【Intro】The market share of joint venture new energy vehicles has dropped to 4.5%. Mazda EZ-60, however, has won the sub-segment sales champion title for 7 consecutive months. This obsession with the essence of car-making leaves a tangible reference for a confused track.

The plight of joint venture new energy vehicles in the Chinese market is hardly an exaggeration to describe as "grim". Public data shows that in July 2026, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles from major joint venture brands was only 13.7%, with the market share shrinking to 4.5%. The entire joint venture camp was left far behind by independent brands on the new energy track. In this landscape that is almost one-sided, the existence of Mazda EZ-60 instead became a sample worth taking seriously.

An Undervalued "Consecutive Champion"

The fact most easily overlooked about EZ-60 is that since its launch in September 2025, it has consecutively won the sales champion title for joint venture new energy mid-size SUVs for 7 months.

At first glance, this title seems somewhat suspicious of "too many qualifiers". But qualifiers themselves have meaning. In the overall stalled dish of joint venture new energy, Mazda, a Japanese brand that was already "niche" in the fuel car era, was able to keep its new energy products consistently ahead in the most competitive sub-segment of mid-size SUVs. It cannot be said to have risen purely by luck; at least EZ-60 has a solid market foundation.

In July, EZ-60 ranked fifth on the joint venture new energy sales list, contributing a total of 5,515 units together with EZ-6. In August, EZ-60 had a single-month sales volume of 4,349 units, accounting for nearly half of the Mazda brand's total sales for the month.

To be honest, for a joint venture brand without a strong brand presence, this concentration exactly indicates that consumers buying Mazda new energy cars are not doing so entirely because of the "Mazda" three words, but because of the car "EZ-60" itself.

Where It Wins

The core reason EZ-60 can hold a place in joint venture new energy is likely not brand power. Mazda's brand premium is relatively limited in the Chinese market, and Mazda knows this better than anyone. To say its sales come from some "substantial things" provided by the product itself is not an exaggeration.

The combination of price and size has created a world of its own. It should be said that the pricing of EZ-60 is pinned in a subtle interval, lower than most joint venture new energy competitors, but it offers a mid-size SUV with a length of over 4.8 meters. For users with limited budgets, actual needs for space, and some trust inertia regarding brands, this combination is still very persuasive.

The feeling of driving is truly refreshing. Mazda's accumulation in chassis and handling is one of its few assets that was not washed away by the new energy wave. A car owner left a message on the forum after long-distance driving: "Drove over 1,000 kilometers on the highway, the pilot assist lane change and overtaking was very smooth. Plus seat massage, surprisingly no waist and back pain after getting out." Just think, this "coordination feel between intelligent driving commands and chassis execution" is indeed something many competitors who just stack specs cannot do well.

There are still some details on the service level that are quite a system. Some owners mentioned that the manufacturer has a specialist to add WeChat, the 4S stores have dedicated pre-sales and after-sales groups, and OTA upgrades will respond to demands in the owner groups. In an environment where joint venture brands are generally "standardized and cold" in service, that feeling of being valued naturally constitutes a differentiated experience. Being different means being different.

Not Just "Selling Well Domestically"

Many people may not know that EZ-60 has a dimension that is easily overlooked. Currently, it is the first domestic joint venture new energy model to obtain whole vehicle certification from the three major markets of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Two months after launch in Europe, it secured 7,000+ orders, and more than 80 overseas dealerships traveled specially to the Nanjing factory for inspection.

What does this mean? It means the product standards for this car were not made only according to the "minimum requirements" of the Chinese market. Whole vehicle certification from the EU has always been known for its strictness, especially in safety, environmental protection, and electromagnetic compatibility, never compromising. And EZ-60, being able to pass the certification of these three places simultaneously, shows that its underlying quality is endorsed by global standards; you can't bring nonsense.

Undoubtedly, under the current public opinion environment where joint venture new energy is generally questioned for "downsizing specs" and "special supply", constituting a differentiated trust asset is not that easy, handily grasped. When consumers are struggling with "is joint venture electric car an IQ tax", "Global Car Standard" is at least an important reference that can be used as a basis for decision-making.

