SPY PICS: Is Mazda Australia testing an electric SUV?

Mazda Australia could be closer to launching an electric SUV than first thought, with new photographs captured by carsales in Melbourne this week showing a pair of Mazda 6e sedans being trailed closely by a white Deepal S05 evaluation vehicle.

Mazda shares a technical partnership with Chinese manufacturer Changan, which it paired up with to build the Mazda 6e, an electric sedan due on sale here in the second quarter of 2026.

Now, it appears as though the Japanese carmaker is testing the Deepal S05 Down Under, which could eventually be reskinned and sold here as the CX-6e – a name which Mazda filed a local trademark application for earlier this year.

Mazda has previously expressed interest in the EZ-60 electric SUV sold in China, however, it has so far been restricted by the fact it’s only built for left-hand drive markets.

The images captured by carsales show two camouflaged 6e sedans being trailed by a white Deepal S05 wearing NSW plates.

According to the Service NSW’s registration checker, the S05 is an ‘evaluation vehicle’ with several condition codes including ‘no compliance plate’ and a ‘registration restriction’.

Speaking to carsales last month following our first drive of the 6e sedan, Mazda CEO Vinesh Bhindi said the company was no closer to getting a right-hand drive electric SUV like the Mazda EZ-60 over the line.

“There’s a lot of people at Mazda Corporation and also in Europe who are looking at that [EZ-60] car,” he said.

“We are very keen and my colleagues in Japan are also very keen, but to manufacture a global car and a right-hand car is a big decision for Changan Mazda to make.”

“We’ve gotta have the components, we’ve got to have the right-hand drive, I suppose ADR-compliant – so there’s lot of hurdles to jump over.

“Currently it’s a car that’s made in China for China. There are two things that need to happen: One, Mazda Corporation need to declare that it’s available globally – so outside of China – and secondly, that there will be a right-hand drive version.”

“So, they are things that are currently being considered and a decision is more likely in Q1 or Q2 next year, but should those two milestones be achieved, then Australia will very quickly have a business case for Mazda Corporation to consider, because like many other markets, SUV is the preferred option for consumers [in Australia].”

When contacted by carsales regarding the sighting, a Mazda Australia spokesperson said: “Mazda Australia cannot comment on future product plans, although we can confirm that the vehicles pictured are not associated with Mazda Australia testing.”

What exactly was going on then remains as clear as mud seeing as Mazda’s head office is in Melbourne while Deepal is part of Inchcape, which is based in Sydney.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au