Cavan C1 vs Mazda 6E

What's the difference?

The deliberately simplistic styling, sometimes weird cabin ergonomics and slavish devotion to pulling dollars from the end result make us wonder if the Cavan C1 doesn’t represent some kind of a revival of the white-versus-blue-collar occupational class system.

Socio-economic aspects aside, this would be okay if the C1 did everything as well as its peers. But it doesn’t. It does, however, get enough things right and enough things covered off adequately to be a viable tool for a business in the last-mile delivery industry or some other version of the courier game.

But it won’t be as easy to use as some offerings, nor will it be as comfortable over an eight-hour shift. And the way the driver-assistance features are calibrated means the Cavan will very possibly start to wear thin by about morning-tea time. This may bother its operators somewhat. But some fleet managers and CFOs? Not a bit. Which is where the return to that us-and-them thing comes into it.

A metaphor for the planet right now? Perhaps.

Mazda never had high hopes for the MX-30, it was always intended as a niche offering, but that is not the case with the 6e. The company is keeping its expectations in check, with sales of EVs seemingly returning to pre-oil crisis levels, but clearly there is a hope that this new-generation EV can help it catch up in the electric car race.

Certainly there is a lot to like with the 6e, starting with the price. It’s a cheaper alternative to both the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3, so it starts strongly and then builds on that with the kind of design and driving experience we expect from Mazda.

There are definitely elements that need improvement, primarily the active safety calibration, but overall Mazda’s second electric car has a much better chance of success.

Given the similarities between the two, the cheaper price of the GT makes it the pick of the pair.

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