From 6 to 6e
Despite its age, the Mazda6 remained a competitive midsize sedan until it was pulled from the U.S. market in 2022. Some markets still have it, although that car has practically been on life support for years. It’s still hanging in there, but we’re not expecting it to hang around for much longer.
That said, Mazda has a new midsize sedan in the form of the 6e. Also known as the EZ-6, it has the name, the proportions, and some of the look of the 6. Mind you, it’s really more of a Mazda-badged product, as it’s a mildly tweaked Deepal L07 from Chinese automaker Changan. The question now is, is it really a Mazda?
A Mazda Exec Weighs in
Vinesh Bhindi is the boss of Mazda Australia, and he recently spoke to Drive regarding that matter. According to the company’s research, Bhindi said that the 6e is “not a direct replacement from Mazda 6 to this.” Well, that was refreshingly honest.
That’s not to say it’s not a true Mazda product. After all, the car was jointly developed with the automaker’s partner in China, so there is some of the Hiroshima-based company’s input in there. Bhindi admits there have been challenges in convincing customers about the 6e in Australia, mainly because it’s EV-only there (there’s an REEV in China).
From what we’ve gathered, it seems the Mazda 6 faithful are still trying to wrap their heads around the idea of an electric midsize sedan in the lineup. It’s either they take the leap and go EV power or begrudgingly shop elsewhere.
In response to that, Mazda hopes its new 6e will attract new customers and win over those who’ve opted not to buy it. “I think we will resonate with that customer base well, but also, there are new generations of customers who are probably more excited about the EV powertrain, but also the technology that comes with it would be of more importance as opposed to what that body size is,” said Bhindi.
Will There Be a True Mazda6 Successor?
Truth be told, it’s hard to determine that right now. Midsize sedans from non-luxury automakers aren’t exactly hot anymore, and just a few markets still buy these types of cars. The U.S. and Canada are still relatively good markets for these, as are China and the Middle East. It’s not like Mazda can sell the 6e stateside due to prohibitive tariffs. If anything, it has a better chance of coming to Canada instead.
There isn’t much incentive for Mazda to build a midsize sedan from scratch at this point, unless the Mazda6 takes on an entirely different, possibly more upmarket direction. It can use the same platform as the CX-60 and CX-90 as a starting point, but the bigger question is whether people will actually buy it.
Remember, just because people say they like it, it doesn’t mean they’ll actually buy it. Mazda can make it as good as it can possibly be, win over reviewers and punters, and still not translate its praise into sales, as proven 30 years ago by the impressive but ultimately ill-fated Mazda 929.
Zac Palmer
