Mazda CX-6e Review Australia 2026: Price, Range and That Giant Screen

The Mazda CX-6e is a well-priced, roomy electric SUV with one big catch: a 26.45-inch touchscreen that runs across most of the dashboard and controls almost everything. As of October 2026 it costs $53,990 before on-roads for the GT and $56,990 for the Azami. Both get a 78 kWh LFP battery, 484 km of WLTP range on the GT, and a 1,500 kg towing rating. The short version of this Mazda CX-6e review for Australia: buy the GT, test the screen before you sign, and skip the Azami.

Mazda is betting heavily on it. Chief executive Vinesh Bhindi told GoAuto in October 2026 that the CX-6e could grow to about 1,000 sales a month, though “not from day one”. Early numbers are modest. Deliveries began in September 2026, and Drive’s VFACTS coverage counted just 12 that month. It arrives as the market tips. Battery electric cars took 24.2 percent of new-car sales in September 2026, ahead of petrol, according to VFACTS and Electric Vehicle Council data reported by CarExpert.

The question most buyers are asking is simple. Is it worth $54,000 when a Tesla Model Y or BYD Sealion 7 costs about the same? This review works through price, range, the cabin, how it drives and the rivals. You can compare it with every other electric vehicle on sale in Australia as you go.

Mazda CX-6e review Australia: price and grades

The Mazda CX-6e comes in two grades with the same motor and battery. The GT is the better buy. The Azami adds bigger wheels and camera-based mirrors, which most reviewers found made the car worse, not better.

Grade	Price (before on-roads)	WLTP range	Wheels	Mirrors
GT	$53,990	484 km	19-inch	Conventional glass
Azami	$56,990	468 km	21-inch	Digital side mirrors and digital rear-view mirror

Prices as of October 2026, from Mazda Australia’s April 2026 launch release. A Warm Beige interior adds $1,000.

Mazda’s website currently advertises the GT from $56,990 drive-away, with premium paint extra. That’s a sharp number, because on-road costs normally add $4,000 to $5,000 at this price. Mazda is also paying a $2,000 cashback to buyers using a novated lease, for eligible deliveries before the end of 2026. Both offers can change, so get them in writing from the dealer.

Equipment is generous on both grades. Standard kit includes the 26.45-inch screen, a 50-inch augmented-reality head-up display, a 23-speaker sound system, tri-zone climate control, a panoramic roof, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats (EV Central, April 2026). There’s no cheap base model and no option-pack maze.

Range, battery and charging

The CX-6e GT is rated at 484 km WLTP from a 78 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. LFP is a battery chemistry that tolerates regular charging to 100 percent with less wear than the nickel-based cells used in many rivals. The Azami’s 21-inch wheels drop its rating to 468 km.

Mazda rates the GT’s consumption at 18.9 kWh per 100 km. That’s thirsty next to the Mazda 6e sedan, which uses the same powertrain and rates 15.9 kWh/100 km, because the SUV body is taller and 2,155 kg heavy. CarExpert recorded 16.5 kWh/100 km in an Azami on its October 2026 launch drive. At that rate the battery would cover roughly 470 km, but a launch loop isn’t a range test. No Australian outlet has published a full real-world range figure yet.

Charging spec	Mazda CX-6e (both grades)
Battery	78 kWh LFP
Peak DC charging	194 kW
DC 30 to 80 percent	About 15 minutes (Mazda claim)
Onboard AC charger	11 kW
Typical home wallbox (single-phase)	7.2 kW
V2L	Yes

Peak DC charging is 194 kW. Mazda claims about 15 minutes from 30 to 80 percent on a fast enough charger, which is competitive for the class. The onboard charger, the part of the car that converts AC from your wall into DC for the battery, accepts up to 11 kW. Most Australian homes are single-phase, so you’ll charge at about 7.2 kW on a wallbox, which takes roughly 10 hours from near-empty. Our home EV charger guide covers the options.

