Mazda has opened bookings for an upgraded CX-6e with roof-mounted LiDAR in China, sold there as the EZ-60, and this variant also expands the powertrain range with an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) option. The new variant is expected to start deliveries by late 2026.
Australia has not confirmed it will receive the LiDAR-equipped version, and Mazda Australia’s first Mazda CX-6e batch, due in September 2026, will use conventional radar and camera hardware instead.
The CX-6e is the second new-energy vehicle in Mazda’s Chinese range; the first was the 6e sedan, known as the EZ-6 in China. LiDAR-equipped CX-6e trims are expected to start at around 160,000 yuan (A$33,200), although Mazda has not announced final pricing for the refreshed model.
CX-6e gets LiDAR in China
The biggest hardware change in the refreshed LiDAR-equipped CX-6e sits on the roof – the new LiDAR sensor works with 3 mmWave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars and 11 cameras to support advanced Level 2+ Navigation-on-Autopilot (NOA) functions.
Mazda says the system covers more than 200 assisted-driving scenarios and the updated CX-6e can now handle urban intersections and roundabouts without driver input, perform U-turns and make autonomous lane changes to overtake slower vehicles.
It can also travel between parallel main and side access roads, make emergency lane changes to avoid obstacles and approach highway on and off-ramps and service areas with limited driver input.
The LiDAR system operates across different speed ranges depending on the environment; on highways, it works from 0 to 130km/h and in urban areas, it operates from 0 to 80km/h.
The system also supports remote automated parking and path-following parking manoeuvres.
Mazda hasn’t identified the suppliers behind the new LiDAR system, but the CX-6e’s mechanical sibling, the Deepal S07, offers Huawei’s LiDAR-equipped Qiankun ADS assisted-driving system on its top trims.
China gets EV and EREV options
The Chinese CX-6e LiDAR comes with both pure-electric and EREV powertrains. The EREV version uses a small 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine purely as a generator and charges the battery while driving rather than directly powering the wheels.
The pure EV uses a 77.94kWh LFP battery from CALB, and it powers a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 190kW and delivers a CLTC range of 585-600km. Top speed of the LiDAR EV trim reaches 185km/h, and the EV also supports 3C fast charging with a capability to charge it from 30 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes.
The EREV keeps the same 190kW /290Nm rear motor and 185km/h top speed, and its battery shrinks to 31.73kWh, supplied by CATL-Changan, and provides 200km of CLTC electric range. Its engine produces 72kW of electric power to only charge the battery.
Also read: New-generation Mazda CX-3 confirmed for 2027
Interior gets a major screen upgrade in CX-6e
Mazda has moved away from the screen-light, button-heavy approach used in some of its traditional models as the CX-6e lineup now features a huge 26.45-inch 5K infotainment display. The driver gets a 50-inch head-up display, while Mazda also offers a 100-inch HUD as an option.
LiDAR could be difficult to bring Down Under
Mazda’s international operations, including Australia and Europe, have historically taken longer to adopt the Chinese-market software maps needed to make LiDAR-based NOA functions work accurately outside China.
That creates another hurdle for an Australian launch, and Mazda has yet to confirm whether it will bring the LiDAR-equipped CX-6e to Australia.
Australia’s CX-6e arrives without LiDAR
The Australian 2026 Mazda CX-6e, revealed here in January 2026, follows a different specification and arrives in showrooms in September 2026 as an electric alternative to the petrol-powered CX-5.
The local range consists of two grades: GT and Azami; both use the same 190kW rear-wheel-drive electric motor and 78kWh LFP battery, and the GT is priced at $53,990 before on-road costs.
The CX-6e is all-new, but Mazda didn’t develop the vehicle entirely from the ground up. The SUV, being manufactured in China, comes from Mazda’s joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile and uses Changan’s dedicated EV architecture.
Its platform relates closely to the Deepal S07, an electric SUV sold in China and selected right-hand-drive markets.
Mazda Australia has priced the CX-6e to undercut the key mid-size electric SUV segment players like the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, Toyota bZ4X, and Zeekr 7X.
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