- Mazda’s first correct EV is right here.
- After the moderately disappointing MX-30 EV, the brand-new Mazda 6e comes to avoid wasting the day.
- With seems to be to die for, the brand new electrical mid-size EV has rear-wheel drive and an ideal 50:50 weight distribution.
Automobile lovers, your fixed requests for a handsome rear-wheel drive sedan have been answered by Mazda. That is the brand-new Mazda 6e, an all-electric successor to the front-wheel drive mid-size Mazda 6 sedan that was discontinued in the US again in 2021.
The brand new Mazda 6e EV is gorgeous to have a look at, it has a hatchback, it’s RWD-only, and there’s an LFP battery on supply, so the fundamentals are there. However that’s simply a part of the story, as you’ll quickly discover out.
Let’s get the plain out of the way in which first. The Mazda 6e can be obtainable in Europe beginning this summer time, and it’s not coming to the US, a minimum of not for the foreseeable future. Then, it is best to know that it’s the identical automobile because the Chinese language-spec Mazda EZ-6, which in flip is closely based mostly on the Deepal SL03. In different phrases, it’s not an EV that Mazda constructed from the bottom up, however moderately leaned on its companions to chop growth prices and produce the automobile to the market sooner–that’s not a nasty factor by any stretch of the creativeness.
The Mazda 6e has two battery choices. The bottom model is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack that may retailer as much as 68.8 kilowatt-hours of vitality, sufficient for a WLTP-rated vary of 297 miles on a full cost. The battery is paired with a single rear motor that makes 254 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It may be DC fast-charged at as much as 200 kW, for a ten% top-up in 22 minutes, whereas plugging it right into a three-phase 11 kW AC wall charger will replenish the state of cost from 10% to 80% in eight hours.
The bottom mannequin can speed up from zero to 62 miles per hour in 7.6 seconds and has a high velocity of 108 miles per hour.
Picture by: Mazda
Now for the bizarre half. The Mazda 6e Lengthy Vary comes with a bigger, 80 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) battery pack that permits a barely longer driving vary of 343 miles on the WLTP testing process. That’s nice information, however for no matter motive, the utmost DC charging velocity of this battery is simply 95 kW, resulting in a ten% to 80% top-up in a painstakingly gradual 45 minutes. On an 11 kW AC house charger, going from 10% to 80% will take 9 and a half hours.
Furthermore, the rear electrical motor makes 241 hp–13 lower than the bottom spec mannequin–whereas the torque determine stays the identical at 236 lb-ft.
Diving a bit deeper into the specs sheet reveals that each battery packs weigh the identical–1,058 kilos–and that the burden distinction between the 2 powertrain variations is simply 2.2 kilos aside. The usual vary mannequin suggestions the scales at 4,303 lbs, whereas the long-range variant is 4,305 lbs.
Picture by: Mazda
This leads me to imagine that the 2 packs are an identical in quantity and that Mazda selected the secure route for the bigger battery–slower charging and discharging means the cells ought to last more with minimal degradation. However judging from the specs sheet, the bottom LFP-powered mannequin must be the perfect all-around choice for anybody, seeing how it may be routinely charged to 100% with out worrying about degradation–and at double the velocity in comparison with the bigger NCM pack that ought to routinely be charged to only 80% to keep away from degradation.
Dimension-wise, the Mazda 6e is 193.7 inches lengthy, 84.8 inches huge (with aspect mirrors) and 58.7 inches tall. The wheelbase is 113.9 inches. The trunk capability is 11.6 cubic ft, which isn’t precisely record-breaking, however there’s additionally a 2.4 cubic ft frunk up entrance.
Picture by: Mazda
Mazda says its electrical sedan is likely one of the most spacious fashions in its class, with loads of headroom within the entrance and rear seats, and sufficient house for 5 folks. Talking of the inside, one of many greatest speaking factors needs to be the spectacular 50-inch digital actual property for the augmented-reality head-up show that tasks info immediately onto the windshield.
The instrument cluster is a ten.2-inch show and the infotainment is dealt with by means of a centrally-mounted 14.6-inch touchscreen. One other a lot smaller touchscreen is for the rear passengers to regulate local weather settings, function the sunshade and regulate the entrance passenger seat place when the automobile is parked.
There aren’t any bodily buttons up entrance for controlling the local weather system or the audio system–all the pieces is dealt with by means of the central touchscreen–identical to in a Tesla Mannequin 3. That mentioned, there are standard steering wheel stalks, so mundane actions like placing on the flip alerts don’t require a fast browse of the proprietor’s handbook.
There’s a chunky middle console between the 2 entrance seats with a pair of cupholders and a pair of smartphone cradles. Beneath it, there’s a spacious cubby to retailer issues like purses or different giant objects. Plus one other cubby below the armrest.
Up entrance, the Mazda 6e has a Cadillac-like illuminated grille, and due to the black wheel arch surrounds, the automobile has a crossover vibe to it–for higher or worse. On the again, there’s a full-width LED bar and a retractable electrical spoiler that robotically goes up at 56 mph, nevertheless it may also be raised manually beneath this threshold.
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The EV comes with 19-inch wheels as normal, in addition to a multi-link suspension setup on the rear and a MacPherson strut association for the entrance wheels. Mazda boasts an ideal 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, which–along with the suspension setup–ought to make for a fairly partaking drive.
The Mazda 6e was designed for a five-star Euro NCAP security score. It comes as normal with 9 airbags and the corporate’s i-Activesense superior driving help system (ADAS) with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, site visitors signal recognition, Emergency Lane Holding, Rear Collision Warning and Good Brake Help.
The security pack makes use of M-pixel cameras, millimeter-wave radar and ultrasonic radar to repeatedly monitor the automobile’s environment and take emergency motion if wanted. There’s additionally an Occupancy Monitoring System that may detect kids within the rear seats and warn the motive force to stop a baby from being left within the automobile.
The Mazda 6e will arrive in European showrooms this summer time. Pricing has not been introduced but.
