Mazda CX-6e review: Mazda's best electric yet has much to applaud

Fast-forward to this year and Mazda launched the fully-electric 6e saloon into its showrooms, a model we’ve already reviewed on these pages. But while Mazda continues to be best known for its iconic MX-5 roadster, the core to its ongoing success has been an ever-expending line-up of SUVs, led by its bestselling CX-5.

So, it will probably come as no surprise to you that, hot on the heels of its 2026 petrol-powered CX-5, Mazda’s latest new model is a fully electric SUV, the CX-6e. It’s an imposing piece of kit boasting traditional Mazda styling lines. It’s also large. And it’s competitively priced, especially given its size, starting at £42,900 in the UK.

At its core – as is the case with the 6e saloon – lies a platform and structure which is a result of a collaboration with Chinese partner Changan. The burning question, of course, is has Mazda managed to further develop its Changan relationship and blend more of its own traditional and long-held strengths and attributes into the CX-6e? Or is it just another Chinese electric car wearing a different set of clothes?

Ok, tell me more about the CX-6e

The arrival of Mazda’s electric family SUV coincides with the sector thresholds being reset very high following the introduction of the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60, both of which we’ve previously reviewed here. If nothing else, on both external size and interior space, the CX-6e can comfortably go head-to-head with its German and Swedish rivals.

But whereas the iX3 and EX60 were complete ground-up new designs, the CX-6e is based on the Changan Deepsal S07 thanks to Mazda’s ongoing business partnership with the Chinese carmaker. There’s a clear economic argument as to why Mazda jumped into bed with Changan, as it meant it didn’t have to develop its own battery technology. Just piggyback on tech that already exists. That’s all fine and laudable.

The bigger challenge comes when Mazda’s design ideology, which for decades has been at its core and a primary strength, runs the risk of being compromised. Thankfully, at least externally, in the case of the CX-6e the designers have been allowed to make the SUV look like a real Mazda. One glance at it and you know immediately, it’s a Mazda. Of that there is no question.

And that’s important, because while it shares so much of the Deepsal’s hidden underpinnings, including a similar sort of battery pack and it shares the same electric motor – plus it shares both its platform and powertrain with the 6e – it was crucial the CX-6e moved a lot of things on from the Chinese model. And stylistically it has certainly done so.

In the metal the CX-6e is an imposing piece of kit, in much the same was the 6e saloon is. But there is a feeling things have certainly moved on from the saloon. This is definitely ‘more Mazda’, and it’s clear the designers at Mazda’s European design studio in Oberursel, Germany, were given more freedom with their sharp pencil and design pad. The result is an SUV with a strong appearance.

Just look at the front. Sitting just above its almost smiling, full-width running lights there’s a subtle aero duct. The aerodynamic tricks continue towards the rear where, behind the vented D-pillars the side windows boldly taper to feed air to the back of the car. Don’t be surprised if there’s a design award winging its way to Mazda towards the end of the year.

Engine, performance and range

As previously mentioned, the CX-6e gets the same battery and engine option as the 6e. There’s no choice. That’s it: one battery and engine option. The 78kWh battery is mated to a single motor that drives the rear wheels and produces 255bhp and 213lb/ft of torque. Mazda says this is good for a 0-62mph time of 7.9secs and a WLTP range of 300-miles. It also tops out at 115mph.

One of the great attractions of driving in Germany is a derestricted section of autobahn, so I can inform you the CX-6e will comfortably cruise at the aforementioned top speed for an extended period … and I was still being overtaken by good-mannered BMWs and Audis.

Worth highlighting that the CX-6e’s 300-mile single charge range is 60 miles short of that of the entry-level iX3, and 8 miles off that of the cheapest EX60. Of course, you do have to factor in the Beemer starts at £53,250 with the current entry-level Volvo £56,860.

And charge times

Pretty standard for the class. Find a 200kW DC rapid charger and you’ll get from 10-80 per cent capacity in 24 minutes.

Right, what’s it like to drive?

The engineers have taken the time to ensure the CX-6e has been tuned to suit European tastes and expectations, and they should be applauded for their work, because they’ve got all their calculations right. The balance is effortless and smooth, and even at autobahn speeds the cabin retains its quiet haven of hush. With a near 50:50 weight distribution allied to its rear-wheel drive, there’s a traditional Mazda satisfaction to driving what is a big, heavy car. It tips the scales at 2130kg before you even sit behind the steering wheel.

The steering is precise and intuitive, with the handling delivering a comfortable feeling of assertiveness which sits nicely with what you would expect, and desire from a family-focused SUV. It’s also light and fast enough to make driving through city centres enjoyable, especially given it’s 4. metres long. It will be interesting though to see how the CX-6e rides when I get it on UK roads in November, rather than the billiard table-smooth German asphalt.

I did get access to some fast-flowing, twisty German A-roads where the grip levels were strong and positive, with the dampers firm enough to stop the CX-6e from wallowing through corners. Brake pedal movement was satisfyingly linear, and the regenerative braking intuitive. That said, it’s a pity there aren’t paddles to adjust the regenerative braking. Instead, frustratingly you have to swipe through four regen modes within the touchscreen, more of which later.

You will also notice the synthesised motor noise which permeates the cabin through the speakers. The sound is actually quite subtle and does actually and unusually enhance the driving experience. Plus it’s never intrusive. It’s actually quite good.

