Tesla-beating pricing might not mean Tesla-beating sales for 6e and CX-6e electric cars, according to Mazda Australia.
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Mazda Australia is keeping its sales ambitions for its two new electric vehicles (EVs), the 6e and CX-6e, a secret for now, despite undercutting its most obvious rival on price.
Speaking to Drive, Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi said, for now, the focus for the Japanese brand is run its own race.
“We’re not focused on what other brands are doing, in particular Tesla, they’ve all got their own plans and advantages,” Bhindi said.
“We’ll probably share with you the sales plans in the next few months or so, but we will take a very real approach to it.
“We’re not going to push it for the sake of it – knowing very well it gives us credit for NVES.
“Our policy, our strategy is always meet the customer on what they want rather than confusing the issue with chasing the number down.
“We are modest in our liftback [6e] ambition. With the SUV [CX-6e] there will be a bigger opportunity just because consumers say ‘SUV is what we want, they sit higher, it’s a bit bigger, etc’.”
Comparing Mazda’s offerings to Tesla, the 6e is priced from $49,990 before on-road costs, while the Model 3 kicks off at $54,900.
Both are mid-size sedans similar in size, but the Mazda sports a 78kWh battery for a 560km WLTP range rating, while the Model 3 has 58kWh battery rated for 520km.
However, the 6e is only available in two grades, the base GT and the top-spec Atenza priced at $52,990.
Differentiating the two is only the materials and colour of the cabin.
On the other hand, the Model 3 can be had with an 82kWh battery in Long Range form, boosting driving distance to 750km, as well as a flagship Performance grade that adds an front-electric motor for all-wheel drive and a sporty 343kW/741Nm output.
Mazda Australia is yet to price the CX-6e SUV, but it is expected to sit only a few thousand dollars above the 6e.
This would mean it is likely to undercut Tesla’s Model Y in the same segment, which starts from $58,900.
However, like with the 6e, Mazda likely won’t be able to match the Model Y’s variant spread, which also includes a Long Range and Performance variant, as well as a new six-seater called the Model Y L.
For context, so far this year, Tesla has sold 696 examples of the Model 3, while 3079 customers have purchased a Model Y.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
