BMW is still months away from starting deliveries of the new iX3 to European customers. The order books are already good enough to cover almost the entire production volume planned for the continent this year. As you can imagine, the competition is not idle and eager to get a piece of the action. A typical example: Mazda, which has its sights set squarely on the new class SUV with the CX-6e.
The attractive electric vehicle was unveiled this week at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show and comes from China. Designed and built in the world’s largest car market, the Mazda CX-6e is designed to scare buyers away from the iX3. Some will be impressed by its slim design, while smartphone lovers will appreciate the huge 26-inch touchscreen.
However, the first version will not directly compete with the iX3. While BMW’s all-new electric SUV features a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, the CX-6e sticks with a single-motor rear-wheel drive concept. However, the iX3 50 xDrive will be joined by a rear-wheel drive variant in Europe before the end of the year, which will compete with Mazda’s new electric crossover.
The CX-6e is essentially a European version of the EZ-60 with 255 horsepower and 290 Newton meters (214 pound-feet) of torque. The rear engine enables a sprint to 100 km/h and a top speed of 185 km/h. These numbers are below what the BMW iX3 can deliver, but given the Mazda’s lack of a front engine, that’s hardly a fair comparison.
Its lithium iron phosphate battery has a capacity of 78 kWh and enables a WLTP range of 300 miles (483 kilometers). According to Mazda, the new electric SUV charges at 195 kW, which is less than half the iX3’s peak charging power of 400 kW. Still, a charge from 10% to 80% takes 24 minutes, which is quite respectable by today’s standards.
It’s also worth noting that Mazda sells this vehicle in China with a gasoline engine to extend the range. It’s a technology that BMW used on the i3 many years ago and could be revived with the next-generation X5 later this decade. Currently, Mazda has not said whether the range extender will be offered in Europe, where the technology is expected to gain traction in the coming years.
The CX-6e is a product of the Changan Mazda joint venture and is based on the Deepal S07. It goes on sale in Europe this summer. It will sit alongside the equally attractive 6e, essentially a sedan counterpart that will compete with BMW’s upcoming i3.