The screen: why it’s the deal-breaker for some buyers

The 26.45-inch screen is the single biggest reason people walk away from the CX-6e. It stretches from in front of the driver almost to the passenger door. Climate, mirrors and most settings live inside it, and there are no physical climate buttons.

Online owner and shopper discussion keeps returning to the same point. People like the exterior, like the price, and then say the dashboard put them off. Some wish Mazda had fitted a normal-sized screen and normal mirrors. A smaller group likes it, because the passenger side can show video and mirror a phone, which keeps a front passenger busy on long trips.

Professional reviewers landed in the same place. CarExpert (October 2026) called the passenger half of the screen pointless and found that adjusting the climate takes several taps. It also said the steering wheel buttons were too easy to press by accident. Drive found the software less intuitive than rivals’, with some awkward translations. WhichCar rated software as the car’s biggest weakness.

This matters more for Mazda buyers than for most. Mazda’s petrol cars are known for physical controls and a rotary dial. Owners trading in a CX-5 will find the CX-6e a big change. Spend 20 minutes in the cabin at the dealer adjusting the fan, the mirrors and the drive settings before you commit.

How the CX-6e drives

On 19-inch wheels the GT rides well and steers naturally, but it doesn’t feel like a traditional Mazda. Drive (October 2026) found it firm in a way that recalls the Model Y, and more settled than equivalent BYD and Zeekr SUVs. CarExpert praised the body control and rear-drive balance.

Power comes from one rear motor making 190 kW and 290 Nm. Mazda claims 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. That’s adequate for merging and overtaking, and clearly slower than a Model Y. There’s no all-wheel-drive version. Mazda told GoAuto in October 2026 that AWD is “not decided”.

The Azami is where the ride falls apart. CarExpert described it as jiggly at low speed and thumping over large bumps on 21-inch wheels. Reviewers also flagged over-eager driver-assist alerts and the lack of a one-pedal driving mode. Regenerative braking, where the motor slows the car and returns energy to the battery, is there, but it won’t bring the car to a full stop on its own.

Mazda did local work before launch. The CX-6e gets a Europe-spec tune for the motor, brakes, steering and software, plus stiffer chassis settings and Michelin tyres compared with the Chinese-market car (CarExpert, October 2026). Drive reported additional Australian calibration of the dampers, steering and throttle.

Space, boot and towing

The cabin is roomy, especially in the back seat. A 2,902 mm wheelbase gives adults genuine legroom, and every reviewer praised rear-seat comfort. The small gripes: one rear USB-C port, one rear air vent, and a rear backrest that doesn’t recline (WhichCar).

Dimension	Mazda CX-6e
Length	4,850 mm
Width (excluding mirrors)	1,935 mm
Height	1,620 mm
Wheelbase	2,902 mm
Kerb weight	2,155 kg
Boot (Mazda figure)	468 L seats up, 1,434 L seats down
Front boot	83 L
Towing (braked)	1,500 kg, 75 kg towball

Boot figures vary by how they’re measured. Mazda quotes 468 litres, while CarExpert measured 363 litres to the top of the rear seatback. The boot floor also sits high, and there’s no spare wheel. Bring your pram or golf bag to the test drive.

Towing is a genuine strength. A 1,500 kg braked rating matches the Mazda 6e and suits a box trailer, jet ski or small camper. Expect range to fall by 40 percent or more when towing near the limit at highway speed. Our EV towing guide explains how to plan for it.

Is the CX-6e made in China?

Yes. The CX-6e is built in China by Changan Mazda, a joint venture between Mazda and Changan Automobile. It sits on the same EPA1 platform as the Mazda 6e and is closely related to the Deepal S07, which Changan sells in Australia under its own Deepal brand.

That point comes up constantly among Australian buyers. Some see the CX-6e as a way to get a Chinese-built EV with a familiar badge and Mazda’s dealer network behind it. Others argue it’s simply a Chinese car with a Mazda badge, priced higher than the cars it’s based on.

