Mazda 6e Atenza reviewed: electric liftback brings Chinese tech and Japanese polish for $52,990

A new kind of Mazda

The Mazda 6e arrived in Australia earlier this year as the brand's first rear-wheel drive mid-size car since the first-generation 626 left production in 1982, and its first new model in the segment since the previous Mazda 6 launched here in 2012, CarExpert reports in its 2027 Mazda 6e Atenza review. Crucially, it is electric, pitting it against the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal rather than the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata. ¹

CarExpert details how the car began life in China in 2024 as the EZ-6, developed with Mazda's long-standing joint venture partner Changan. The Chinese firm supplies the mechanicals while the styling and cabin are distinctly Mazda. RACQ notes the car is built in China under the decades-old Mazda and Chongqing Changan Automobile joint venture, launched in Europe in early 2025 and released in Australia in July 2026. ¹⁷

The move follows the failure of the MX-30, which RACQ describes as over-priced with barely adequate range and discontinued less than three years after its mid-2021 launch. Gay Car Boys frames the 6e as a reversal of the old badge-sharing playbook, in which Mazda supplied donor cars for the Ford Laser and Telstar — this time Mazda wraps its design over a Changan skeleton, battery and software to stay relevant in the electric era. ⁷²

The 6e has already collected external recognition: RACQ records it as winner of the 2026 World Car of the Year award. ⁷

Price and positioning

Mazda Australia priced the 6e at $49,990 before on-road costs for the GT and $52,990 plus on-roads for the Atenza, CarExpert reports. At launch that undercut the base Tesla Model 3 by $4910 and the GT cost just $800 more than the old turbocharged Mazda 6 GT. CarExpert notes Tesla has since responded with a new base Model 3 RWD grade at $45,900 plus on-roads, while the 6e still undercuts the BYD Seal Premium ($52,990 plus on-roads) and matches the Kia EV4 Air ($49,990 plus on-road costs). ¹

RACQ, reviewing closer to launch, describes the $49,990 starting price as strategically set to undercut the then base Model 3 RWD at $54,900 and the Polestar 2 Long Range at $66,400 (MRLP), while also undercutting the Seal Premium — illustrating how quickly the competitive landscape has shifted within months. ⁷

CHOICE, in its product listing for the car, records a 2026-model 6e priced at $52,990 with an estimated delivery time of two to three months, a five-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty, a five-star ANCAP rating, a 175km/h top speed, China as the country of origin and a 142mm ground clearance. CHOICE's independently recorded 0-100km/h figure of 7.6 seconds and 320Nm torque figure differ from the 290Nm and 7.35-second claimed figures quoted by CarExpert and RACQ. ⁴

In Europe, Mazda announced a revised 2027 model year for the 6e, per Mazda's press release, bringing a 78kWh LFP battery with up to 200kW DC charging, 560km WLTP range, revised damping, steering and driver assistance calibration, new European trim lines (HOMURA PLUS and an updated TAKUMI PLUS), and improved navigation that displays charger availability and can replan routes dynamically. ³

Dimensions

The Australian 6e liftback measures 4921mm long, 1890mm wide excluding mirrors and 2895mm at the wheelbase, with 337 litres of cargo capacity to the belt line including under-floor storage, per CarExpert's specification table. CHOICE's independently compiled data sheet matches the length and width and records a height of 1491mm, a 1074-litre cargo volume with the rear seats folded and a 2440kg gross vehicle mass for the 2026-model Atenza; CarExpert lists a slightly lower height of 1485mm, and the two published figures differ without an evident explanation in either source. ¹⁴

Atenza cabin and equipment

CarExpert finds the Atenza cabin makes a fabulous first impression, with tan leather and synthetic suede across the dashboard, doors and seats, stitched soft-touch trim and 64-colour ambient lighting. It judges the interior notably nicer than the new in-house CX-5's, despite some harder plastics in less visible areas. The Atenza adds these trims over the GT's leatherette for a $3000 premium; RACQ similarly concludes the Atenza's mix of leather and faux suede lends a more upmarket feel. ¹⁷

Standard equipment across both grades is extensive: CarExpert lists 19-inch wheels, an augmented reality head-up display, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tri-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, a 14-speaker Sony sound system and a panoramic glass roof. Metallic paints such as Machine Grey, Polymetal Grey and Soul Red Crystal cost $795 extra, CarExpert notes. ¹