From "Made in China" to "Made for the World"

The export of EZ-60 is not simple whole vehicle trade. Behind it is a deeper strategic turn by Changan Mazda; the Nanjing factory is becoming the design, production, and export center for Mazda's global new energy.

In April 2025, Mazda Motor Corporation Chairman Katsuhiro Matsuro visited China twice within a month, witnessing the launch of Changan Mazda's first global model MAZDA 6E. In August of the same year, EZ-60 was officially launched at the Nanjing factory. The official explicitly defined it as the "second global model of the Changan Mazda new energy whole vehicle export center".

Lin Yan believes this is not a "globalization" on a rhetorical level, but a strategic positioning supported by specific production capacity and supply chain. The Nanjing factory has completed intelligent transformation, with an automation rate of 90%, and simultaneously accommodates the dual-platform production capacity of pure electric and extended range, integrating resources from top global suppliers such as Bosch and CATL. The factory has established a quality traceability system covering the entire industry chain. Before mass production, EZ-60 accumulated over 800 experimental vehicles with over 400 test items, actual vehicle testing mileage exceeding 3 million kilometers, and passed driving performance verification on roads in 8 European countries.

Worth mentioning is that the core logic of its "Double Hundred Doubles" strategy (i.e., double production scale and export quantity) lies in relying on China's complete new energy industry chain advantages to create products with global competitiveness, and then through the Nanjing factory, a hub platform integrating R&D, manufacturing, and export, feed back the technical results to the global market. In other words, it is a reversal of the traditional joint venture model. It is no longer the foreign party inputting technology and the Chinese party responsible for manufacturing, but Chinese R&D, Chinese Manufacturing, and Global Output.

EZ-6 has already launched in over 20 countries including Europe and Southeast Asia, with Europe orders breaking 7,000 units in two months. As a global model, EZ-60 will enter the European market under the naming CX-6E in the future. More than 80 overseas dealers from Europe, Australia, and Thailand flew specially to the Nanjing factory for on-site inspection, giving positive comments on craftsmanship and quality control. Dealers are people who buy goods with real money and silver; their on-site inspection is probably more weighty than any brand publicity.

Laser Version: Determination to Plug the Shortcomings

The place where EZ-60 was criticized the most before was that intelligent configuration was not "competitive" enough. When independent brands brought LiDAR and high-level intelligent driving down to the 150,000 Yuan class market, the basic version of EZ-60 could only provide L2 level assisted driving. This is an objective gap, and also one of the reasons its sales dropped from a peak of 4,565 units back to the 2,000-3,000 unit range.

But Mazda's reaction speed is faster than many people expected.

On August 25, 2026, the EZ-60 Laser version officially started pre-sales (which also means the August sales volume mentioned earlier was mainly contributed by the basic version models). The new car integrates LiDAR on the roof, cooperating with 11 high-definition cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars, and intelligent driving capability jumps from "basic assistance" to highway + urban dual-domain pilot.

The official clearly stated a sentence in the publicity: "Mazda does not fight for the best in intelligent driving, only fights for the right in intelligent driving, safety is always the first priority". If this sentence were put in the mouths of new forces, it would most likely be taken as marketing talk. But spoken by Mazda, coupled with its consistent accumulation in chassis and safety, the credibility is much higher.

In addition, the pricing strategy of the Laser version is also worth pondering. The pre-sale interval is 139,900 - 160,900 Yuan, basically pinned within the "effective price band" of joint venture new energy. This price directly entered the core hinterland of independent new energy SUVs such as Leapmotor C11 and Deepal S7. It is not using high specs and high prices to "show off muscles", but using a relatively restrained price to stuff high-level intelligent driving capabilities into a product that has already taken root, forcingly snatching chips from independent brand hands.

Written at the End

Perhaps, EZ-60 is not a "perfect" car. Its brand volume is limited, the product line is thin, and the start of intelligence is not early either.

But looking at it in the coordinate system of joint venture new energy, its position is much further ahead than most people think. 7 consecutive months of sub-segment championship, global three major market certification, strategic positioning of the Nanjing factory as Mazda's global new energy export center, and the laser version quickly making up for intelligent driving shortcomings have all become its greatest confidence.

