Beijing show: Mazda6 replacement confirmed, it’s named EZ-6 and it’s going electric!
The Mazda6 is changing name, going electric and will be on-sale in China before the end of 2024.
Revealed today at the Beijing auto show, the Mazda EZ-6 will be offered as both a battery electric vehicle and as a plug-in hybrid.
The appearance of the EZ-6 ends the expectation Mazda would kill of the 6 due to declining interest in sedans and wagons and the rise of SUVs.
The original Mazda6 launched in Australia in 2002 and the current third generation in 2012, with a significant update in 2018.
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The Mazda6 is currently offered for sale in Australia only with ICE powertrains.
In another fundamental change, the EZ-6 will swap from the Mazda6’s front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.
While little technical detail has been revealed, Mazda has claimed the EZ-6 BEV will have a driving range of approximately 600 km, while the PHEV is expected to achieve over 1000km of driving range on a single tank of fuel.
The EZ-6 has been developed by Mazda and Chinese partner Chongqing Changan’s joint-venture Changan Mazda Automobile Corporation.
A concept Tesal Model Y-rivalling SUV dubbed the Arata was also revealed today in Beijing and is scheduled to go on-sale in China by the end of 2025
At this stage the EZ-6 is only confirmed for sale in China.
There is no word on whether it will be sold elsewhere, or whether it can meet the challenge of developing a right-hand drive business case for countries such as Australia.
Mazda currently sells no EVs in Australia having killed off the MX-30. It does offer the new CX-60 as a PHEV.
The design language of the EZ-6 is based around Mazda’s KODO-Soul of Motion philosophy. It measures up at 4921mm long, 1890mm wide and 1485mm high.
That makers it slightly larger than the the 4800mm/1887mm/1480mm Mazda6.
Mazda has stressed how important driving quality has been to the EZ-6 development process. The swap from the Mazda6’s front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive has helped deliver a 50:50 weight distribution in the BEV model.
Other EZ-6 dynamic features include front strut and multi-link independent rear suspensions and a powered rear spoiler to improve high speed stability.
The launch media statement said the EZ-6 also employs advanced electric vehicle technology and smart technology supplied by Changan Automobile.
Included in that is an intelligent parking technology that allows the EZ-6 to be controlled by voice, even when the driver is outside the vehicle.
Smart cabin technology can also be operated in various ways including voice-control, touch, and gesture control.
