Mazda will bring a striking new electric saloon to Europe as a rival to the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3.
The EZ-6 was revealed at the Beijing motor show in April as an electric successor to the mid-sized Mazda 6, produced by the Japanese firm’s joint venture with Changan in China.
Mazda had previously given no indication of plans to sell the EZ-6 outside of China, but it has now signed an “agreement on electric vehicle export co-operation” with Changan Mazda, which will become “its exclusive Chinese new-energy R&D and production base facing the global market”.
The announcement means “the EZ-6 will be Mazda's first global new-energy vehicle”, the company said, adding that it would come to the Chinese and European markets from autumn this year.
Autocar understands a UK launch is possible as part of this global push but a decision has yet to be made.
Mazda currently sells just one EV in Europe, the MX-30 compact SUV. In the first half of this year, it achieved just a 5% EV sales mix in the UK – around half that of Toyota and a quarter that of Lexus.
The EZ-6 could significantly alter that balance, given that its size and shape (it measures 4921mm long and has a 2900mm wheelbase) line it up neatly as a direct rival to the likes of the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and BMW i4 - some of the most popular EVs on the market.
There has been no word on pricing yet, but Chinese-built EVs are now subject to significant import tariffs in the EU.
Cars built by Changan specifically will incur duties of 20.8%, meaning the EZ-6 is unlikely to be priced as a value alternative to the mainstream contenders.
The EZ-6 is technically unrelated to any Mazda model currently on sale, being based on a modular platform supplied by Changan, dubbed EPA.
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This is the nicest looking Mazda for a long time, so many of its more recent models look too heavy and dumpy. A well executed, traditional saloon shape is good to see nowadays.
Shame it doesn't look like the 2018 Mazda Vision Coupe - I absolutely adored that car!!!
<b>Mazda currently sells just one EV in Europe, the MX-30 compact SUV. In the first half of this year, it achieved just a 5% EV sales mix in the UK</b>The MX-30 EV is an ultra-low-range model (so no surprise sales are low) and the RX version with the Wankel engine to charge the battery is unproven.