2026 Mazda CX-6e will undercut Tesla, BYD and Zeekr on price

LATEST UPDATE, APRIL 9:

The 2026 Mazda CX-6e will be cheaper than its key rivals from Tesla, BYD and Zeekr when it arrives Down Under in September, with Mazda today confirming a starting price of $53,990 before on-road costs. 

Two model grades of the CX-6e will be available, starting at $53,990 for the GT trim level and stretching to $56,990 for the flagship Azami. 

As it did with the 6e sedan, Mazda is offering the first 1000 customers a complimentary upgrade to the Azami flagship if they pre-order a CX-6e GT.  

The CX-6e’s starting price sees it undercut the Tesla Model Y (from $58,990), Zeekr 7X (from $57,900) and the BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990).  

Mazda has also officially confirmed the CX-6e will produce 190kW/290Nm from its single electric motor and driving range is 484km on the WLTP test cycle.  

JANUARY 12, 2025

Mazda Australia will once again throw its hat into the EV ring next year when the 6e electric car joins the local model line-up. But besides giving the brand a renewed presence in the new energy space, the 6e will also provide Mazda with a box-fresh replacement for the now-discontinued Mazda6, returning a midsize sedan to the company’s Aussie showrooms. 

Set to debut around the middle of 2026, most likely toward the end of the second quarter, the Mazda 6e appears to be laser-focused on taking down Tesla’s Model 3. Specific pricing and equipment details won’t be announced until closer to launch, but Mazda Australia has already released provisional specifications of a 190kW power output from a single rear-mounted motor, a 78kWh LFP battery capacity, a greater-than-500km driving range, and a sub-$55K starting price.  

That overlays almost perfectly with the entry-level Tesla Model 3 single-motor, which wears an RRP of $54,900, produces 190kW and 375Nm from a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels, and has a WLTP single-charge range of 520km from its 58kWh battery pack. 

And, like the Model 3, the Mazda 6e will be built in China.  

It's a Mazda, but made in China

Developed as a joint venture between Mazda and Changan Automobile, the Mazda 6e launched in China in late 2024 wearing the EZ6 name. Exports to other global markets commenced in the second quarter of 2025, with both the United Kingdom and Thailand – two critical right-hand drive markets -confirmed around that time, and with right-hook production secured, a business plan for Australia was able to solidify.  

What we won’t see over here, however, will be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant. Although a PHEV version of the 6e is offered in China with a 1.5-litre petrol engine driving a generator, a 160kW electric motor driving the rear wheels, and a smaller battery pack, but it wasn’t under consideration for Australia.  

“We’re not considering that model,” said Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi at the local reveal of the 6e.  

“We need to have battery EVs as the main offering, and there’s a reason behind that. The Australian Government has outlaid its commitment as part of the Paris agreement… and I would expect the government would deploy strategies and tactics to support consumers going towards more electrified powertrains – We think that’s where we need to be.” 

Mazda's second EV in Australia

The 6e won’t be the first time Mazda has sold a production EV in Australia. The company previously offered its quirky MX-30 small SUV with an all-electric option between 2021 and 2023, but with just 224km of range and a $65K+ RRP, it was a slow seller. Bhindi said the 6e won’t be as mainstream as its spiritual predecessor the Mazda6 was, but with a lower starting price, more range and a larger interior than the MX-30, it would arguably be a far more popular proposition than Mazda’s previous electric car. 

And for many Mazda fans, the fact that a shapely sedan – and not just another SUV – will be finding its way back into the product portfolio very soon will likely be reason to celebrate. 

“We’ve got a very strong customer base who started their journey with the 626, and then the Mazda6. They always interact with us to say, ‘when’s the next Mazda6 coming?’, or say they prefer a sedan over an SUV. It’s not the vast majority, but there is an opportunity, so we believe a sedan will give us that opportunity.”