With prices starting at £38,995, Mazda’s new electric hatchback offers an elegant alternative to the SUV for drivers juggling the commute, client visits and weekends away. Mark G Whitchurch spends a week behind the wheel to find out how comfortable it is, how much it will carry and whether it is a car he would want to own

Spend £40,000 on a new electric car and you are entitled to be choosy, particularly when that money already puts you within reach of models such as the Kia EV3 and Škoda Elroq. There is plenty to consider before committing to a car you may spend several years driving to work, visiting clients in and packing for weekends away.

If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, you soon appreciate a comfortable seat, a quiet cabin and suspension that takes the sting out of rough roads. You also want enough space for your bags and golf clubs, along with something to enjoy when the diary allows you to take the scenic route.

Mazda’s answer is the new 6e, a five-door hatchback with a £38,995 starting price, rear-wheel drive and a claimed range of 348 miles. Its low, sweeping shape caught my attention when I first encountered it in Frankfurt during a visit for the 2026 World Design Capital, where I was chauffeured around the city in one.

That left me keen to try it from the driving seat, and Mazda UK subsequently supplied a Soul Red Crystal 6e in Takumi Plus trim for a week. My seven days included a motorway journey to Swindon, drives along the winding roads around Cheddar Gorge and the usual business of carrying passengers, shopping and luggage, giving me a useful chance to see how it fitted into everyday life.

Kerb appeal

To my eyes, the 6e looks superb, with a long bonnet, a cabin set well back and a roof that slopes gently towards the tail, giving it the proportions of a rather elegant saloon. OK, it doesn’t have the visual drama of a Porsche Taycan or an Audi e-tron GT, but both start at roughly £49,500 more than the cheapest Mazda, which puts the comparison into perspective.

Mazda calls its styling approach Kodo, with this latest version described as Authentic Modern, although the result is easier to appreciate than the terminology. The company still uses clay models to work on the shapes of its cars, and here the smooth bodywork and careful proportions give the 6e a sculpted appearance that I like.

Take the illuminated surround around the front grille, for instance: Mazda calls it the signature wing, and as well as lighting up the front of the car, it shows the battery’s charging status. It is a neat detail with a useful purpose, while the four round lenses at the rear – two in each lamp – echo the rear lights of Mazda’s RX-7 sports car.

There is also an electrically operated rear spoiler that rises at around 56mph to help stability, then sits neatly within the tail when retracted.

Comfort and cabin

Comfort is one of the 6e’s strongest qualities, with supportive seats, well-controlled suspension and a quiet cabin giving it the relaxed feel of a more expensive saloon. On the motorway run to Swindon, wind and road noise remained low at 70mph, and the suspension absorbed rough patches while keeping the car steady.

The driving position is low and pleasantly sporty, with good visibility and a steering wheel that feels the right size. The seats remained comfortable over distance, and the quality of the materials and finish helped make the cabin an agreeable place to spend several hours.

I loved the 14.6-inch touchscreen and found the menus clear and the heating controls easy to access, although its size might take some getting used to if you prefer a smaller display and proper buttons. There is also a separate instrument display behind the wheel and a head-up display that projects driving information into your line of sight.

The 6e was good fun on the roads around Cheddar Gorge, where the steering gave a clear sense of what the front wheels were doing and the car changed direction without feeling heavy. There was little body roll through the bends, and its rear-wheel-drive layout made it feel balanced and predictable.

Mazda says its engineers in Japan and Germany adjusted the steering, suspension and braking for European roads. The result felt well suited to the roads I drove during the week.

The 258PS motor delivers its power smoothly, with Mazda quoting 0–62mph in 7.3 seconds. A Porsche Taycan is much quicker, but the Mazda felt brisk and its acceleration was easy to control.

Four regenerative braking settings let you choose how strongly the car slows when you lift off the accelerator, recovering energy for the battery as it does so. The transition to the conventional brakes felt smooth.

How practical is it?

The wide hatchback opening makes the boot easy to load, and it took two suitcases for an overnight break without trouble, as well as a full supermarket shop on another trip. There’s 337 litres of space, rising to 466 litres if you load to the roof, and the rear seats fold when you need to carry something larger. Another 72-litre compartment under the bonnet provides useful extra storage.

My daughters and their friends were comfortable on the supportive rear bench, with plenty of legroom, a flat floor and enough headroom for my passengers despite the sloping roof. The wide door openings also made loading their bags easy.

For a golf weekend, I’d check that your particular bags and trolley fit with the rear seats up, especially if you’re taking friends along.

Mazda quotes a range of 348 miles from the 78kWh battery and a 10–80 per cent charge in 24 minutes using a suitable 200kW rapid charger, although these are manufacturer figures rather than results from my test. Charging at home or work would make the daily commute easier to manage; if you’re relying on public chargers between appointments, the location and availability of those chargers will matter as much as the quoted charging time.

Would I want one on my driveway?

Mark’s rating ★★★★★

The Takumi starts at £38,995 and the Takumi Plus at £39,995, so both come in under £40,000 before options. The Soul Red Crystal paint on my test car adds £1,000, taking a Plus in that colour to £40,995.

Both versions have the same battery and motor, with the extra £1,000 for the Plus mainly buying a smarter interior. That includes tan Nappa leather with artificial suede and cloth trim, a two-tone steering wheel, an electric sunshade for the panoramic roof and a rear touchscreen with sunshade controls. The standard Takumi has Mazda’s Maztex artificial leather in black or stone, so choosing the cheaper version costs you nothing in performance.

I liked the Plus cabin, although I would sit in both before deciding whether to spend the extra. The bigger questions are whether you get on with the touchscreen, have enough room for your usual luggage and can charge conveniently at home, at work or along your regular routes.

After seven days, I returned the keys reluctantly. The 6e was quiet and comfortable on the motorway, enjoyable around Cheddar Gorge and practical enough for the passengers and luggage I carried. Those qualities, along with its looks and well-finished cabin, would put it high on my shortlist for commuting and weekends away. At this price, I regard it as one of the most complete electric cars on sale today.

Mazda 6e at a glance

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