Motoring with James Stinson
Mazda has been slow or perhaps deliberately cautious in embracing fully electric power… It still believes there’s a lot of mileage in refining the internal combustion engine and there is. And maybe Mazda was right to be cautious. Electric sales have been slow to take off but with increased range and prices falling, the sums are starting to add up. This new Mazda6e is only the second all-electric Mazda. In truth the first – the MX-30 – was more toe in the water type stuff. It had limited range, by choice, compared to others with Mazda claiming the 120 miles or so was enough for most buyers.
Still, it looked measly but that’s not an accusation you could level at the striking looking Mazda6e. This new car boasts a pair of new battery options, the smallest of which has double the capacity of the MX-30’s pack. Entry-level cars get a 69kWh battery capable of delivering 300 miles of range, and it can charge from 10-80% in 22 minutes at a DC rapid charger. Then there’s the 80kWh pack, which gives the 6e 345 miles of range. All versions of the 6e are powered by a single motor on the rear axle. Cars with the smaller battery fitted get 258bhp, while long-range models have 244bhp.
Both are pretty evenly matched in terms of performance, reaching 0-60mph from a standing start in 7.6 and 7.8 seconds respectively. That’s quick but not as swift as a Tesla Model 3. However, Mazda has a reputation for making cars that are very engaging to drive and the 6e should be no different. Rear-wheel drive, multi-link rear suspension, and a balanced 50:50 weight distribution will deliver confident handling and direct feedback, says Mazda. What’s most interesting about thew new 6 is that striking exterior. Up front you have a wide and imposing grille which is surrounded with an LED strip, and this is framed by the slim headlights.
The bonnet line is also nice and low, making the 6e look properly sporty. Down the side there are plenty of sharp creases and complex contours to keep things looking interesting and modern. The 19-inch wheels aren’t massive by modern standards, but they still fill the arches nicely. The sloping roofline leads you down to a neat ducktail spoiler on the boot lid, and the full-width light bar looks great as well. Inside, you’ll find a 10.2 inch digital instrument panel and 14.6 inch touchscreen infotainment system.
You can’t fit as much as into the 6e’s boot as you can in the Model 3, but like that car, the Mazda comes with a second front boot – or ‘frunk’ – which could be useful for storing your charging cables. The new Mazda6e won’t arrive in showrooms until 2026, and prices will likely start somewhere between £40,000 and £45,000. That’s more expensive than one of Elon Musk’s Tesla Model 3s but cheaper than other executive saloons like the Polestar 2 and BMW i4.