Mazda Gives the EZ-60 a Lidar and Smart Autopilot: China Prices Start at $17,000

The Changan Mazda joint venture has brought an updated EZ-60 for the 2027 model year to the Chinese market. The main change is the addition of an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). For the Japanese brand, this is a forced but important step in the fight to survive in China’s hypercompetitive market, where smart features and powerful sensors have already become standard even in the budget segment.

It’s still too early to call the new system a full autopilot — it’s a Navigation-on-Autopilot-level assistant that requires the driver’s attention. According to CnEVPost, four new variants now have a Hesai ATX lidar mounted on the roof that can scan 200 meters ahead. Paired with three millimeter-wave radars, 11 HD cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors, the total obstacle detection range exceeds 250 meters.

Two Driving Modes and Smart Parking

The car’s electronics are built on an end-to-end neural network architecture and split into two main scenarios. On highways at speeds of up to 130 km/h, the EZ-60 can change lanes on its own, drive around slow traffic, enter interchanges and exit them.

The city mode works at speeds of up to 80 km/h. According to Xinhua, the system handles roundabouts, complex intersections, U-turns and safely driving around cars parked on the shoulder. The built-in parking assistant already recognizes more than 300 types of parking spaces, and the developers promise to add a feature that remembers a regular route (for example, in an underground parking garage) later via a wireless OTA update.

Electric or a Hybrid With a Generator

Buyers can choose between two technical platforms, both with rear-wheel drive and a 190-kilowatt electric motor (about 255 hp).

The fully electric version has a 77.94 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that provides up to 600 kilometers of range on China’s CLTC test cycle. The series hybrid (EREV) gets a lighter 31.73 kWh battery and a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that isn’t connected to the wheels and works solely as a generator. The hybrid can travel up to 200 kilometers on electric power alone.

Price War and Rising Sales

Autohome’s official configurator lists nine trim levels. Base prices range from 119,900 to 172,900 yuan ($17,800 to $25,600), and with temporary dealer discounts the starting threshold drops to 113,900 yuan ($16,900). Adding the lidar and smart autopilot increases the car’s price by exactly 12,000 yuan ($1,700) compared with an equivalent version without them.

The aggressive pricing is paying off, though it doesn’t make the EZ-60 an undisputed bestseller. CarNewsChina statistics show that the joint venture sold 4,532 cars in August. That’s a modest figure by China’s scale, but the trend is positive: sales of the model rose 55% compared with July. This proves that buyers are willing to purchase cars from traditional brands if they offer modern digital features at local Chinese prices.