Mazda’s CX-6e just got a major tech update in the form of a new LiDAR suite that makes the sporty electric SUV capable of delivering “advanced L2” autonomy, navigation on autopilot (NOA), and automated parking.
The second new EV to roll out of Mazda’s partnership with Chinese domestic brand Changan Auto, the CX-6e is the JV’s first “global” product, having rolled out in Asian, European, and other markets earlier this year – offering a rear-mounted electric motor, packing 190 kW (258 hp) and 214 lb-ft of torque for the sort of zoom-zoom driving dynamics that Mazda customers have come to expect, a 77.94 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery reportedly good for up to 600 km (~375 mi) of range, and a suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
But that was then. This, as they say, is now.
Level up
Changan Mazda says the new, Li-DAR-equipped EZ-60 Laser Edition update isn’t about “just” piling on sensors, but rather using them to make better driving decisions than what’s possible with cameras alone. To that end, the Mazda’s LiDAR works in concert with 11 high-definition visual cameras, 12 ultrasonic radar sensors, and three more millimeter-wave radar sensors to provide “full-domain” perception for both highway and urban navigation that can respond to cars, bikes, and pedestrians (even when visibility isn’t perfect).
All that incoming data gets fed to the vehicle’s onboard computers, giving them plenty of great information to work with as they make decisions that, according to Mazda, feel more natural than other systems.
In highway scenarios, (the system) offers functions such as highway lane change assist, highway obstacle avoidance assist, ramp entry and exit assist, and service area entry and exit assist across the entire speed range of 0-130km/h. It can autonomously make driving decisions based on navigation, ensuring reasonable lane change timing and smooth ramp merging. In urban scenarios, relying on Tencent’s lane-level navigation and end-to-end technical architecture, it can easily handle complex road conditions such as cutting in, construction detours, and narrow road passages. The new car will also be equipped with a class-exclusive “follow-up tour” function via OTA, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost when driving in a group.
In terms of AEB active braking, the new car focuses on high-frequency risk scenarios in daily life: it can stop at speeds up to 110 km/h for stationary objects in front, stop at speeds up to 90 km/h for pedestrians in the longitudinal direction, brake in time for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road within 60 km/h, and effectively deal with “ghost pedestrians” and vehicles crossing the road within 50 km/h, and achieve “AEB & AES braking and yielding in one” – if you can’t stop, it will simultaneously help you steer and avoid the obstacle.
CHANGANG MAZDA
via Google Translate
The company says it put its new L2 driver-assistance system through a series of government-sanctioned safety tests, including 11 high-risk real-world scenarios ranging from narrow mountain roads to rainy-night highway driving. The EZ-60 Laser Edition completed the challenges and received a TOP Intelligence Intelligent Safety Challenge certificate from CATARC.
That “NOA” designation aligns with the “Tesla Assisted Driving” moniker that accompanies Chinese-market Teslas offered with what’s sold as “Full Self Driving” in the US, but since the CX-6e isn’t (yet) sold in the US, that’s probably a moot point.
You can let us know what you think of the new, tech-centric, laser-blasting, rear-wheel drive, all-electric Mazda SUV that would absolutely sell like cocaine-dusted hotcakes if they ever decided to bring it to the US in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Changan Mazda, via SINA.
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