Mazda is still pushing ahead with electrification, but its plan is not limited to pure EVs. The evidence is the new CX-6e (known as the EZ-60 in China), a SUV that will be offered both as a fully electric model and as a version pairing an electric motor with a petrol range extender.
The car has just been unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show 2025 and is the product of Mazda’s collaboration with China’s Chongqing Changan Automobile - the same partnership that previously delivered the Mazda 6e, which we have already seen in person.
As with the Mazda 6e, the new CX-6e shares many “bones” with a Chinese model: the Deepal S07. Even so, Mazda has made sure its latest SUV has its own character, something previously previewed by the Arata concept.
Its stance is traditional and the surfacing is clean, in line with the Kodo design language we have come to expect. These classic cues are blended with the Japanese brand’s familiar signatures, now reinterpreted through the use of lighting.
Pure electric or with a range extender
While the styling follows Japanese thinking, the technical underpinnings tell a different story. Built on the Deepal S07’s EPA1 platform, the Mazda CX-6e will be available in two distinct configurations.
The first is a full battery-electric version, claiming up to 600 km of range on China’s generous CLTC cycle, likely thanks to an 80 kWh battery - final specifications have not yet been confirmed, but they should align with the Deepal S07. For that same reason, it should use a rear-mounted electric motor producing either 160 kW (218 bhp) or 190 kW (258 bhp).
The second option was revealed in Shanghai and keeps the electric powertrain but adds a range extender, much like the MX-30 R-EV. Here, however, the extender is not a Wankel unit, but a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (98 bhp). It operates purely as an electricity generator, with no mechanical connection to the wheels.
Paired with a 190 kW (258 bhp) rear electric motor and a 31.73 kWh battery, this setup is said to deliver more than 1000 km of total range, with 161 km possible in electric-only driving (again measured on the CLTC cycle).
Big on the outside and a giant screen inside
The Mazda CX-6e is aimed at competitors such as the Tesla Model Y, the XPeng G6 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and it comes with sizeable dimensions: 4.85 m long, 1.93 m wide, 1.62 m tall, with a 2.9 m wheelbase.
Inside, the headline feature is a vast 26.4" 5K display, which brings together the SUV’s key controls, including infotainment and climate settings - an approach that may not be to everyone’s taste. The images are from the Chinese version, so there may be differences on the European model.
Rear passengers also get their own screens for climate and entertainment controls, and the options list can include a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 channel audio system with 23 speakers.
When will it arrive?
The Mazda CX-6e will go on sale in China first later this year, likely in August - following its Shanghai debut it received more than 10 thousand pre-orders in 48 hours.
Mazda has not yet officially confirmed when it will reach the European market.
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