The situation forces people. In a public opinion field where everyone is talking about "whether joint venture new energy has any hope", Mazda gave a specific, verifiable answer with EZ-60, that is, there is hope, but you must first lower your body and then show the real stuff.

In Lin Yan's view, the most precious place of EZ-60 is not in how many units were sold, but in that it proves one thing: A brand known for "obsession" in the fuel car era can still be obsessed in the new energy era, only this time the object of obsession has changed from rotary engines to "making a battery-powered Mazda look like a Mazda".

In the current situation where joint venture new energy is generally silent, Mazda's adherence to the essence of car-making is not a deliberate posture, but an obsession carved into the bones of the brand.

Perhaps, it may not be able to immediately reverse the market environment of the joint venture camp, but it can leave a tangible reference for this confused track. Its persistence not to follow the flow is itself worth being seriously seen and recorded.

From the Hilton Hotel at Niushou Mountain in Nanjing to Wuxiang Mountain, a journey of over 70 kilometers, although I was sitting in the driver's seat, the one driving was not me; the intelligent driving system completed the whole journey, I only took over temporarily twice when passing through toll stations — if ETC was installed, the whole journey might have zero takeovers.

Changan Mazda EZ-60 Laser Edition is equipped with an intelligent driving system that "uses LiDAR as the perception base, combined with multi-sensor fusion solutions, achieving full scenario coverage for highways, urban areas, and parking". The actual performance was quite good; encountering roadwork occupying the lane on urban roads, it wouldn't stop and wait foolishly, but would borrow lanes to detour in advance; on highways, it drives steadier than an experienced driver; at the Wuxiang Mountain farm restaurant parking lot, when the vehicle on the right was pressing the line, not only did it park in successfully, but it would also lean slightly to the left to maintain enough space from the vehicle on the right...

The EZ-60 Laser Edition's exterior and interior have not changed much compared to the standard version.

A day ago I just experienced another vehicle equipped with Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5 in Guangzhou; the pilot functions on highways and expressways for both vehicles were very good, and both could pass through complex urban roads; in my opinion, their intelligent driving capabilities are basically no different, only the strategies differ.

On the mountain roads of Wuxiang Mountain, the intelligent driving system could also drive, but I decisively took over; for such mountain roads, one must drive it oneself, because it is a Mazda!

The hardest part is making a vehicle "obey"

Although the most important upgrade of the Changan Mazda EZ-60 Laser Edition is intelligent driving, for me, the biggest selling point of this car is still its inherent advantages — good-looking, easy to drive, safe, and the quality assurance as a Mazda brand global strategic model.

As for intelligent driving, it is merely icing on the cake; of course, it could also be described as adding wings to a tiger.

As an advanced model in the intelligent driving field for Mazda, the EZ-60 Laser Edition is equipped with 1 LiDAR, 3 millimeter-wave radars, 11 HD cameras, and 12 ultrasonic radars to build a global perception network. The intelligent cockpit is equipped with a 3nm automotive-grade chip, achieving three core capabilities: "Highway + Urban" dual-domain pilot full coverage, full-scenario parking adaptation, and global active safety protection.

The undulating and winding mountain roads of Wuxiang Mountain are very suitable for experiencing Mazda's "Man and Horse as One" easy-to-drive feel.

The focus of easy-to-drive is not speed. The EZ-60's maximum output is 190 kilowatts, which is not outstanding among new energy vehicles in the same class. There are many cars faster than it in "0-100 acceleration", but large horsepower is only advantageous in straight-line sprints. On such mountain roads, many cars with more horsepower are harder to drive — uncontrolled power, or power that does not match the vehicle's handling limits, the larger it is, the more of a flaw it is.

During the driving process, the vehicle's speed, angle, and body posture will continuously change in response to different operation instructions. For an ordinary family car, "easy to drive" means that these vehicle responses must meet human expectations, so-called "obey". Mazda calls it "Man and Horse as One".

In the electrification era, making a car break 100 in three or four seconds becomes very easy, but making a car "obey" becomes harder, because new energy vehicles are generally too heavy — large mass means large inertia, and inertia is the great enemy of handling. Speaking of this, Qingzhu has to sigh; now cars are getting larger and heavier, I don't know if it is the sadness of the market or the industry.

