Mazda has officially revealed the EZ-6 as part of this year’s Beijing motor show.
The EZ-6 is an electrified sedan offered by the Japanese carmaker’s joint venture company, Changan Mazda.
It will launch in China by the end of 2024, though it’s unclear if it previews a global replacement for the Mazda 6.
“We can’t comment on any future model plans,” said a Mazda Australia spokesperson in response to whether the EZ-6 is coming Down Under.
Two powertrain types will be offered in China – battery electric (BEV), as well as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
At this stage Mazda hasn’t detailed full technical specifications of either EZ-6 powertrain, though the BEV model has a claimed range of approximately 600km according to lenient CLTC standards, whereas the PHEV model is expected to travel over 1000km on a single tank of fuel.
Both EZ-6 models will be rear-wheel drive only.
The Mazda EZ-6 measures in at 4921mm long, 1890mm wide and 1485mm tall, which is 56mm longer, 50mm narrower, and 35mm taller than the current Mazda 6 sedan.
It’s appears the EZ-6 is a restyled version of the existing SL03 sedan from Changan’s Deepal brand.
There’s a faux grille up front with a litany of LED lighting elements, while the EZ-6 also has flush door handles, smooth body lines, a full-width tail light assembly, and an active rear spoiler.
Inside there’s a two-tone interior with a large touchscreen infotainment system and digital instrument cluster, as well as a panoramic glass sunroof.
At this stage it’s unclear if the Mazda EZ-6 will be offered outside of China, though Changan Mazda did recently confirm it’s actively looking to promote the export of vehicles produced in China, while also researching overseas cooperation opportunities from other carmakers.
In Europe Mazda recently trademarked the name ‘6e’, further fuelling speculation that this new model will replace the ageing current-generation Mazda 6, which was first revealed in 2012.
It’s unclear if the 6e will be the EZ-6 or a separate vehicle based on the Japanese company’s new SkyActiv Scalable EV architecture.
Mazda is set to roll out this architecture between 2025 and 2030.
The company has already confirmed “several products” will be launched on its new dedicated EV architecture by the end of the decade, alongside a slew of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric models due to be launched on the SkyActiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture.
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