New Mazda CX-6e to spearhead brand’s big electric SUV push from 2027
Mazda has trademarked the name CX-6e, with its UK boss telling us to “watch this space” for a sibling to forthcoming four-door EV
The Mazda 6e saloon will soon spawn a Tesla Model Y-rivalling mid-size SUV, as the maker looks to ramp up its EV offering and meet future ZEV (zero-emission vehicle) targets to 2030 and beyond.
The CX-6e badge has now been trademarked, which gives us a good idea of the car’s name, but not necessarily its technical make-up. Mazda could develop its electric SUV on the same platform as the 6e – created via a joint venture with Chinese automotive giant Changan – or on a new in-house EV architecture dubbed ‘Scalable SkyActiv’.
Mazda’s chiefs hinted at an SUV based on this flexible platform late last year. Now Mazda UK’s managing director, Jeremy Thomson, has told us to “watch this space” when asked why the firm had chosen to lead its next EV offering with a saloon rather than an SUV. “We’ll start plugging all of the gaps; they will be the mainstream kind of cars you expect. It’s a journey – we’re on a journey,” he explained.
Mazda will bring the 6e saloon to the UK next year – almost 12 months after it launches in left-hand-drive European markets. It’s aimed squarely at the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and BMW i4, and will offer up to 342 miles of range from an 80kWh battery. The 6e will be Mazda’s second EV, following on from the compromised MX-30.
Justifying Mazda’s saloon-first approach to the mid-size segment, Thomson said: “[The SUV sector] is where the competition is, so if you want to be cut-throat, maybe you go slightly off-piste.”
We expect the CX-6e’s design to combine elements from last year’s Arata concept and the production-ready 6e saloon. The new EV would sit in the highly competitive C and D-segment electric SUV market dominated by the Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron, and our exclusive images preview how it might look.
While the CX-6e’s exact bodystyle is still to be determined, given the registered name and dimensions of its 6e sibling, it’s almost certain to launch as a rival for the big-selling Model Y, and the Arata gives us a good idea of the overall proportions.
The CX-6e is likely to be a strict five-seater, with a boot of 500 litres or more (plus storage under the bonnet) to cement its family-car credentials. We can assume the dash will largely mimic the 6e saloon’s, with a large central screen and fewer physical buttons than Mazda’s current combustion-engined cars. A fully digital instrument cluster is also likely.
One impetus for putting the CX-6e on the Scalable SkyActiv platform would be to minimise potential import tariffs for cars sold in the EU. Models built in China, such as the Changan-developed 6e saloon, will be subject to high taxes that could make them prohibitively expensive within Europe.
If the CX-6e does use the Scalable SkyActiv platform, powertrain and battery information is limited at best. But we’d assume by bringing the tech in-house, Mazda would aim to better the 6e saloon’s numbers.
We expect at least two battery sizes, with the options probably comprising a standard and Long Range model. Assuming batteries of around 75kWh and 90kWh or more, the larger of the two should exceed 300 miles of range, despite the CX-6e’s bulkier SUV body.
We’d also expect Mazda to look at improving the 6e’s charge rates – especially on the Long Range car. Bizarrely, the bigger-battery 6e has a significantly slower peak charging speed than the base model; the company will need to target rates of at least 180kW to keep the CX-6e competitive among its peers.
Mazda will be keen to inject some of its ‘jinba ittai’ or ‘horse and rider as one’ philosophy into the CX-6e.
The phrase was first coined during the development of the MX-5 in the eighties, and the concept runs through every Mazda to this day. We can therefore expect a strong focus on driveability and handling, plus ride comfort and ergonomics. At the very least, the CX-6e should challenge the likes of the BMW iX1 for driver appeal.
Bosses said the first car on the new Scalable SkyActiv platform is due in 2027 – suggesting the SUV should arrive in UK showrooms shortly after the saloon. According to the current, Government-set ZEV mandate, 38 per cent of cars sold in the UK in 2027 must be electric, rising to 80 per cent in 2030 – so this EV will be of utmost importance to Mazda.
Given the 6e’s mooted price of £40,000, it looks like the CX-6e will hit the Model Y where it hurts, possibly starting from less than £45,000.
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