Mass distribution has a greater impact on handling than mass itself, this is easy to understand. For example, people, with the same weight, top-heavy and bottom-light movement will naturally be more uncoordinated. The EZ-60 body weight balance is even, achieving a 50:50 front and rear axle weight ratio. Moreover, the axle-to-length ratio, height-to-width ratio, and wheel-to-body-width ratio are significantly leading in the same class. In other words, the mass of this car is relatively more concentrated towards the center of gravity, which is the premise of a car being easy to drive.

Looking good lies largely in proportions, but behind the proportions is far more than just looking good. Reasonable mass distribution and excellent aerodynamic performance are the premises of easy-to-drive.

Of course, more critically lies in tuning. Changan Mazda EZ-60 has undergone global testing in 9 countries, accumulating 9 million kilometers of full-road conditions, verified by 200+ tuning schemes. Roll stiffness increased by 20%, pitch suppression by 10%, bringing a "Stable-Accurate-Fast" dynamic driving experience.

Power output is linear and smooth, not abrupt, not jerky; suspension damping can be adjusted in real-time according to road conditions; steering damping adjusts adaptively with the operation speed of the steering wheel; during cornering, affected by centrifugal force, the tire pressure on the inner side of the vehicle will decrease, causing it to not grip the ground. EZ-60, by controlling body posture, increases the downforce on the inner tires, bringing more stable cornering...

The proportion of high-strength steel in the Changan Mazda EZ-60 body is as high as 86.5%.

EZ-60 was already easy to drive, the stronger intelligent driving system makes this car even easier to drive. Using the words of Noboru Fujihashi, the General Manager of Changan Mazda Sales Branch, it brought "evolutionary pleasure".

The intelligent driving system of course did not further improve the vehicle's handling limits, and will never possess the flexibility and proactivity of an experienced driver, but it never gets distracted, never gets tired. It can make driving more relaxed, calm, and comfortable. Naturally, to a large extent, it improves safety redundancy.

Bad money will not always drive out good

Many people might think the automotive industry has developed for over 100 years, brands are roughly the same in safety, quality, and handling, so when buying cars they focus more on refrigerators, TVs, sofas, more on whose car infotainment system is more smooth, whose intelligent driving looks more awesome. But the fact is exactly the opposite. In the industry, the level of intelligent driving among various brands is rapidly converging. In the future, "Intelligent Driving" will essentially no longer have differences in level, but only differences in grade as a configuration.

The real difference between different brands lies in design and handling, safety and quality. In these dimensions, the differences between different brands are still vastly different.

Regrettably, these do not or are difficult to reflect in the configuration parameter sheet. If you choose cars only based on the configuration parameter sheet, Changan Mazda EZ-60 is likely to be PASSed by you.

Industry involution has become increasingly without bottom lines. More and more consumers have finally learned to stop choosing cars based on the configuration parameter sheet.

To my relief, Changan Mazda EZ-60 has been on the market for almost a year. Sales cannot compare with internet-famous models, but performance is quite good. It once won the sales championship of joint venture new energy medium SUVs for 7 consecutive months. Moreover, in the extremely involutionary market environment this year, sales maintain a steady and upward momentum. This indicates the market is returning to rationality. More and more consumers begin to realize software is not enough to define cars. Cars are never consumer electronics, nor are they fast-moving consumer goods.

The sales curve of Changan Mazda EZ-60 (blue) has taken a trend completely different from competitors.

This year, domestic passenger car market sales slumped significantly, new energy vehicles were no exception. From January to July, total domestic new energy vehicle sales dropped 12.5% year-on-year, but "Mainstream Joint Venture New Energy" became the only growth segment — and it grew significantly by 28.8%!

This is not surprising. When more and more users find that even the most basic safety and quality cannot be guaranteed, they will definitely recalibrate their value coordinates when buying cars.

January to July this year, mainstream joint venture new energy vehicles became the only growth segment in the new energy vehicle market.

Thus, the topic of "Rushed-built cars" suddenly swept the entire automotive public opinion field. "AI testing fraud" was suddenly criticized by everyone. Hidden handles, unconventional steering wheels, and other brainless designs were cancelled by official bodies one after another...

