Car horns have handled the job of expressing frustration for decades, usually with a little help from hand gestures and some choice words behind the windshield. Mazda’s latest electric SUV has found a far more technologically advanced way to get the message across.
The new CX-6e has landed in Australia carrying plenty of the gadgets expected from a modern Chinese-built EV. One feature, however, could make its massive 26.45-inch touchscreen the least interesting piece of technology inside.
As News.com.au discovered while testing the SUV, drivers can make the Mazda talk to people outside the car. What it says is largely up to whoever is sitting behind the wheel.
That includes messages Mazda probably never imagined appearing in the owner’s manual. Apparently, the system isn’t particularly bothered by profanity either.
The CX-6e Is Basically A Rolling Megaphone
Mazda calls the feature “External Announcement,” and it uses a speaker at the front of the vehicle to communicate with pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. Several polite prerecorded messages are available, including warnings encouraging distracted pedestrians to look up from their phones.
Drivers can also type their own phrases through the dashboard and save them as shortcuts. In true Aussie fashion, the news outlet tested that freedom with several decidedly less polite messages and found the system happily read them aloud.
There appears to be little stopping owners from turning their CX-6e into an electronic road-rage assistant. The feature quickly attracted attention online after footage showed the Mazda shouting Australian-flavored insults on command.
There’s A Chinese Connection
Such a feature feels unusual for Mazda, and there’s a reason for that. The CX-6e is produced in China through Mazda’s partnership with Changan, which also manufactures the related Mazda 6e electric sedan.
The SUV combines Mazda styling with Chinese-developed electric hardware and software, bringing features that aren’t normally associated with the Japanese brand. External speakers are hardly unique to Chinese EVs, though allowing drivers to type custom announcements gives this implementation a particularly entertaining twist.
The original intention is much less confrontational. A loudspeaker can help drivers warn pedestrians, announce their arrival, or communicate in situations where a horn isn’t particularly useful.
Swearing Could Get Expensive
Australian drivers tempted to get creative may want to exercise some restraint, as offensive language in public can attract fines depending on the state and circumstances.
Western Australia can impose particularly steep penalties in serious cases, while using the system to threaten or intimidate someone could create much bigger legal problems. Suddenly, leaning on the horn doesn’t seem quite so primitive.
EVs are often criticized for lacking sound and personality, but the CX-6e certainly has a voice — and it’s not always polite!