Mazda 6e Review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the Mazda 6e?

The Mazda 6e is the Japanese brand’s second attempt at a mass-market electric car. It's pitched against the best EVs in the executive class, which means it rivals the Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.7, and Polestar 2.

A fresh take on the popular Mazda 6, the all-electric 6e has caused a stir in the industry by winning the prestigious World Car Design of the Year title. Can it back up its style with the substance Mazda needs to stake a claim in the electric car market?

Some people may think we've been here before with the quirky but compromised MX-30. It was Mazda's first attempt at the EV market. But that small SUV, with its limited range and rear-hinged back doors, wasn’t a commercial success and Mazda axed the car entirely in the UK after only a few years on sale.

With the brand in real danger of falling behind in the electric car race and lacking the resources to match brands like BMW, Volkswagen and Tesla, Mazda instead turned to its Chinese partner, Changan, for help in developing the 6e. Underneath it’s a Changan Deepal SL03 saloon, with Mazda changing the design inside and out.

Having already been on sale in China for a while as the EZ-6, the 6e large saloon is now here in the UK. Was it worth waiting for? Read our in-depth review to find out.

Verdict: is the Mazda 6e a good car?

Stylish, spacious and capable of covering over 300 miles on a full charge, the Mazda 6e should be the car that puts the Japanese carmaker on the EV map. However, the 6e is let down by underwhelming driving dynamics and fiddly cabin tech

The competitive pricing and upmarket interior may win the Mazda 6e favour with those who want the look and feel of a premium car, without the hefty price tag, but there isn’t really anything in the 6e’s range, charging speeds and driving experience that makes it truly stand out from the crowd.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Priced from £38,995, the Mazda 6e is £1,000 more expensive than a Tesla Model 3 but over £10,000 cheaper than the starting point for the Volkswagen ID.7. It also undercuts the Mercedes-Benz CLA by around £6,000.

The Mazda 6e is offered in two trim levels, Takumi and Takumi Plus. Equipment levels for the entry Takumi model is generous, with faux leather trim, wireless phone charging, heated and cooled front seats with rear climate control, a 360-degree camera system, a panoramic sunroof, electric tailgate and a Sony audio system.

A 10in digital driver's display is also included, along with a large 14.6in infotainment screen with built-in navigation that sits in the middle of the dashboard.

Takumi Plus adds £1,000 to the list price and includes Nappa leather and suede upholstery, plus a sunshade for the panoramic glass roof.

Rivals

There are plenty of alternatives to the Mazda 6e on the market that you should be checking out, not least cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.7.

Other options include the Hyundai IONIQ 6, BMW i4, Polestar 2 and BYD Seal, along with the new Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric. You might also want to consider hatchback-cum-SUVs like the Kia EV6 and Renault Scenic E-Tech.

Interior comfort, quality & technology

If you like your cars with lots of physical controls, the Mazda 6e may not be the car for you. The majority of its in-car functions are operated via the large touchscreen which means the car loses a lot its user-friendliness.

Indeed, it’s clear that most of what you interact with has been developed by Changan. Like many Chinese market cars, the touchscreen controls almost all the car’s functions. That doesn’t just mean the climate controls – even the door mirrors, lights and wipers are controlled on-screen.

As we’ve learned from Teslas that have a similar layout, it can be frustrating and fiddly to change or control these functions on the move. At least Mazda gives you a couple of customisable shortcut buttons on the steering wheel to optimise these, but we’d rather use one for turning off unwanted driver assists easily.

That’s a pity, because when it comes to interior quality the 6e is very good. It looks and feels every inch the premium model in top-spec Takumi Plus trim, feeling posher inside than a Hyundai IONIQ 6 and closer in line with the BMW i4. You get soft-touch materials everywhere including suede on the dashboard and leather on the centre console.

The driving position is good, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel and comfortable yet supportive front seats. That said, you are sat higher than in many saloon rivals, meaning you feel slightly perched on the car rather than in it. Rear visibility is quite poor due to the tiny, sharply angled rear screen, too.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every version of the 6e comes equipped with a 14.6in touchscreen mounted centrally on the dash. It’s a larger, more feature packed system than we’ve seen in any Mazda to date.

The screen is bright and relatively responsive most of the time. Finding key functions doesn’t come naturally at first. There’s lots of menu layers and small icons that require too much of your attention while driving – it’s a far cry from the simple rotary controller placed where your hand rests in other Mazdas.

At least the air-con controls are permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen, but the small icons make it difficult to use when on the move which makes it awkward to make small adjustments to the temperature. You do get wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, gesture control and voice control.

The 10.2in digital dial display is packed with lots of information, making it a bit cluttered at first, but you do get used to where everything is after a while. We’re not big fans of the fiddly haptic touch steering wheel buttons, though.

Every version gets wireless phone charging as standard, but while there are two USB-C connectors up front there’s only one in the rear, which is a shame given how tech-focused the cabin is.

Still, the 14-speaker Sony sound system is very good, with punchy and clear sound quality. It also has a cool party trick, with headrest speakers that allow the driver to clearly hear a phone call while the other speakers continue with in-car audio.

How practical is the Mazda 6e?

The Mazda 6e’s dimensions make it 4,921mm long, 1,890mm wide and 1,491mm tall. That’s considerably longer than a Tesla Model 3 and closer to a VW ID.7 in overall size, but the Mazda has a lower, more rakish roofline.

Even so, there’s an abundance of space on offer up front, with head and legroom to spare for even the most generously-sized adults.