Bad money will not always drive out good. Mazda and others who stick to their brand concepts and value propositions have finally weathered the most difficult times.

Changan Mazda EZ-60 Laser Edition will officially launch on September 26. More worthy of attention than the selling price is that EZ-60 will also be exported to over 20 countries and regions globally, covering European, Australia/New Zealand, Southeast Asian markets, etc. Moreover, the manufacturer promises that domestic sales models and export models are homogeneous and same quality, following Mazda's global unified manufacturing standards and quality inspection processes, executing completely consistent production standards and acceptance requirements.

Previously, Changan Mazda EZ-6's performance in overseas markets was quite eye-catching. In Europe, within two months of launch, it captured 7,000+ orders. "EZ-60 will be more popular overseas", said Wu Xuxi, Executive Deputy General Manager of Changan Mazda Auto Sales Branch, "This year alone at a Thailand Auto Show, EZ-60 orders have already broken 10,000."

At the Changan Mazda booth in Hall 3 of the Chengdu Auto Show, crowds were gathering. Mazda fans are focused on a "Mazda with LiDAR", and the MAZDA EZ-60 LiDAR Edition has officially started pre-sales.

As a brand with driving control genes deeply ingrained in people's hearts, Mazda still wants to be the "Driver's Car" in the smart driving era. Not competing for the best in smart driving, just doing what's right in smart driving, letting more people own good cars.

When competitors are competing on "count of cities opened for urban NOA" and "smart driving takeover rate", Mazda's approach appears somewhat "out of sync", but also exceptionally "Mazda-like".

Not Competing for the Best, Only Competing for the Right

"Now the whole industry is racing on smart driving parameters, computing power, and radar quantity, almost becoming standard equipment in the Chinese market." Facing this follow-up from "Auto Talk", Minoru Fujihashi, Vice President of Auto Marketing & Sales and General Manager of the Sales Branch of Changan Mazda, answered straight to the point.

Minoru Fujihashi pointed to the MX-5 on the booth and said: "It condenses Mazda's brand core: pursuit of driving pleasure, beauty of design, handling texture, riding comfort, and globally unified quality and safety standards." In his view, whether it is EZ-60 or EZ-6, both are models that integrate this brand DNA. "Users generally recognize their driving comfort, handling texture, and reassuring safety performance."

"For Mazda, the driving fun of 'Human-Machine Integration', driving pleasure and safety, is the unchanged fundamental." Fujihashi emphasized, "Smart driving is not a replacement for driving, but an upgrade and empowerment based on this."

Behind this statement is Changan Mazda's calm review of the industry's trend of "stacking computing power, competing radars, racing on parameters". Fujihashi believes: "Whether it is smart driving or human driving, the most primary thing for a car is still safety. Every decision of smart driving ultimately relies on excellent mechanical quality, a good chassis, good handling, to be executed safely. Good smart driving is not letting smart driving drive for you, but letting smart driving make driving safer for you."

The core logic of this smart driving philosophy is clear and restrained: not competing for the "best" in parameters, but competing for the "right" in user experience.

Double Experience Without Discount

What is the core positioning of the EZ-60 LiDAR Edition? The answer given by Fujihashi is "Double Experience Without Discount". "When users drive themselves, they can feel handling fun comparable to fuel cars, the car moves as they wish; in scenarios like high-speed long-distance, urban commuting congestion, the LiDAR smart driving system can provide reliable assistance, reducing driving burden."

This is exactly the core difference between Mazda and other brands. "Many brands' smart driving ideas turn the car into a simple commuter tool, turning users from 'drivers' into 'passengers'; but Mazda's idea is, whether personally controlling or enabling smart driving assistance, users can always feel smooth, controllable driving texture."

Since the launch of EZ-60 in September 2025, it has successively won the sales champion of joint venture new energy medium SUVs for 7 consecutive months. In terms of design, its signature 9 air duct aerodynamic design deeply integrates "Kodo" aesthetics and aerodynamics, successively winning German iF, Red Dot, American IDA and other 8 global top design awards. In terms of handling, after undergoing road tests in 9 countries globally, totaling 9 million kilometers, it was evaluated by owners as "The EV that feels most like a gas car when driven".

