Already used in China for the similarly sized Deepal SL03 saloon, this platform can accommodate pure-electric and range-extender (REx) drivetrains, as well as as Qualcomm-powered level-four autonomy – although the EZ-6 will initially be limited to level two plus, which still requires constant human supervision.
The EZ-6 will be offered as either an EV with a rear-mounted 218bhp motor and an estimated range of 373 miles or as a REx (an increasingly popular option in China) with a claimed total range of around 745 miles.
It’s unclear whether the global export plans apply to both powertrain formats, but notably the MX-30 is uniquely available as both an EV and a REx in the UK.
Mazda emphasises that although the EZ-6 is electric, it has “leveraged its extensive expertise in dynamic performance tuning from the gasoline vehicle era to elevate driving pleasure”, with engineers from the company’s European R&D centre travelling to China to contribute to the car’s development programme.
It will, the company suggested, embody the same ‘jinba ittai’ ethos (meaning ‘car and driver as one’) as the old petrol-engined 6, with a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, multi-link rear suspension and a self-raising rear spoiler that aids high-speed stability.