Things in the rear are mostly good, too, with good levels of kneeroom even for six-footers. Head space is a bit limited by the sloping roofline, but six-footers do fit without being too uncomfortable. Overall, it’s roomier than a BMW i4 in the back, and on a par with the Model 3.

Having said that, the shallow footwells (due to the location of the batteries under the floor) mean you knees sit higher up than is comfortable if you’re tall – an ID.7 is roomier if that’s an issue.

We like that rear passengers get their own climate control screen (like the latest Model 3) which can also control the electric roof blinds. We’re not sure the ability to move the front passenger seat is a good thing to let naughty children to have access to, however.

Storage and boot space

You’ll find a decent level of storage in the cabin including reasonable door bins, a decent glovebox, a deep cubby under the centre armrest and a useful under-console tray for bigger items. You also get two phone holders, one of which will charge the device.

In the rear you’ll find some good-sized door bins, pockets in the front seatbacks and a pair of cupholders in the flip-down centre armrest. There’s also a little tray for a phone under the air vents.

The rear seatbacks fold down in a typical 60/40 split (not the more practical 40/20/40 split of the ID.7 and i4).

Meanwhile, the 366-litre boot is useful but not as generous as the ID.7. Regardless, the hatchback opening is great for loading bulky items in or out and the rectangular shape of the boot lets you make the most of the space on offer.

Unlike some EVs, the 6e does have a 72 litre small front boot. It’s large enough for the charging cables and a small rucksack, so comes in handy.

Performance & drive: What is the Mazda 6e like on the road?

When it comes to performance and drive, the Mazda 6e is easy to understand with a single powertrain option that combines a 258hp electric motor with a 78kWh battery.

Unlike other cars in the Mazda range, there is no start button. Instead, you get in, put it in drive and away you go. It's similar to the setup in some Polestar models which takes some adjustment.

On the road, the 6e feels brisk with 0-62mph taking 7.9 seconds. There’s also no dual-motor, all-wheel drive version but in regular driving the 6e never feels underpowered. But those hoping for the sporty feel that Mazda is usually good at will be a bit underwhelmed, particularly as acceleration tails off the faster you go.

At least there are a full four regenerative braking settings to play with. However, rather than handy steering wheel paddles to adjust the setting, you must delve into the touchscreen to change them. At least the brake pedal has a natural, progressive response.

Power, 0-62mph times

• Mazda 6e 78kWh: 258hp / 7.9 secs

Ride and handling

Compared to other cars in the Mazda range, which are engaging and enjoyable to drive, we find the ride and handling of the 6e to be somewhat underwhelming.

The steering is our biggest bugbear, with its light but vague nature making it difficult to get meaningful feedback from the front wheels. The steering is accurate enough to be safe, but if you want a car that provides the driver with lots of feel through the wheel then you'll be disappointed.

The steering starts off being very light before suddenly weighting up and requiring significant effort to turn. This results in the car lurching into corners as you turn in. Putting the car into sport mode doesn't improve things, instead making the wheel heavier to turn without increasing feedback.

The ride, too, is disappointing. It’s fidgety over rougher roads and can’t isolate potholes as well as the best electric cars around town. It’s better at speed, making the 6e decent on the motorway.

The problem is that cars like the Tesla Model 3 and (in particular) the BMW i4 set a very high standard for ride and handling that the Mazda can’t match, with its artificial steering and lack of a sense of fun that petrol-powered Mazdas usually deliver.

Noise and refinement

Despite the Mazda 6e’s unsettled ride and vague steering, it’s a quiet cruiser at motorway speeds. Wind noise is very well contained (more so than other Mazda models), and although there is some road noise it’s never intrusive even on poor surfaces. The electric motor has a very faint whine, too.

Euro NCAP: is the Mazda 6e a safe car?

Most of Mazda’s recent models have achieved strong Euro NCAP ratings, and the 6e is no different with the maximum five-star score in crash testing.

Particularly impressive are the 93% ratings for adult and child occupant protection – slightly ahead of the already very safe Tesla Model 3.

UK specifications are yet to be finalised regarding safety equipment, but we don’t expect Mazda to skimp on it. In Germany, the 6e is offered with the usual autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assistance, driver monitoring and traffic sign recognition, but it also comes with rear cross-traffic alert, rear collision warning and braking, adaptive cruise control and a safe exit alert system.

Charging, range and running costs

The 6e is available with one battery size, a 78kWh that promises a range of up to 348 miles on a charge according to WLTP tests.

It is a lithium-ion battery with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry – typical of most EVs from the last 15 years. You also get a heat pump as standard on all versions of the 6e.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures) 

• Mazda 6e 78kWh: 348 miles

The 78kWh battery in the Mazda 6e offers an impressive peak DC rapid charging speed of 195kW, which means you'll be waiting 24 minutes for a 10-80% charge – competitive with the class leaders.

Importantly, that rapid charging speed allows you to charge from 30-80% of range in just 15 minutes. That really boost the 6e’s appeal as a long-distance car.

Charging speeds

(Figures from EV Database)

• 7kW charging: 12hr 15 mins
• 11kW charging: 8hr 15 mins
• 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 68 mins
• 190kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 24 mins

How much does the Mazda 6e cost to insure?

Insurance groups for the Mazda 6e is simple to understand, with both Takumi and Takumi Plus sitting in group 44. That makes the 6e more expensive than the Volkswagen ID.7 saloon, which starts in group 38 and notably higher than the Polestar 2 (group 34).