The differences between the Mazda 6e and its Chinese donor car are more than just surface-level styling changes.
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Mazda has made no secret of the fact its new 6e is built in China by a Chinese partner, but this is far from a simple badge-engineering exercise, according to the Japanese brand.
Speaking to Drive, Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi detailed exactly what the changes entail, starting with the suspension tuning the brand is so keen to spruik.
“It [the suspension tune] is more in line with our European counterpart than the Chinese counterpart, and I’ve got to admit, I haven’t driven a Chinese market spec [car], but I’m told their preferences for the drive feel is very different,” Bhindi said.
“But our European partners or colleagues have done a lot of heavy lifting on the suspension, the tuning the drive feel, which is what I think Australian customers – definitely Mazda customers – appreciate.”
Of course, the 6e also looks radically different from its Changan counterpart, adopting the upmarket and sporty aesthetic of existing Mazda models.
“Then obviously, when it comes to the design part, it’s very much 100 per cent Mazda designers who took the lead, and we had opportunity to review it, provide feedback, and I think – if I can just say, it looks stunning,” Bhindi said.
However, the 6e still features a number of exterior styling cues that carryover from the donor car, such as power-operated door handles and frameless windows.
Inside though, the Mazda 6e largely mirrors its Changan counterpart with a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen and switchgear layout.
Mazda does use unique materials and finishes inside the 6e though, and also adopts its own steering wheel.
But, with the base being a Chinese vehicle, the 6e is the first and only Mazda model to receive its own dedicated smartphone app.
While connected services are available on other Mazda models like MX-5, the 6e version looks to expand functionality to also include features such as a Bluetooth key and its own dedicated smartphone app.
Powering the Australian version of the 6e is a single rear-drive electric motor producing 190kW/290Nm, while its 78kWh battery is good for a WLTP-rated 560km of driving range.
In China though, their version, known as the EZ-6, which can also be had with a smaller battery, as well as two range extender powertrains that feature a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
Mazda announced pricing for the 2026 6e earlier this year, kicking off at $49,990 before on-road costs for the GT and rising to $52,990 for the top-spec Akera.
The Mazda 6e will be ready for Australian public roads until around the middle of the year, while the mechanically related CX-6e is due later this year.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
