You might not have noticed the Mazda 6’s discontinuation in 2022, but the sleek saloon is coming back in 2026 as a full electric car.
And the first impressions are that the Mazda 6e looks exactly how you’d expect an electric Mazda 6 to look. It continues Mazda’s trend of very slim LED headlights and a wide, tall shield-shaped grille – although the grille will be blanked off as the car doesn’t need so much cooling as a fuel-powered car.
For the first time since 2012, it’ll be a hatchback rather than a saloon, with a bootlid that includes the rear window. It’s certainly saloon shaped, though, with a swooping roofline leading down to a similarly eye-catching rear end with quite a technical LED light signature.
Inside, there’s a proper touchscreen, but this is a point of contention because Mazda has resisted filling the dashboard with screens up to now. It’s a large 14.6-inch infotainment screen, which is joined by a 10.2-inch instrument cluster and an augmented reality head-up display. It looks like everything will be controlled through the touchscreen, as there’s no longer a bar of climate controls buttons.
Only high-spec Takumi and Takumi Plus trims will be available, with the former getting beige or black leather-effect upholstery and the latter getting the tan-coloured Nappa leather that you see in our pictures. Prices start from £38,995 for the Takumi and £1,000 more for the Takumi Plus. The standard paint colour is white; metallic paint costs between £700 and £1,000.
As the 6e gets closer to its launch date, Mazda has updated its battery and motor specifications. Originally, two battery options were available; now, there's only going to be one, but it's a different pack entirely.
The sole battery option is a 78kWh LFP battery promising a 348-mile range – which is more than the initial estimates. Plug in to a charger capable of delivering 195kW, and you could see a 10-80% charge in 24 minutes.
You get a 258hp motor for a sub-eight-second 0-62mph time, although a basic Tesla Model 3 is two seconds quicker. But Mazda says the 6e’s suspension, brakes and steering will be calibrated for Europe, suggesting that the company is aiming to make the 6e more fun to drive through corners than its nearest rivals. Read our Mazda 6e review to see if it manages it.
With saloons typically being more efficient than SUVs, the Mazda 6e will have a few rivals when it goes on sale. Alongside the Tesla it’ll also compete with the likes of the BMW i4, Polestar 2, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and BYD Seal.
Most of those cars will have more luggage space than the Mazda, though. Beneath the shapely tail, there’s only a 330-litre space – that’s less than the Mazda 3 hatchback. One saving grace is that there’s an additional 70 litres of storage space under the bonnet.
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Why not treat yourself to a current Mazda before the 6e arrives? Browse our exciting range of used Mazda cars for sale or read our Mazda reviews.
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