Source | YuanAuto

A dark horse emerged when scrutinizing the new car sales data for September.

Based on the new car retail data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the Mazda EZ-60, a new energy SUV priced at approximately RMB 150,000 and available with both pure electric and extended-range powertrains, sold 5,103 units in September. This marks its second consecutive month as one of the top three best-selling electric vehicles in the joint venture segment. For context, from January to July this year, the Mazda EZ-60's retail sales fluctuated between 2,000 and 3,000 units.

Notably, the Mazda EZ-60 also witnessed a month-over-month retail sales increase of over 100% in September. With the sales surge of these two electric models, Changan Mazda's new energy vehicle retail sales reached 7,809 units in September, marking a third consecutive month of growth and achieving a new annual high, potentially setting a new record for the brand.

Such performance is impressive even when compared to the broader pool of Chinese brands. Within the Changan system alone, the Mazda EZ-60 outperformed five out of six models sold by Shenlan in August and September and outsold the entire Avatr lineup combined.

What sales strategy has Changan Mazda uncovered?

01 Big Gains from Export Channels?

Reviewing the recent developments of the Mazda EZ-60, the launch of its annual facelift on September 26 was a significant milestone. The new model featured minimal price adjustments, starting at RMB 119,900, with the most notable change being the addition of a variant equipped with LiDAR.

Neither the timing nor the product enhancements closely correlate with the sales growth of the Mazda EZ-60 in August and September. Beyond the introduction of the updated model, another key event was the Mazda EZ-60's expansion into Europe.

"The new vehicle will arrive at dealerships across Europe starting in August 2026."

According to the automaker's official website, the overseas version of the Mazda EZ-60, known as the CX-6e, made its debut at the Brussels Auto Show in January this year. It subsequently went on sale in European countries such as Germany and Austria, expanding to France, Spain, and Italy by August, with a UK launch planned by the end of this year. Additionally, reports indicate that the CX-6e received over 7,000 orders in its first two months of availability in Europe.

Notably, the CX-6e is priced starting at €46,800 in France and £42,990 in the UK, equivalent to over RMB 350,000.

While it remains unclear whether the recent surge in retail sales of the Mazda EZ-60 includes export volumes, it is certain that the vehicle's exports grew significantly in August and September, reaching 3,619 and 4,200 units, respectively. Furthermore, all European-market Mazda CX-6e models are produced at Changan Mazda's Nanjing plant.

Although not confirmed, various indicators suggest that Changan Mazda is gaining momentum in exports with the EZ-60/CX-6e. More critically, this may be just the beginning.

According to official plans, following its entry into the European market, the CX-6e will gradually expand into overseas markets such as Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand within 2026, with new car deliveries commencing. By 2027, the market expects the Mazda CX-6e to focus on Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

As the Mazda EZ-60/CX-6e expands into more overseas markets, it would not be surprising to see the vehicle maintain its current impressive sales figures or even surpass them. If this comes to fruition, Changan Mazda will have truly achieved significant success.

02 A Novel Approach for Joint Venture Electric Vehicles

If the scenario in 2025, where GAC Toyota and Dongfeng Nissan leveraged Chinese electric technology to produce electric vehicles with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units, represents a 1.0 solution for joint venture automakers, then Changan Mazda's current strategy could be considered version 1.1.

The distinction lies in Changan Mazda's more comprehensive preparation for expansion into markets outside China.

Take GAC Toyota's bZ4X series as an example. The bZ4X has consistently achieved monthly sales close to 10,000 units in China since its launch over a year ago. If exported to Southeast Asian markets, where Toyota holds a strong brand advantage, it is unlikely to struggle for orders.

However, to date, the bZ4X has only been exported to the Hong Kong market, while the bZ47 is sold exclusively in mainland China.

Of course, this may reflect Toyota's broader product strategy considerations, but some argue that GAC Toyota's two localized electric models prioritized domestic versions during early R&D and production stages. The bZ4X's export to Hong Kong served as a trial run to establish export processes, including right-hand drive adaptation, international certification, software compatibility, and sales channels.

In contrast, according to Changan Mazda, the EZ-60/CX-6e was planned for global export from the project's inception, with European, right-hand drive (Australia/New Zealand), and other regional variants developed simultaneously. Results show that the EZ-60/CX-6e entered European, Southeast Asian, and Australasian markets within about a year of its domestic launch, with Changan Mazda demonstrating greater efficiency than most joint venture competitors in this regard.

To some extent, Changan Mazda has pioneered a new path for joint venture automakers—even with modest domestic sales, electric vehicles with Chinese DNA can find markets overseas when branded with an international automaker's logo.

Returning to the Mazda EZ-60/CX-6e, leveraging its market positioning that once aimed to rival luxury brands, the vehicle has found buyers overseas at pricing close to that of the Tesla Model Y. Domestically, however, even at half the price of the Model Y, its sales remain lackluster.

It must be said that compared to Chinese brands, even relatively niche overseas brands like Mazda still hold an edge in brand appeal or recognition abroad. Building on this foundation to market electric vehicles with Chinese DNA naturally yields better results. If Changan Mazda can succeed, there is no reason other joint venture giants should not try as well.

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