As with so many new cars nowadays, the active safety systems, which Mazda says have been softened for European tastes, are still far too intrusive.The lane keep assist was incessantly interruptive to the state of being annoying, especially on narrow country lanes where the steering wheel would buck against my inputs. As for the driver distraction and fatigue alert system. I would instantly pull the plug on that as it was far too hasty to scold me off for glancing at the side mirror or rear-view mirror.

And yes, thankfully you can turn the ADAS off individually via the touchscreen – there’s that ’T’ word again – and even select one specific annoyance to turn off more rapidly via the steering wheel’s ‘favourite’ button.

What’s it like inside?

The cabin is a lovely, near luxurious place to be with the colour and finishing touches, plus the materials all top notch. There’s quality here. Plus there’s a vast panoramic sunroof, which is standard-fit. And remember the £43k price point. It’s a hushed, near zen-like space to occupy, even when the world outside is gliding past at over 100mph on the German autobahn. Not that you’ll be doing that in the UK, unless you can find your own private airfield and runway.

There’s acres of space for front and rear occupants, and the levels of comfort and refinement are right up there with the main competition. Build quality across and throughout the cabin is strong, with the front seats in particular exceptionally supportive. And those in the rear, where you get individual buckets rather than the standard bench-type seat and which offer comfortable support around your shoulders, are some of the best I’ve experienced in this sector.

Interestingly for the driver, there’s no digital instrument cluster, which does take a wee bit of getting used to. Instead there’s a beautifully legible and crisp-looking head-up display as standard. Though I did find on the cloudless day I was testing that the bright sunshine did cancel out the digital display at times. Not really ideal. What you can’t miss is the whopping great 26.45-inch infotainment screen which dominates the centre of the dash. Strangely, and neither I nor my co-driver could quite work this out or see any sense in it, it’s been designed large enough to give the driver half for maps and other information, and the passenger the other half for entertainment apps. It simply doesn’t work. The driver can see the whole screen.

Throw in the fact that because European legislation has some very strict laws on driver distraction, the passenger half of the screen is essentially entirely redundant. Apart from staring at the screen, all the passenger can do is look at one of Mazda’s built-in wallpapers, adjust the cabin temperature and change the music. It is just so much wasted space. Again it’ll be interesting to see whether there have been any upgrades to this when I drive the UK version later in the year.

And like the 6e, there are very few physical buttons and physical climate controls. They’re all buried away in the touchscreen. So too, super-annoyingly, are the door mirror adjusters. Yes, I hear you say, but once you’ve got them set you don’t need to adjust them. But seriously; think how often you just quickly tweak the angle of a door mirror to aid your positioning … especially when you’re navigating a tight multi-storey car park with high, threatening kerbing – as we had to do exiting the airport – and you’re very conscious about the expensive 21in diamond cut alloys on all four corners of the CX-6e.

The infotainment system continues to be on the challenging side to use. At the moment – and this was the first European drive of the car – the menu design is very dense and there are a lot of overlaying picture displays that disturb the navigation apps. Mazda is promising software upgrades, and knowing how quickly these can be introduced I would expect speedy improvements.

Prices and trims

This is a real strength of the CX-6e. Its bold, imposing styling reeks of a £60,000-plus car akin to the BMW and Volvo. But the entry-level Mazda Takumi will set you back ‘just’ £42,900, plus it’s packed to the gunwales with standard kit, including the huge glass roof, a comprehensive suite of much-need parking cameras, the head-up display and 19in alloys. The Takumi Plus brings more goodies, including a much more attractive two-tone interior with heated rear seats, plus 21in alloys (they alone are a £1,000 option), but rather unnecessarily swaps the side and rear-view mirrors for cameras. It’ll set you back an extra £2,360, taking it to £45,260.

Bootspace

It’s ok, but not brilliant when compared to its rivals. You get 468 litres in the rear (extending to 1434 with the rear seats folded), which is considerably less than the 585 litres of the EX60. And the Skoda Enyaq is even better at 634 litres. Stowage is supplemented by an 80-litre frunk.

Verdict

There’s so much to applaud in the CX-6e. It has style and presence, acres of interior space, drives exceptionally well and is without question Mazda’s best fully electric car to date. Don’t forget it starts at £42,900, and you get a lot of car for your money.

it does have its faults, primarily its challenging in-car ergonomics and lack of buttons and knobs, plus the over-reliance on tucking everyday functions deep inside the touchscreen. And don’t forget the redundant half of the touchscreen, but I’m confident that glitch will be resolved by the time the first UK cars land in November.

It does go head-to-head with the likes of the Skoda Enyaq on price, and it significantly undercuts the entry-level iX3 and EX60 by around £10,000. Overall, if you’re in the market for an electric large family SUV, it’s certainly worth putting the CX-6e on your shortlist.

The facts

Mazda CX-6e Price: From £42,900 Engine: 78kWh battery, single e-motor Transmission: Single-speed transmission, rear-wheel drive Power / Torque: 254bhp / 213lb/ft Top Speed / 0-62mph: 115mph / 7.9secs Range: 300 miles (WLTP) CO2: 0g/km Dimensions (L/W/H in mm): 4850 / 1935 / 1620

On sale: Now