Mazda is fast-tracking its EV expansion by leaning on its Chinese partner. After launching the EZ-6 last year, the sedan’s SUV counterpart has now been revealed on the Weibo social media platform. The EZ-60 is also coming alive courtesy of a tie-up with Changan, a state-owned automaker. Their 50:50 joint venture, founded over a decade ago, helped Mazda launch the 6e in Europe. Similarly, this new model should be sold outside China as the CX-6e.
Essentially, we’re dealing with a production version of the Arata concept. It’s an attempt at making another electric SUV with the hope that it’ll be more successful than the slow-selling MX-30. It looks sharp, and we’re pleasantly surprised to see flying buttresses, which are uncommon in this body style. In case you're wondering, mirror-replacing side cameras have been legal on production vehicles in China for about two years.
The Tesla Model Y competitor is likely a Deepal S07 underneath the skin, implying a fully electric drivetrain and a range-extending variant with a 1.5-liter gas engine. However, whether the latter powertrain will be available in Europe is unclear. Mazda only offers the Model 3-fighting EZ-6 sedan as a pure EV for now. If you're unfamiliar with Deepal, it's the electric subsidiary brand of Changan.
Mazda isn’t willing to reveal the EZ-60’s interior just yet. Instead, it’ll wait for the Auto Shanghai 2025, scheduled to take place later this month. However, the cabin should take after the EZ-6 with a large central screen and few physical controls. The sedan’s interior has more upscale materials to earn the badge than its Chinese equivalent.
Mazda is considering a third and fourth model from its JV with Changan. If approved, the additional vehicles will be released between 2028 and 2030. In the meantime, the Zoom-Zoom company is working on its own platform for EVs. The first model is scheduled to come out in 2027, with derivatives to follow by the decade's end.
Although it’s no longer available in North America, the MX-30 continues in other markets. It’s sold not just as an EV but also with a range-extending rotary engine and a mild-hybrid with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder mill.
2025 Mazda EZ-60
