Audi Q3 vs Mazda Cx-6E
What's the difference?

Audi Q3

$58,700 - $84,327

2026 price

View pricing & specs

Mazda Cx-6E

$53,990 - $57,990

2026 price

View pricing & specs

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mini Countryman

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Renault Megane E-Tech

Renault Scenic E-Tech

Summary

2026 Audi Q3

2026 Mazda Cx-6E

By Stephen Ottley

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.5L

Electric motor type

—

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Vehicle type

Battery Electric

Fuel Efficiency

5.8L/100km (combined)

Electric range

484 km

Energy consumption

18.9 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

78.00 kWh

Seating

Likes

Stylish, premium looks
Well-integrated technology
Good active safety calibration

Nicely executed design, inside and out
Sharp enough pricing to capture attention
Backseat space for days

Dislikes

No PHEV option (yet)
A few rattles in our test car
Small back seat

Digital wing mirrors are rubbish on all cars
Some flaws in the drive experience
Chinese manufacturing, but a very Japanese warranty

2026 Audi Q3 Summary

Replacing a popular model is fraught with danger. Existing customers will tell you they love it, while focus groups of non-customers will tell you why they hate it and sometimes carmakers get caught trying to appease both groups.

Sometimes they’ll make it too big or change too much in the search for more sales and ultimately end up removing the elements that made it popular in the first place.

Which is why Audi has been extra careful with some subtle evolution for this new-generation Q3 SUV and Sportback. This isn’t just a popular model for Audi Australia, it has been the best-selling model for the German brand for more than five years, so getting it wrong would be a disaster.

View full pricing & specs

2026 Mazda Cx-6E Summary

We know the story of Mazda’s sudden EV push already, but I’ll recap it quickly.

On one side, soaring fuel prices and helpful incentives combined to lure Aussie buyers into EVs in record numbers. But Mazda doesn’t really have any to sell. On the other side, tightening NVES (New Vehicle Efficiency Standard) regulations punish brands that aren’t using EVs to lower their fleet emissions. But Mazda doesn’t really have any to sell.

The answer lay not in Japan, but in China, where Mazda has been able to capitalise on its relationship with Changan to get new EVs on the road quickly. The first was the 6e sedan, and this is the second arrival, the CX-6e.

And yes, that means that under the skin of this undeniably sexy electric SUV it’s very similar to something from Deepal, but the brand insists it’s still very much a Mazda everywhere else.

And so with this, Mazda rides into the electric SUV fray. But how does it stack up?

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2026 Audi Q3 2026 Mazda Cx-6E

Verdict

So is this new Q3 good enough to remain Audi’s number one choice? In a word, yes.

Audi has resisted the temptation that some brands fall into by making too many changes to a proven sales performer. This new Q3 isn’t radically different from the old Q3, but it has improved in almost every way.

It isn’t different enough to widely expand its appeal to a new wave of customers, but there’s no reason it won’t remain Audi’s most popular choice for the foreseeable future.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Verdict

It might be the product of the brand's Chinese partnership, and in fact it might not even be a Mazda under the skin, but it definitely feels more like the Japanese brand than you might be expecting.

Does it feel quite enough like a Mazda? That's going to be up to you. But it certainly looks the part, inside and out.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Audi Q3 vs Mazda Cx-6E What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi Q3 vs Mazda Cx-6E
What's the difference?