electrical energy, the 6e ought to nonetheless be cheaper to run than combustion-powered alternate options in the event you’re capable of cost at residence.
That benefit is lessened by the actual fact the Mazda isn’t as environment friendly as most rival EVs, which means it gained’t be fairly as low cost to energy.
To see how the Mazda 6e traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability device
CarSkilled’s Take on the Mazda 6e
It’s arduous to argue with the worth of the 6e, particularly in base GT trim.
For a smidge over $50k drive-away, you are getting a pretty, sensible and well-equipped electrical liftback from a trusted marque.
That’s to not say the 6e is peak Mazda, as a result of it is a bit of tough across the edges.
Inside, the shortage of bodily controls places a variety of stress on the person interface, which is generic and needlessly advanced. For taller drivers, the excessive seating place is a serious disadvantage.
From a driving perspective, common security warnings get annoying shortly, and the Model 3 is simply as refined but noticeably sharper.
But the most cost effective Tesla asks almost $5000 greater than the 6e – a big sum in these making an attempt occasions – and you may want to seek out an additional $3000 to get right into a BYD Seal.
And whereas you may get a Kia EV4 for 6e cas