Mazda CX-6e's External Announcement speaker can broadcast custom messages, with no apparent language filter

An external speaker that doubles as a megaphone

Mazda's new CX-6e electric SUV carries one of the more unusual features on a modern production vehicle: an External Announcement function that lets the driver speak to people outside the car through a speaker mounted at the front. According to a report by news.com.au, first cited in coverage by First for Autos, the system works as a kind of megaphone so pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists can clearly hear the driver. ²

The system ships with prerecorded messages delivered in a digitised voice, including phrases such as "hey buddy, I'm here" and "please look up and focus on the road, stay safe," news.com.au reported. In its intended form it is a communication aid, particularly relevant for an electric vehicle that is quiet at low speeds. Tarantas News, drawing on a Car and Driver account, describes the same hardware as capable of more than canned warnings: the driver can enter their own text or broadcast their voice directly through the external speaker. ¹²

No apparent filter on what the car will say

What has drawn attention is how permissive the system is. When news.com.au tested the feature, the outlet reported it could not find a limit to what the car would say, curse words included. Drivers can type their own announcements into the car's 26.45-inch touchscreen and save them as shortcuts, the report found. Tarantas News similarly notes that Australian testing revealed virtually no noticeable filter on user-entered messages, meaning the feature can be used either to warn a distracted pedestrian or to escalate a traffic dispute. ¹²

Notably, Mazda's own Australian presentation does not put the External Announcement function front and centre. According to Tarantas News, the feature is not advertised separately on Mazda Australia's main equipment page, and its capabilities became widely known largely through the journalist testing rather than official promotion. Mazda's official Australian documentation instead presents the system as a communication and convenience feature, per Carsfera's account of the model's specification coverage. ¹³

The CX-6e: specifications and market availability

The CX-6e is an all-electric midsize SUV developed with Changan Automobile as part of Mazda's global EV strategy, and it is closely related to the China-market EZ-60, of which the CX-6e is described as the global version. It is not offered by Mazda USA; Mazda has announced the model for Europe, Australia and other international markets, according to Carsfera, with Road & Track also cited on its absence from the United States lineup. ²³

On confirmed technical detail, the CX-6e uses a 78-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery with a rear-mounted electric motor producing 190 kW, about 255 horsepower, Carsfera reports. The Australian version offers up to 484 km of WLTP range, and DC fast charging can replenish the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in about 15 minutes under stated conditions. Mazda's website, cited by First for Autos, lists the GT grade at up to 484 km WLTP with 190 kW of rear-wheel-drive power and regenerative braking. Cabin technology includes the 26.45-inch 5K touchscreen, voice and gesture controls, a 23-speaker, 1280-watt audio system, a large head-up display and driver-assistance systems using cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors, including autonomous emergency braking, lane support and rear cross-traffic alerts, per Mazda as reported by Carsfera. ²³

One feature, different markets, different software

The External Announcement system has also been reported for the related China-market Mazda EZ-60, but overseas availability is not automatic proof of identical equipment elsewhere. Tarantas News cautions that software equipment differs between the Chinese, European and Australian versions, so the presence of the external speaker should be checked in the menus of the specific vehicle, and it cannot simply be assumed for other markets such as Russia. For Australian readers, the reported testing was conducted on the Australian-market car itself. ¹

What Mazda has and has not said

Mazda Australia has not indicated that it plans to remove or restrict the feature, according to Carsfera. No confirmed response from Mazda restricting the speaker has been reported, though Carsfera's analysis suggests the situation could eventually lead to software limits on the types of messages that can be played outside the vehicle — an outlook, not an announced change. ³

The broader context is road rage. First for Autos cites an AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study in which 96 per cent of drivers said they had driven aggressively or engaged in road rage behaviour at least once in the prior year, and argues that handing drivers a built-in loudspeaker could turn a minor annoyance into a heated confrontation. Tarantas News strikes a similar note, observing that the same system intended to deliver a courteous warning can become an amplifier of road conflict if used to settle scores. For now, both suggest, a horn remains the blunter but lower-stakes way to get attention. ¹²