An electrified successor to the Mazda 6 mid-size sedan goes on sale in China later this year, but prospects for the U.S. are unclear.
Unveiled at the 2024 Beijing auto show, the Mazda EZ-6 combines the Japanese automaker’s signature design flair with powertrain tech from Changan Automobile, Mazda’s Chinese partner. Mazda hasn’t confirmed sales plans for other markets.
The rear-wheel drive EZ-6 will be available with plug-in hybrid and all-electric powertrains, with the latter delivering an ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and a maximum range of 373 miles, as measured on the Chinese testing cycle. Mazda also estimates 621 miles of total range from both a full battery and a single tank of fuel for the plug-in hybrid.
2025 Mazda EZ-6
The EZ-6 measures 193.7 inches long, making it about 4.5 inches longer than the last Mazda 6, which left the U.S. market after the 2021 model year. While Mazda touted the efficiency of the final-generation model’s Skyactiv internal-combustion engines, it was never available with electrified powertrains.
Mazda didn’t discuss other specifications, but confirmed that Changan is responsible for the EZ-6’s powertrains and connectivity tech. Such tech includes gesture controls and voice recognition, supplementing a large horizontal infotainment touchscreen.
The Chinese focus of the EZ-6 means Mazda’s electrification plans for the U.S. remain hard to parse.
2025 Mazda EZ-6
Mazda created the MX-30 EV for the U.S. (and Europe) as a shorter-range EV with an available range-extended rotary version, reflecting corporate thinking that longer-range EVs aren’t the future. But it’s already cut those models from the lineup. It might be just as well, as the range-extended version in particular was a plug-in puzzle that didn’t make a lot of sense for real-world use.
Mazda and Panasonic last year finalized an agreement for cylindrical EV batteries, and Mazda also showed the Iconic SP hybrid concept, which traded heavily on the heritage of the rotary-engine RX-7 sports car. But plug-in hybrids aside, all of this chatter hasn’t led to any actual electrified models for the U.S.