Interior noise levels are impressively low, even by EV standards. On the larger wheels, cabin noise remained well suppressed across a variety of road surfaces, while high-speed driving on the German autobahn produced little noticeable wind noise. The side view cameras may help with that, but using them does take some getting used to; they simply aren’t as natural to use as regular mirrors.
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Through bends, the CX-6e feels relatively light on its feet, but the suspension often seems busy, and it could do with some better damping to smooth things out. Body control is good, though, as is the brake pedal feel. There are several energy recuperation modes, the strongest of which provides one-pedal driving of sorts.
Passengers will be equally impressed by the amount of rear space on hand. Both legroom and headroom rank among the best in the segment, and with the front seats being on raised rails, it’s easy for back-seat passengers to stretch their feet out underneath. Having ISOFIX points in the outer rear seats as well as in the front passenger seat is a further plus.
At 486 litres, the boot isn’t the largest by volume, but it does have a generous aperture, and the rear seats have a 60:40 split that, when folded, boosts cargo volume to 1,434 litres. Plus, there’s also an 80-litre frunk. For those who tow, the Mazda can pull a braked trailer up to 1,500kg.
Fundamentally, the CX-6e doesn’t excel in any key metrics, with the possible exception of its dramatic styling. But the bigger issue is that it doesn’t feature much, if any, of the innate Mazda-ness that’s long been key to its models being more than just any other mainstream offering. For some customers this might not be a problem, but for others it undoubtedly will be.
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Model:Mazda CX-6e Takumi PlusPrice:£42,990 (£46,150 as tested)Powertrain:78kW battery, 1 x motorPower/torque:255bhp/290Nm (190kW)Transmission:Single-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive0-62mph:7.9 secondsTop speed:115mphRange: 300 milesCharging:165kWEconomy:/CO2:18.9-19.4kWh/100km/0g/kmSize (L/W/H):4,850/1,935/1,620mmOn sale:Now
