Mazda and Changan launch the EZ-60 in China
Mazda and national automotive giant Changan are jointly developing and producing new energy vehicles for the Chinese market. When it comes to sales figures, the 4.85-metre-long mid-range SUV EZ-60 is likely to be one of the most promising offspring of the joint venture. The manufacturer registered over 10,000 pre-orders in China within the first 48 hours of launch. A new production line was set up specifically for the series production at the Changan Mazda plant in Nanjing.
The model celebrated its premiere at Auto Shanghai at the end of April. On 26 September, it was officially launched on the market in the People’s Republic. From 2026, it will also be marketed internationally, primarily in Europe, under the name Mazda CX-6e. It is, so to speak, the SUV counterpart to the Mazda 6e electric sedan recently launched in this country.
Prices in China start at 119,900 yuan, or approximately 14,300 euros. The SUV is available in a total of six different trim levels, with the most expensive variant costing 160,900 yuan, which is equivalent to around 19,300 euros in our currency. Under the body of the EZ-60 is Changan’s EPA platform, which also underpins the Mazda 6e and Deepal S07. It is not only available as a pure electric car, but also with an optional range extender.
The EZ-60 is only available as a rear-wheel drive model
The pure electric version is powered by a 190 kW motor on the rear axle and a 77.94 kWh LFP battery. According to the Chinese CLTC standard, this should give it a range of up to 600 kilometres. The version with a range extender has the same electric motor, but the battery is less than half the size at 31.73 kWh, resulting in a pure electric range of 200 kilometres. A 1.5-litre, 73 kW four-cylinder engine serves as a generator, which is expected to increase the range to up to 1,000 kilometres. Mazda has not yet provided any detailed information on charging power and charging time, even though the market launch has already taken place.
However, at least for the European version to follow later, these figures are likely to be on a par with the Mazda 6e, as the sedan is expected to have a peak charging curve of 165 kW. However, this only applies to the version with the small battery; the 6e Long Range with an 80 kWh NMC battery has a maximum of 90 kW. This means that it takes a whopping 47 minutes to charge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent. In the mid-range class, this is anything but up to date.
Thanks to several cameras and radar sensors, the EZ-60, which weighs around two tonnes, is at least state-of-the-art in terms of safety and offers a number of Level 2 assistance systems. These include adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and navigation-based driving aids that are designed to work not only on the motorway but also in the city. The wraparound cockpit is dominated by a 26.45-inch horizontal touchscreen that takes up more than half of the dashboard. A head-up display comes as standard, and a larger HD version with a diagonal of 100 inches is also available at an extra cost.
This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for electrive’s German edition
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