In terms of safety, 7-horizontal 5-vertical cage body paired with 86.5% high-strength steel proportion, passed the industry's first full-vehicle collision, rollover, immersion triple limit challenge, winning TOP Safety Top Safety Certification.

The arrival of the EZ-60 LiDAR Edition is exactly to complete the puzzle of advanced intelligent driving assistance on this solid foundation.

LiDAR On Board But Not Showing Off Skills

The EZ-60 LiDAR Edition takes one LiDAR as the core perception base, paired with 11 HD cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars, achieving full-scenario capability upgrades from driving, parking, and active safety three dimensions.

In terms of driving assistance, the new car achieves full coverage of highway and urban pilot navigation. Highway pilot supports autonomous lane changing, obstacle avoidance, on/off ramps within 0-130km/h speed range; urban pilot covers 0-80km/h main road scenarios, benefiting from end-to-end technical architecture, system response is faster, decisions more coherent. Cutting-in scenarios recognized at millisecond level, smooth avoidance, construction sections and illegally parked vehicles can achieve continuous S-shaped avoidance, intersection green light 0.8 second quick start. Class-exclusive "Cruise Companion" function, select target vehicle can stably follow the car.

Parking scenarios are also comprehensively upgraded, covering over 300 types of parking spaces. New "Door Close Parking" function, narrow parking spaces can get off and automatically complete parking; supports memory parking.

In terms of active safety, EZ-60 LiDAR Edition carries 25 active safety functions. Front stationary vehicles can be braked to stop up to 110km/h speed, longitudinal pedestrians up to 90km/h braking stop, suddenly appearing pedestrians, crossing vehicles within 50km/h speed can be effectively handled. AEB and AES braking yielding integrated, emergency braking and steering avoidance can be triggered synchronously under dangerous conditions.

In terms of hardware configuration, the new car carries 3nm automotive grade flagship intelligent cockpit chip. Fujihashi specially emphasized a detail: "Smart driving status visualization real-time sync, transparent interaction without taking over driving, users can take control anytime." The system will tell you in advance what it wants to do, will not wrest the steering wheel from you.

A "Listening to Advice" Adjustment

This pre-sale, EZ-60 LiDAR Edition launched "10 yuan deposit, daily expansion 100 yuan, up to 3600 yuan deduction" pre-sale rights.

Talking about this welfare strength adjustment, Fujihashi frankly said: "Last year Shanghai pre-sale we also launched expansion money activity, user feedback was very good, but there are also many users saying 6-month waiting cycle is too long. This time we absorbed past experience, end of September new car will launch, pre-sale cycle about 1 month, so we took the daily expansion amount from 10 yuan to 100 yuan."

From 10 yuan to 100 yuan, rose 10 times; from 6 months to 1 month, cycle significantly shortened. This is a pragmatic adjustment based on user feedback. "Let early-ordered users truly enjoy the benefits." Fujihashi said.

As the strategic fulcrum and export center of Mazda's global electrification, Changan Mazda has become the first domestic joint venture new energy vehicle enterprise to simultaneously obtain EU, UK, Australia three major markets full-vehicle certification.

Fujihashi introduced, EZ-6 began exporting from last year, first landed European market, this year will expand to Australia, Thailand and other regions; EZ-60 export work is also progressing steadily, this year second half will successively land Australia, Southeast Asia and European market. Currently Mazda EZ-6 (Overseas version Mazda 6e) has been exported to over 20 countries and regions globally.

"These two models from R&D beginning were global car positioning, China is the core market, at the same time facing global sales." Fujihashi said, "Changan Mazda Nanjing Factory is Mazda global new energy model R&D and manufacturing base."

Conclusion:

Amid the noise of the Chengdu Auto Show, Changan Mazda's booth has a special temperament. When almost all brands are competing on parameters, stacking hardware, this century-old brand chose a "special" road – not competing for "Best", only competing for "Right".

This is not conservative, but a kind of sobriety. In the interview with Fujihashi, heard is not resistance to smart driving, but is "who smart driving serves" deep thinking. Smart driving is not making driver become passenger, but making driving safer, easier; Smart driving is not replacing control, but empowering control.

Some cars are for looking at parameters, while some cars, are for experiencing. EZ-60 LiDAR Edition is exactly belonging to the latter!

