Mazda 6e Review - A Car To Buy Purely On Looks Alone

Mazda has always done things differently. Take the MX-5, for example, which, coincidentally, I’ll be testing the latest model very shortly for Driven. Sensibly priced and not a hatchback with the roof chopped off, it is a rarity. Rear Wheel Drive… another dying breed.

Rotary engines. Many of you will remember the Mazda RX-8. It drank oil as fast as it drank petrol, but it sounded great and looked wonderful. 

And what about 100 per cent battery-powered EVs?

This is where Mazda’s arrival at the party has been rather late. They did launch the MX-30 in 2021 as an all-electric car, (it was also available with a petrol rotary engine), but it wasn’t a success due to its tiny battery and range of about 100 miles on a warm summer’s day with a following wind. It’s a pity really, as in typical Mazda fashion, it looked good and was a hoot to drive. Ah well.

Which brings me to Mazda’s second roll of the EV dice — the 6e.

Exterior Design

I’ve just got home from the model’s UK launch. If you buy a car purely on looks alone, then don’t bother to read any further…the Mazda 6e looks wonderful in a handsome, understated way. It recently won the World Car Design of the Year gong and showroom appeal will account for a decent number of sales. Its predecessor, the Mazda 6, was also a bit of a looker and the Japanese brand has done well to make this 6e look like a refresh. A big pat on the back for the designers back at base in Hiroshima.

However, look under the surface, and you’ll find that all is not quite what it seems: this is a largely rebadged Chinese car called the Changan Deepal SL03. All credit to Mazda, though, because the exterior styling tweaks have worked well. You’d never know this wasn’t an in-house Mazda design. It has typical Mazda styling touches and will easily sit alongside other Mazda models in a showroom. 

Price, Power & Range

A starting price of £38,995 (July ’26) gets you into the Mazda 6e. At the moment there’s only a single battery and motor option, although others are in the pipeline. You get a 78kWh battery which goes through a 258bhp motor, with power going to the rear wheels. A 0-60mph sprint comes up in 7.9 seconds, but it feels quicker…as most electric cars do due to the instant 100 per cent oomph. There’s a decent potential range of 348 miles and a decent charging time too, with a 10-80% top-up taking 24 minutes. These figures stack up well against the competition. 

Oh, and there’s no start button…just plonk yourself onto the driver’s seat, flick the gear selector and away you go. 

The ride is nicely controlled and, thanks to the sleek styling, there’s very little wind noise. Long-legged cruising will be a relaxed affair. 

Interior

Inside the Mazda 6e is a smart and comfy place to be and there’s an upmarket feel to everything. It’s roomy too with loads of space for front and rear occupants. The boot is 466 litres, which should be enough for a family holiday. There’s a small ‘frunk’ under the bonnet where you can chuck the charging cables and a small bag. 

However, inside is where the car loses some of its Mazda identity as much of what you see on the dashboard comes from the Chinese donor car. Shame. 

Hop into something like many of the latest refreshed Volkswagens and you’ll spot a few new features on the dashboard near the central touchscreen. They’re called buttons, levers and knobs. Revolutionary stuff, huh? The manufacturers are finally catching on to the fact that we don’t like everything buried into the screen. You can just dab at a button on a cold wet night in traffic, but you’ll need to glance away from the road to fiddle with the screen. 

Unfortunately, the Mazda 6e is out of step with current trends. Okay, that’s being a bit picky, but it’s probably due to the fact that this isn’t a brand new car. Granted, once you’ve got used to everything, know where to find stuff and set up some shortcuts, it’ll all become second nature. Thankfully, the climate controls are a permanent feature along the bottom of the screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available and I ended up using the buttons on the steering wheel, which helped with shortcuts

Trim Levels & Tech

Two trims are available — Takumi and, for an extra grand, Takumi Plus. 

All versions get sat nav, 14.6-inch touchscreen, DAB radio, heated and ventilated front seats, panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, head-up display, 360-degree parking assist, 10-inch driver display, heated steering wheel, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and keyless entry. 

Go for Takumi Plus and you now get stuff like leather upholstery, which looks gorgeous by the way, and a sunshade for the panoramic glass roof.

Should you buy one?

As I said at the start, if you want a car that’s going to attract admiring glances when it’s sat outside your house, go for the Mazda 6e. The interior is lovely, it’s economical, comfy and nice to drive. Okay, putting too much into the central touchscreen is unnecessarily fiddly, but you may get used to that after a while. Why not give it a go?

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Mazda