Mazda’s last EV effort in the United States was short-lived and quite unimpressive. The 100-mile MX-30 crossover was very quirky and couldn’t quite offer the kind of driving range expected in the U.S., so it was discontinued after just 600 units reached customers in California.

But despite the lackluster performance stateside, Mazda’s electric portfolio is in full swing overseas, with some help from its Chinese partner Changan. The Japanese automaker, known for the fun-to-drive Miata, recently debuted its latest all-electric crossover in Australia, and it comes with an unexpected and unfiltered feature.

The CX-6e, which is roughly the same size as the Tesla Model Y, is a rather handsome machine, but as car journalists in Australia very quickly found out, its standout feature is that it can shout at pedestrians and other road users through its external speaker while driving.

The functionality has been carried over from the Chinese market, where the technically similar Deepal S07 is sold, and the reasons for its existence are likely well-intentioned. Through the “External Announcement” feature, drivers can select prerecorded messages like “Hey, buddy, I’m here,” or “Please look up and focus on the road, stay safe.”

That’s all expected and quite tame, but custom messages can also be written on the massive, 26.45-inch display, and nothing will stop the driver from putting in anything they want, including profanities. It can be quite fun, to be honest, and a future software update will probably fix this little mess.

Until that happens, the Mazda CX-6e can make quite an entrance when going into the supermarket parking lot or when you’re passing by your neighbors.

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