Mazda 6e review

Your first clear evidence of this being a different kind of Mazda is its start-up procedure. There isn’t one. Like Teslas, VW IDs and countless other EVs, you simply climb in, engage Drive and go. Then immediately curse its belligerent safety assists, the lane-keep in particular feeling far more foe than friend on a narrow British B-road. Naturally it’s deactivated within the touchscreen, and naturally you’re admonished for your distracted gaze as you attempt to do so.

But the Mazda 6e is far from the sole offender in this regard and with its systems muted, it’s quite a pleasant thing to potter around in. Its large 19in wheels thump around over lumps and bumps but the car otherwise rides pretty well and is nicely refined, too. Its lower, slipperier shape compared to the dozens of electric crossovers saturating the market ensure it’s a calmer place to spend a motorway stint in, while its modest (by EV standards) 1,953kg weight helps ensure there isn’t astronomical amounts of mass to keep in check.

That’s nearly two MX-5s, though…

Yep, commending a medium-sized saloon car for slipping under two tonnes is of course ludicrous, but the mass is split almost 50/50 and there’s latent balance to the 6e because of it. You can even loosen the traction systems and indulge in a Miata-like exit from a wet roundabout if you’re so disposed.

The steering is short of weight and gumption, though, and the various brake regen settings aren’t easily toggled. No prizes for guessing that they too live within the touchscreen.

The bones of a good car, then, but with some surface-level ergonomic woes which mean it never elevates itself beyond ‘decent’. But kudos for its modest and reasonably linear acceleration; an EV that forgoes a fiery start from the blocks is quite welcome and leans nicely into the easy-going vibe of the 6e’s overall dynamic character.