Both views have something to them. The CX-6e is not a rebadge, since Mazda changed the tuning, software and interior. It also isn’t a ground-up Mazda. What you’re really paying for is Mazda’s warranty, a network of more than 150 dealers (CarExpert) and stronger brand recognition at trade-in time.

Running costs, warranty and novated leasing

The CX-6e is cheap to keep. Servicing is every 12 months or 20,000 km under lifetime capped pricing, at $1,860 over five years, or $372 a year on average (CarExpert, October 2026). The vehicle warranty runs five years with unlimited kilometres, plus five years of roadside assistance. Mazda Australia covers the battery for eight years.

There’s no ANCAP safety rating yet. Neither ANCAP nor Euro NCAP has tested the CX-6e as of October 2026, so check before you buy if a five-star rating is a work or fleet requirement.

For salary packagers, the CX-6e is a straightforward fit. Both grades sit well under the $91,661 luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles in 2026-27, so a novated lease is exempt from fringe benefits tax under the ATO electric cars exemption. The government plans to narrow the exemption from 1 April 2027, but EVs priced at $75,000 or less keep the full concession until 2029. Our EV FBT exemption guide has the full timeline. Run your own numbers in the novated lease calculator.

Mazda CX-6e vs Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7 and Mazda 6e

The CX-6e undercuts the Tesla Model Y on list price and edges it on rated range, but loses on performance and software. Against the BYD Sealion 7, it’s close on price and range, with a smaller battery and less power. Prices below are before on-road costs, as of October 2026.

Spec	Mazda CX-6e GT	Tesla Model Y Premium RWD	BYD Sealion 7 Premium	Mazda 6e GT
Price	$53,990	$58,900	$54,990	$49,990
Body	SUV	SUV	SUV	Liftback
WLTP range	484 km	466 km	482 km	560 km
Motor power	190 kW	255 kW	230 kW	190 kW
Drive	RWD	RWD	RWD	RWD

Model Y and Sealion 7 figures are from Drive and CarExpert (2026). Mazda 6e figures are from CarExpert.

vs Tesla Model Y: The Model Y Premium RWD costs $4,910 more before on-roads. It’s quicker with 255 kW, its software is more polished, and Tesla’s Supercharger network makes road trips easier. The CX-6e counters with more rear-seat room, a better sound system and the Mazda dealer network. Tesla was also cutting about 5 percent off inventory cars in early October 2026, so compare actual drive-away quotes. See our Tesla Model Y review.

vs BYD Sealion 7: The Sealion 7 Premium costs $1,000 more before on-roads and brings a bigger 82.56 kWh battery, a 482 km WLTP rating and 230 kW. BYD often runs drive-away deals on it, which can erase the CX-6e’s price edge. The Mazda feels more settled on the road, according to Drive.

vs Mazda 6e: If you don’t need SUV height, the 6e liftback is $4,000 cheaper and rated at 560 km WLTP on the same battery, thanks to its lower, slipperier body. It also carries a five-star Euro NCAP rating. The CX-6e gives you more headroom, an easier seating position and a bigger boot opening.

Which CX-6e should you buy?

Buy the GT. It costs $3,000 less, rides better on 19-inch wheels, has 16 km more range, and keeps normal glass mirrors. CarExpert reached the same conclusion, and the Azami’s extra features don’t earn their price.

The CX-6e makes the most sense for families who want a roomy, well-equipped electric SUV with Mazda backing and are happy with a screen-first cabin. It suits suburban drivers who charge at home, tow a small trailer, and value dealer access in regional areas.

Look elsewhere if you hate touchscreen controls, need AWD, or drive long highway distances often. A Model Y or Sealion 7 suits that last group better. If the screen is the only sticking point, test the Mazda 6e first; it has the same powertrain and a much more conventional cabin. Price out home charging too, with the EV charging cost calculator, before you settle on a monthly budget.