On the first day of the 2026 Chongqing Auto Show, Changan Mazda brought a factory-stock unmodified pure electric EZ-60 to the forefront. Not here to parade, but to show off its track record. Champion driver Ji Hao, who is also an ordinary Changan Mazda owner, stood on the exhibition platform and shared his experience of driving the mass-production EZ-60 to fight in the China New Energy Vehicle Rally Championship: a 6-day 910km course, 27 brands with 100 participating vehicles. Facing competition from most extended-range and plug-in hybrid models, this factory-stock pure electric SUV won the SUV category champion in the circuit race and the runner-up in the overall rally results.

The significance of this championship does not lie in the ranking itself, but in that it was run with a mass-production vehicle, with no modifications, no special tuning. The result directly corresponds to every ordinary user who bought an EZ-60.

Both the EZ-6 and EZ-60 models were developed according to global standards from the very beginning of the project. EZ-6 won the 2026 World Car of the Year Design award, being the first Chinese new energy model to receive this honor; EZ-60 simultaneously won 8 world-class top design awards, currently the only one in the SUV category. Design awards themselves cannot directly equate to product power, but it shows Mazda's design remains captivating, and it is top-tier under international aesthetic standards.

In the safety field, EZ-6 has passed 5 authoritative safety certifications such as C-NCAP, E-NCAP, with China-Europe dual five-star standards as its clear development baseline. EZ-60's battery safety meets new national standards and European standards requirements in advance. Furthermore, Changan Mazda offers a Battery Lifetime Spontaneous Combustion Compensation promise to all new energy users under its brand, with unlimited mileage and unlimited owners. This means after used car transactions, new owners also enjoy this benefit, which has a positive impact on resale value and second-hand circulation.

Progress in going global is one of the key information disclosed by Changan Mazda at this auto show. Currently, the brand has obtained whole vehicle certification for the EU, UK, and Australian three major markets, being the first domestic joint venture new energy automotive enterprise to secure all three certifications simultaneously. At the end of May, over 80 overseas dealers from Europe, Australia, and Thailand specially visited the Nanjing Factory for inspection, giving extremely high praise to the production process and quality control system. The EZ-6 and EZ-60 models are currently in a continuously advancing stage for overseas sales and pre-sales.

At the same time, EZ-60 has held the sales champion title for joint venture new energy mid-size SUVs continuously for 7 months in the domestic market. Although the scale of this niche track is not large, it shows that the product acceptance among the target user group is very stable.

Changan Mazda continues its consistent community strategy, with activities like Wish Journey, Owner Story Collection, Joy Mazda Creator, and Citizen Agent continuing to advance, aiming to establish a longer-term user emotional connection beyond the product. The Young Sprouts Plan Season 2 launched this May entered universities nationwide and simultaneously opened the EZ-60 University Modification Design Competition, opening summer practice slots to students. Since 2015, Changan Mazda has cumulatively donated and built 12 Hope Primary Schools in Yunnan, with a total investment exceeding 10 million yuan. In June, it initiated the Every Kilometer Has Kindness charity action again, converting user travel mileage into charity funds.

Worth mentioning is that at this auto show, Mazda also brought the MX-5, this classic convertible sports car that has existed for decades with multiple iterations but is still on sale. It appeared in an auto show themed on new energy, in a sense declaring to the outside world that Mazda's product logic has never been to follow the trend; it has the courage to embrace China's new energy, and also the persistence on classic fuel cars. Leveraging this Chongqing International Auto Show moment, Changan Mazda simultaneously launched the 618 Mid-Year Promotion. Until June 30, consumers purchasing vehicles can enjoy up to 20,000 yuan National Trade-in Subsidy, combined with 17,000 yuan Manufacturer Subsidy Replacement Subsidy. Purchasing designated models also gifts a worth 7,999 yuan Exclusive Set (containing original factory charging pile, LLumar solar film, TPE floor mats, and trunk mats), and offers a 0 down payment, 5-year low-interest plan, with an annualized rate of 1.99%. Additionally, it gifts a worth 7,999 yuan Lifetime Zero Fuel Benefit, and the test drive gold foil giveaway event is still continuing.