2026 Mazda CX-6e review

How much does the Mazda CX-6e cost and how does it compare?

There are two versions of the 2026 Mazda CX-6e available at launch: the entry-level GT, which starts at $53,990 plus on-road costs, and the higher-spec Azami, which starts from $56,990 plus on-roads. Mazda has also set an introductory drive-away price of $56,990 for the GT and $59,990 for the Azami.

Before on-road costs and without extras, the CX-6e base price is $1000 cheaper than the entry-level BYD Sealion 7 Premium, which starts at $54,990 plus ORCs, and almost $5000 cheaper than the Tesla Model Y Premium RWD, which starts at $58,900 plus ORCs.

It’s close on headline powertrain specs, too. Where the BYD Sealion 7 Premium has a claimed 482km driving range (WLTP), and Tesla Model Y Premium RWD offers 466km, the CX-6e delivers 484km with the GT and 468km with Azami (all on the same WLTP cycle).

Other key rivals include the Zeekr 7X, Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra, XPeng G6, Geely EX5 and Kia EV5.

There are two main differences between the CX-6e models – the wheel and tyre combination (19-inch on GT, 21-inch on Azami, hence the latter’s slightly lower range) and the Azami’s use of digital interior and exterior mirrors.

Both have the colour options of Jet Black Mica or Crystal White Pearl Mica, Air Stream Blue Metallic or Aero Grey Metallic, each with a Jet Black Mica roof. Three other colour options – Nightfall Violet Mica, which is unique to the CX-6e, as well as Machine Grey Metallic and Soul Red Crystal Metallic – will set buyers back another $995.

Changing the interior trim from the standard Black Maztex to a Warm Beige will cost another $1000.

The Mazda CX-6e is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty and separate eight-year/160,000km high-voltage battery warranty.

Service intervals through Mazda’s 150-strong dealer network are set at increments of 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first), while capped-price servicing costs vary between $219 and $578 over the first five years – costing $1860 in total over that period.

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What is the Mazda CX-6e like inside and out?

Sleek, modern, solid and well-equipped are the first four words that spring to mind when describing the exterior of the 2026 Mazda CX-6e. Whether it’s the flush-mounted door handles, the elegant black roof or the almost concealed headlights and daytime running lights, the Mazda CX-6e has a number of the latest features that prove it to be a modern machine.

Aerodynamic ducts have also been installed above the grille and at the rear pillars to help reduce air resistance, while frameless doors complement its sporty look. Mazda design division general manager Eiji Kimoto says the black roof was designed to help camouflage the vehicle’s height, with the CX-6e built to be longer and lower than its stablemate, the Mazda CX-5.

At 4850mm long, 1935mm wide and 1620mm high, the Mazda CX-6e offers an open and spacious cabin environment, with plenty of room in the front and back seats and all eyes drawn to what’s arguably the car’s centrepiece – the 26.5-inch colour infotainment touchscreen that dominates the interior.

The screen is mounted asymmetrically on the instrument panel and uses a dual-split layout, giving both the driver and front passenger access to their own information on the two halves of the screen.

Compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the screen is surprisingly unobtrusive – fitting in well with the dashboard architecture and not jutting out too far into the windscreen space or obstructing too much of the air-conditioning vents. But it does create issues, as we detail in our drive section.

The driver’s seat is eight-way power-adjustable with three memory settings, alongside four-way power adjustment on the front passenger seat. I was pleasantly surprised that, at my 6’ 4” height, I did not need to push the driver’s seat back all the way.

Both front seats also come equipped with heating, ventilation and independent audio speakers as part of the car’s 23-speaker sound system (yes, 23). All models come with a panoramic sunroof and eye-catching ambient interior lighting, with up to 256 different colours and lighting patterns available.

Instead of a traditional instrument panel, Mazda has installed an active driving display (ADD) that projects information such as vehicle speed onto the windscreen in the driver’s field of vision. The display is customisable but its deliberate minimalism means that the driver has to go looking for other information they have chosen not to display.

There is a wireless smartphone charger in the front, below the air-conditioning vents, with a twin cupholder directly behind. Behind that is a spacious centre console box with a saloon-door-style opening – easily big enough to fit both a loaf of bread and a two-litre carton of milk. There is also an open space below the cup holder and phone charger, with plenty of room to store a handbag and accommodating a 12-volt power outlet and USB-A and -C points.

The outboard rear seats are easily roomy enough to seat me comfortably without adjusting the front seat where I had previously been sitting. These seats also come with their own cupholder in the fold-down centre armrest, a central air vent and a USB-C charging point.

The back seats also fold down to create more storage space in the boot – up to 1434 litres when stocked all the way up to the ceiling and including the car’s underfloor storage space. In a nice touch, the button to open the boot is located on the base of the rear wiper, with an interior button provided to close the boot as well.