There are quirks. CarExpert points out that, unlike every other Mazda sold in Australia, the indicators sit on the left of the steering column, climate functions live in the touchscreen, and the seemingly opening panoramic roof is actually fixed glass in two panels. Rear seat space is generous thanks to a near-flat floor, though a 193cm passenger found headroom just tight. ¹

RACQ additionally records a vehicle-to-load function with a maximum rated output of 3.5kW, allowing the 6e to run household appliances or power tools as a short-term emergency generator. Gay Car Boys observes that the rear legroom is fabulous, that front seats are heated and cooled, and that the high-wear cabin areas make a good case for their sturdy coverings, though a bit of hard plastic remains elsewhere. ⁷²

Powertrain, safety and how it drives

Every Australian 6e uses a single rear-mounted motor with 190kW and 290Nm, a 78kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and rear-wheel drive, with claimed figures of 7.35 seconds to 100km/h, 560km WLTP range, 11kW AC and 195kW DC charging and 1500kg braked towing, per CarExpert's specification table. CarExpert measured 13.3kWh/100km on a mixed test loop and 15.2kWh/100km across a week, both bettering the claimed 15.9kWh/100km. RACQ quotes a 194kW maximum DC rate and a 10-80% charge in about 24 minutes; CHOICE independently records a 7.6-second 0-100km/h figure and a 320Nm torque figure, which differs from the 290Nm quoted by CarExpert and RACQ. ¹⁴⁷

Safety credentials are solid: the 6e holds a five-star ANCAP rating from 2025 testing, scoring 93% for adult occupant protection, 93% for child occupant protection, 74% for vulnerable road user protection and 79% for safety assist, CarExpert reports. RACQ notes the rating was achieved under the 2023-25 assessment criteria, which are less stringent than the new 2026 regime. ¹⁷

On the road, opinions diverge. CarExpert calls the steering overly light and disconnected regardless of mode — "like giving CPR to a dummy" — and finds the Cruising and Traffic Support system nervous and hyperactive, though the car shines as a comfortable, quiet cruiser with a soft ride and an 11.2m turning circle. RACQ's testers found handling confident and sure-footed with good ride comfort, but agreed the steering lacks feel and noted a high driving position; they also recorded the assist systems as well tuned rather than intrusive. ¹⁷

Gay Car Boys describes the 6e as a thinly made-over Deepal SL03 underneath, with real-world range of about 400km on a full charge by their observation versus the claimed 560km WLTP, but credits Mazda with fettling the driver assistance systems and adding steering-wheel shortcut buttons that can mute the overspeed warning. ²

The CX-6e joins the family

A closely related SUV, the CX-6e, has since arrived in Australia from $53,990 before on-road costs for the GT, with the Azami at $56,990, CarExpert reports. It undercuts the Tesla Model Y (from $58,900), BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990) and Zeekr 7X (from $57,900). It shares the 6e's 78kWh LFP battery and 190kW/290Nm rear motor, with claimed range of up to 484km (GT) or 468km (Azami) and a 194kW DC peak charge rate. ⁵

Chasing Cars, in its first-drive review, notes the CX-6e uses Changan's EPA1 platform with a similar wheelbase to the Deepal S07, but says Mazda has overhauled suspension, NVH, steering, motors, battery, software, structural rigidity and corrosion resistance, with no shared body panels. The result is a firm brake pedal and more composed ride than rivals such as the Sealion 7, though the steering is sticky on-centre and the 26.5-inch touchscreen draws heavy criticism for absorbing nearly every function. ⁶

Mazda has high hopes for the SUV: Chasing Cars reports executives believe the CX-6e could become the brand's best-seller, displacing the CX-5 and CX-3, if regulation continues to incentivise electric cars, while CarExpert reports Mazda sees potential for CX-6e sales to reach 12,000 per year. Chasing Cars observed real-world consumption of 15.3kWh/100km in the GT and 16.7kWh/100km in the Azami, and notes servicing is $1860 over five years/100,000km. One caveat: neither Chasing Cars nor CarExpert records an ANCAP rating for the CX-6e, which remains unrated by ANCAP and Euro NCAP. ⁵⁶