Japanese minimalism and Chinese technology turned out to be the winning formula that finally launched Mazda into the electric stratosphere on the Old Continent. The new Mazda 6e liftback, which is the result of cooperation with the giant Changan, literally "exploded" the market, recording over 7 thousand sales in less than five months. After the fiasco with the MX-30 model, which was quietly withdrawn from the catalogs, no one expected such a quick and decisive revenge.
I will remind you that we have already tested this Mazda 6e model And this isn't just another electric car - it's a cleverly designed five-door liftback based on the Deepal L07 platform. This practicality, combined with an elegant silhouette, has become a magnet not only for fans of the Hiroshima brand, but also for disappointed customers of other brands. Mazda Europe boss Martijn ten Brink did not hide his surprise: while the headquarters expected the brand's loyal followers to replace their old diesels, reality showed that more than half of the buyers came directly from the competition.
The big loser in this situation seems to be Volkswagen. Instead of switching to the ID.3, owners of the old e-Golf have largely opted to jump up a segment and sit in the Mazda 6e. Even the flagship ID.7 failed to stop some of these customers. Moreover, corporate fleets, which for years relied on the iconic Volkswagen Passat, are now looking en masse at the Japanese-Chinese liftback, despite the lack of a station wagon version.
Of course, for a giant like Volkswagen this is more of a “sting” than a major knockout. The Germans are reporting nearly 50% growth in electric vehicle sales, with the ID.7 alone selling over 76,000 units. But for a small player like Mazda, the success of the 6e is a matter of survival and strategic triumph. The goal is clear: 40,000 sold electric vehicles in Europe by the end of 2026 to avoid hefty emissions fines in Brussels.
To strengthen the attack, in the summer the liftback will be joined by its “cousin“ from the Changan line - the electric crossover Mazda CX-6e. Interestingly, the Japanese are categorically closing the door to the extended-range (REX) versions, which are a hit in China. The calculation is simple and quite harsh: high duties of 30% and expensive homologation make these hybrid modifications economically unprofitable for Europe. So for us, only clean energy remains, which, as we can see, is completely enough to turn the game in Mazda's favor.