With the seats upright, the boot has a capacity of 363 litres, which for us was easily enough to fit two suitcases and three backpacks while travelling, and easily housing eight shopping bags. Another three shopping bags and the charging cables can be stored in the 83-litre frunk – storage space under the bonnet – with Mazda saying the space can accommodate one 20-inch suitcase and a backpack.

Unfortunately, one thing the boot does not accommodate is a spare tyre, with Mazda providing a repair kit in its place. That’s the case with most EVs.

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How does the Mazda CX-6e drive?

After driving both the 2026 Mazda CX-6e GT and Azami around Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, it’s clear there’s very little to separate the two models in terms of what they’re like to drive.

In either variant, the car moves smoothly across a variety of road surfaces and traffic conditions, handling rough roads and the occasional pothole with no significant challenges.

The electric motor provides plenty of performance, offering steady acceleration and overtaking response. The ride is comfortable, with good body control through corners and accurate steering via one of the thickest steering wheels I have yet encountered.

Mazda CX-6e program manager Hiroshi Ozawa told journalists that Mazda had made a few changes to the Chinese-spec model to improve ride comfort and reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), as well as adding dynamic dampers to improve drivability.

“We have made adjustments to the steering-related components and E-Path software tuning … to the tyre pressure and software tuning and further enhancing anti-corrosion performance for improved reliability,” he said. Certainly, the CX-6e on our first drive proved to be mostly quiet on various road surfaces, including gravel.

The major difference between the GT and Azami models is the use of digital side and rearview mirrors on the Azami – compact exterior cameras that feed live video to an interior display located on the corners of the dashboard. Mazda says these mirrors deliver a 30 per cent wider field of view and enhanced levels of vision in low light. But they do take getting used to and, of course, nothing replaces checking a blind spot before taking action.

As is common with many EVs, the transmission selector is on the steering column, while the steering wheel itself has buttons for cruise control, mirror adjustment and selectable driver shortcuts. For all other controls – including selection of either Sport, Comfort or Custom driving modes – one looks to the giant centre touchscreen, which can be slightly awkward to control.

While using Google Maps to navigate to our destination, I often found it easier to balance my hand on the top of the screen while trying to hit a button on the bottom of it, rather than take my eyes off the road. This is not helped by the fact that various menus often require the user to scroll down – which means the driver needs to closely read the screen and results in the buttons moving around as the user scrolls up and down.

In some instances, I found it easier to ask my passenger to select controls for me rather than do it myself.

Mazda has installed a voice control system that I found was reliable once the preferred terms were used, and which the company says can support more than 300 different functions in the car. The CX-6e also offers a gesture control system that can set navigation to pre-programmed destinations and help select songs on a playlist, though we were unable to test this option.

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How safe is the Mazda CX-6e?

The gesture control system on the Mazda CX-6e uses an interior camera trained on the driver as part of an active safety suite that can also be used to detect children in the rear seats, sounding an alarm if they remain there once the door is locked.

I did manage to trigger the car’s fatigue monitor after a yawn, causing a warning to flash up on the driver’s display. In general, driver warnings seemed reasonably well calibrated, with blind spot monitoring lights and an unobtrusive lane keep assist system the only other notable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) at play during our first drive.

Somewhat controversially, the CX-6e driver can also use the car’s external loudspeaker to communicate with pedestrians, cyclists and other passersby. It’s meant to be used as an extra layer of safety given EVs are so quiet, but there are no limits on what the driver can broadcast around the car.

At its launch presentation, Mazda confirmed the CX-6e would go unrated in Australia under ANCAP until a European NCAP safety assessment was carried out, which could then provide the basis for a local rating.

The CX-6e does not offer automatic collision notification or an emergency call (eCall) system, though Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi said he was open to the idea. “We’ll look at whether that’s a feature that customers want. We have it in other products, so it can be embraced if required,” he told RACV. If tested under the latest protocols, a maximum five-star ANCAP rating would be difficult to achieve without eCall.

Nine airbags are fitted standard, and Mazda says the high-voltage battery benefits from 24/7 real-time monitoring and eight protective layers that create a strong housing for the battery cells.

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Should I buy the Mazda CX-6e?

Designed to round out Mazda’s EV and SUV offering – for now, at least – the Mazda CX-6e has plenty to offer brand loyalists and agnostics alike who are looking at an electric SUV for the first time.

The CX-6e is spacious, ultra-modern and armed with enough power and range to carry out both urban and regional driving activities. I’d find it difficult to justify spending the extra $3000 for the Azami but could be in the minority here give almost two thirds of CX-6e pre-orders were for the top-spec version.

The enormous infotainment screen is a major drawcard, but so too is the pricing, the overall package and the support from an extensive dealer network – a combination that should get plenty of people trying it out, if not signing on the bottom line.

^{The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.}