Mazda 6e to be launched in Thailand this year; one more EV, PHEV, two hybrids by 2027 – Malaysia too?
Mazda has announced a significant five billion baht (RM658.9 million) investment in its Thai manufacturing base AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) that will help turn it into a compact SUV hub with an annual capacity of 100,000 units. This, the company said, will help strengthen the plant’s role as an export base focused on the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets, as well as boosting its sales in the Land of Smiles.
The more interesting news, however, was buried further down the announcement – Hiroshima also confirmed that the 6e sedan, known as the EZ-6 in China, will be launched in Thailand this year. This electric flagship is the latest product of a longstanding collaboration with Changan, being a significantly redesigned version of the Deepal L07 (formerly known as the SL03) that is already sold up north.
Rather than being assembled in Thailand, the car will continue to be built by Changan in China. It will be the first of a series of electrified vehicles set to be introduced by 2027, with another EV, a plug-in hybrid and two hybrid models set to follow.
In Europe, the 6e will be offered in two variants, both with a single rear motor. The base model produces 258 PS (190 kW) and 320 Nm of torque and uses a 68.8 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery to deliver a WLTP-rated range of 479 km. Meanwhile, the Long Range makes slightly less power at 245 PS (180 kW) but has a larger 80 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery for a claimed range of 552 km.
Aside from the 6e, Mazda is also likely to bring the production version of the Arata concept to Thailand, tipped to be badged the CX-6e and based on the Deepal S05. As for the other three cars, the company could be looking to bring in the plug-in hybrid CX-80 and mild hybrid versions of the CX-60 and CX-80 – Mazda does not currently offer a full hybrid after all.
News of the 6e coming to Thailand strengthens the possibility of it making its way to Malaysian shores. That’s especially true given that distributor Bermaz has already secured the rights to sell Deepal EVs here, making servicing the 6e much easier. There is a complication in that Malaysia’s tax exemptions on CBU fully-imported EVs will be terminated at the end of the year, meaning that the car will enjoy at most only a few months of being tax-free.
GALLERY: Mazda EZ-6 at Auto China 2024
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