Leaving space in Mazda’s range for a larger electric SUV to potentially provide an alternative to the CX-80 flagship, the CX-6e is likely to be a strict five-seater, with a boot volume of 500 litres or more (plus storage under the bonnet) to cement its family-car credentials. We can assume the dash will largely mimic the 6e saloon’s, with a large central screen and fewer physical buttons than Mazda’s current combustion-engined cars. A fully digital instrument cluster is also likely.
One incentive for putting the CX-6e on the Scalable SkyActiv platform would be to minimise potential import tariffs for cars sold in the EU and the US. Models built in China, such as the Changan-developed 6e saloon, will be subject to high taxes in Europe that could make them prohibitively expensive in the continent.
Bosses said the first car on the new Scalable SkyActiv platform is due in 2027 – suggesting the SUV should arrive in UK showrooms shortly after the saloon. According to the current, Government-set ZEV mandate, 38 per cent of cars sold in the UK in 2027 must be electric, rising to 80 per cent in 2030 – so this EV will be of utmost importance to Mazda.
If the CX-6e does use the Scalable SkyActiv platform, powertrain and battery information is limited at best. But we’d assume by bringing the tech in-house, Mazda would aim to improve on the numbers from the 6e saloon, which will offer up to 342 miles of range from an 80kWh battery.
Given the 6e’s mooted price of £40,000, we would expect the CX-6e to have a starting price of less than £45,000, which would allow it to undercut its key rivals, including the new Tesla Model Y.
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