China-Only Mazda EZ-6 is Now a Global Product, Set for EU Debut

The Mazda EZ-6 has been confirmed as the brand's new global product, set to make its European debut later this year.

Remember the China-only Mazda EZ-6 saloon that debuted at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this year? It turns out that Mazda has decided to change its status as a Chinese market exclusive into a global product.

In part of its preparation to become the brand’s new global product, Mazda has confirmed plans to launch this sleek EV saloon in Europe later in fall 2024, following its debut in the Great Wall nation earlier this year. The automaker further elaborated that the EZ-6 will be its "first global new energy vehicle,” although we’d reckon a certain MX-30 would disagree on that claim.

The Mazda EZ-6 measures slightly bigger than its spiritual predecessor, the Mazda 6 midsize saloon.

Born out of Mazda’s collaboration with Changan Automobile, the new Mazda EZ-6 is a sleek EV saloon that shares its underpinnings with Changan’s Deepal SL03. Often touted as the electrified successor to the now-discontinued Mazda 6, the EZ-6 measures slightly bigger than said midsize saloon at 4,921 MM long, 1,890 MM wide, 1,485 MM tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,900 MM.

Changan Deepal SL03 EV saloon

No detailed specifications were shared by Mazda for now, although we can expect them to be somewhat similar to the Deepal SL03. For reference, this sleek EV sedan is offered in both single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD options, with the latter delivering up to 255 HP (190 kW) and 320 NM. Battery options for the SL03 include a smaller 58.9-kWh unit and a larger 66.8-kWh one, providing maximum EV range between 530 KM and 610 KM based on the CLTC standards.

Besides the battery-electric (BEV) version, the Japanese automaker also confirmed that the EZ-6 will arrive with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain option. Although not official, the PHEV version is expected to provide up to 1,000 KM of travel range in hybrid mode, which is similar to what we saw on the Deepal SL03 PHEV.

Said PHEV saloon gets its power from a small 1.5-litre 4-cyl petrol mill that is augmented to either 19- or 28.4-kWh battery packs, as well as electric motors rated at up to 235 HP (175 kW) and 320 NM.

Similarly, we can also expect some of the autonomous driving and on-board tech from the Changan group to trickle down into the EZ-6. This includes Level 2.5 semi-autonomous driving capabilities, tons of external HD cameras and radars for its ADAS system, as well as its Qualcomm-powered infotainment system.

There is no solid guarantee that the EZ-6 will be available in RHD version, at least for now...

As we mentioned earlier, the Mazda EZ-6 is slated to debut in the European market later in Fall this year, following its production rollout in China earlier in July this year. Given that both markets are predominantly left-hand drive (LHD), it is still uncertain whether the automaker plans to make a right-hand drive (RHD) version of the EZ-6.