After a slow start, Mazda has taken a significant step into the electric vehicle (EV) market with its first electric sedan, the MAZDA EZ-6. The company recently provided an exclusive insight into the vehicle’s design and development process at its Hiroshima headquarters. This marks a milestone for Mazda as the EZ-6 is positioned to be the brand’s inaugural global new energy vehicle.
The new vehicle rolled off the assembly line in July at Changan Mazda, Mazda’s joint venture in China. In parallel, Mazda and Changan Mazda signed an Agreement on Electric Vehicle Export Cooperation, designating Changan Mazda as Mazda’s exclusive research, development, and production hub for new energy vehicles aimed at the global market.
Mazda’s President, Masahiro Moro, and Changan Automobile Chairman, Zhu Huairong, presented the MAZDA EZ-6 at its global debut during the Beijing International Auto Show in April.
Despite the move to electric power, Mazda aims to retain its renowned driving dynamics. Mazda’s European R&D center experts have tuned and validated the dynamic performance of the MAZDA EZ-6 at the Chongqing Automobile Testing Grounds in China. The expertise drawn from Mazda’s history with gasoline vehicles has been applied to enhance the driving experience of their new electric sedan, aiming to surpass the Jinba-Ittai (car and driver as one) principle of their MAZDA6 model.
The interior of the MAZDA EZ-6 is swish and high-end.
In addition to its dynamic performance, the MAZDA EZ-6 will incorporate advanced technologies. It will feature Level 2.5 autonomous driving assistance, along with four high-definition panoramic cameras and twelve high-performance ultrasonic radars. These components will enable capabilities such as autonomous parking, remote parking, and trace-back parking, elevating the vehicle’s intelligence and driving assistance systems.
The official launch for the MAZDA EZ-6 is slated for the back end of 2024, initially targeting the Chinese and European markets.
Don’t assume, however, that the company is going all-in towards adopting the electric drive train over ICE vehicles. It recently teamed up with Toyota and Subaru to announce collaboration on new hybrid internal combustion engines.
