The Mazda CX-6e marks a radically different new look for the Japanese brand – and the firm's Europe design boss, Jo Stenuit, says the tech-heavy cabin showcases the direction in which the car maker wants to take its interiors.

The SUV, unveiled at the Brussels motor show on Friday, also introduces a number of firsts for Mazda, such as a 26in infotainment screen, camera wing 'mirrors', Bluetooth speakers in the front headrests, and the deletion of any sort of instrument cluster in favour of an enlarged head-up display.

The CX-6e is scheduled to arrive in the UK by the end of 2026, around six months after it goes on sale in mainland Europe. When it does reach the UK, it will be one of just two electric cars Mazda sells here, alongside the mechanically identical 6e saloon.

As the name suggests, the CX-6e is positioned as an electric alternative to the CX-60, although at 4850mm long, 1935mm wide and 1670mm tall, it is slighter longer, wider and lower than its combustion counterpart. 

The SUV is described as “living art” by Stenuit, whose Frankfurt-based team took the lead on its design. 

However, the decision to move to a screen-dominated interior was made by the car maker’s team in Japan, said Stenuit, and is part of an effort to “explore” where to take the brand’s cabin designs in the future. 

Stenuit said this car needed to be positioned to “work globally” and screens, rather than buttons and switches, are the best way to do that. While admitting he isn’t a massive fan of bigger screens, he defended the move because it offers "precise and clear” information and therefore "a bigger screen helps”.

The reason for the dramatic difference compared with the rest of the range is that the CX-6e is not a Mazda-only product. Instead, it is the result of a joint-venture with Chinese car maker Changang as part of a bid to grow the pair’s EV line-ups at a reduced cost. 

Underneath, the CX-6e is mechanically identical to the EPA1-based Changan Deepal S07 – an SUV that was launched in the UK at the end of last year – and the two are built on the same production line in Nanjing, China.

Mazda’s SUV is already on sale in markets such as China and Australia, where it is badged EZ-60, but while it is offered elsewhere as a plug-in hybrid and an EV, the latter is the only powertrain set to be offered in Europe. While UK specifications have yet to be confirmed, in mainland Europe it will be fitted with a 255bhp rear motor, have a 78kWh LFP battery and offer up to 300 miles of range. It Audi Q6 E-tron rival offers up to 380 miles.

Luggage space is rated at 468 litres, almost 100 litres less than in the CX-60. An 80-litre frunk increases the storage potential, although that space will mostly be taken up by the SUV’s charging cables.