Mazda’s first EV landed in 2022 in American showrooms—the MX-30— which and hardly made a wave. This relatively stylish compact SUV, which was only available in California, had small back seats and a meager 100-mile range.
Through its joint venture with Changan, Mazda has advanced EVs in the Chinese market, even though the MX-30 only lasted for one more year in the US. Ahead of the official announcement at the Shanghai auto show later this month, Mazda unveiled the first pictures of the new EZ-60 electric SUV yesterday.
The EZ-60 is the successor to the EZ-6 sedan, which debuted last year and is also known as the 6e in Europe. Its sleek appearance is almost exactly the same as the Arata concept from the 2024 Beijing auto show.
From the narrow headlights that are connected by an illuminated LED strip, you can easily make out Mazda’s signature trapezoidal grille design. Additionally, there is a small duct on top of the grille trim that appears to be intended to funnel air beneath a hood-integrated wing.
The EZ-60 borrows design hints from Mazda 3 Hatchback
Sharp lines that form a curved beltline break up the sleek bodywork. The EZ-60 has a deep duct carved into the D-pillar that sweeps forward in a way that’s reminiscent of the Mazda 3 hatchback. Meanwhile, cameras in place of conventional sideview mirrors help reduce drag and increase range. The updated Mazda logo, which we first saw last year, is also present on the EZ-60. It now has a slightly sharper look.
Similar to how the EZ-6 is built on the Deepal L07, the EZ-60 is expected to be closely connected to an existing Changan product, even though no information regarding its powertrain is yet available. The Deepal S07, which is available as an EV and with a range-extending plug-in hybrid drivetrain, will probably serve as the foundation for the EZ-60 SUV.
At the Shanghai car show, which begins on April 23, more information on the EZ-60 should become available.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
This Mazda certainly has the chops in the design department to take on Tesla. But certain other features serve up question marks. Like cameras that replace sideview mirrors might seem futuristic and clever, and appease designers, but to be honest, they are not easy to see out of and difficult to get used to.