MAZDA 6E

A test on UK roads reveals if this EV truly does drive like a typical Mazda

- JACK WARRICK

The 6e is Mazda's first all-electric saloon, and although it is still several months away from arriving in the UK, the car is already on sale in mainland Europe, where we drove it earlier in the year. Now we've had the chance to test it on UK roads, albeit in a left-hand-drive version.

Built in partnership with Chinese car maker Changan, the 6e shares its underpinnings with the Deepal SL03. However, Mazda insists its car delivers a distinctly Japanese flavour, with the polished dynamics and driver-focused character the brand is known for.

More on that in a moment.

Two battery options will be available when the 6e goes on sale in the UK early next year. The line-up will kick off with a 68.8kWh battery offering 298 miles and an 80kWh unit good for 343 miles.

Unusually, the smaller-battery version delivers greater power, at 255bhp, while the long-range model has 241bhp. Additionally, the smaller battery has a much faster charging rate of 165kW, compared with the larger battery's 90kW.