The New Mazda CX-6e Is A BMW iX3 Rival From China

BMW is months away from kicking off deliveries of the brand new iX3 to European clients. Order books are already thick sufficient to cowl practically the complete manufacturing run allotted to the continent for this yr. As you’ll be able to think about, the competitors isn’t sitting idle, desirous to seize a slice of the motion. Living proof: Mazda, which has the Neue Klasse SUV squarely in its crosshairs with the CX-6e.

Launched this week on the 2026 Brussels Motor Present, the enticing EV hails from China. Developed and constructed on the earth’s largest automobile market, the Mazda CX-6e goals to lure patrons away from the iX3. It ought to win over some with its modern design, whereas the smartphone-loving crowd will admire the large 26-inch touchscreen.

The preliminary model gained’t compete immediately with the iX3, although. Whereas BMW’s all-new electrical SUV encompasses a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup, the CX-6e sticks to a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive structure. That stated, the iX3 50 xDrive might be joined earlier than yr’s finish in Europe by a rear-wheel-drive variant, which is able to go head-to-head with Mazda’s new electrical crossover.

The CX-6e is basically a European model of the EZ-60, packing 255 horsepower and 290 Newton-meters (214 pound-feet) of torque. The rear-mounted motor permits a dash to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.9 seconds and a high velocity of 115 mph (185 km/h). These figures fall wanting what the BMW iX3 can ship, however that’s hardly a good comparability given the Mazda’s lack of a entrance motor.

Its lithium-iron phosphate battery has a 78-kWh capability, offering 300 miles (483 kilometers) of WLTP vary. Mazda claims the brand new electrical SUV prices at 195 kW, lower than half of the iX3’s 400-kW peak charging price. Nonetheless, a ten% to 80% top-up takes 24 minutes, which is completely respectable by as we speak’s requirements.

It’s additionally price noting that Mazda sells this automobile in China with a range-extending gasoline engine. It’s a expertise BMW used a few years in the past for the i3 and could revive later this decade with the next-generation X5. For now, Mazda hasn’t stated whether or not the range-extender might be provided in Europe, the place the expertise is anticipated to achieve traction within the coming years.

A product of the Changan Mazda three way partnership and based mostly on the Deepal S07, the CX-6e goes on sale in Europe this summer season. It’s going to sit alongside the equally good-looking 6e, basically a sedan counterpart that may compete with BMW’s forthcoming i3.