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Rumors from earlier in the year proclaimed that SUVs had killed the anticipated revival of the Mazda6 sedan. Now, the project is said to be back on track––inline-six, rear-wheel drive, and all––and it's those same SUVs that have apparently helped to turn the lights back on, according to a recent report out of Japan.
When we last saw the 6, it was sent to the chopping block due to––you guessed it––shifts in demand to SUVs. But before its bemoaned death in 2021, the Mazda6 served as an attractive rival for the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. While it bested the latter two in the looks department, its front-wheel drive format wasn't quite as exotic as its upcoming, rear-drive replacement promises to be. Mazda had originally axed the 6 with the intention of reviving it later, but an insider from Mazda told a Japanese outlet in August that the rear-wheel drive architecture that was supposed to underpin the new 6 was "exclusive to SUVs." In other words, Mazda's plans for a hot RWD-style sedan were no more.
But wait, don't send Mazda an angry email just yet. You can actually thank them for shifting their efforts to crossovers. The recently-launched CX-90 three-row, along with the smaller CX-60 over in Europe, are bringing home the bills for the brand, and Japanese outlet Best Car believes that Mazda plans to use those profits for that reborn Mazda6. The source continues that the aforementioned SUVs don't cost much to make, and this leaves extra room for a niche product.
Interestingly, the Mazda6 is said to be geared towards the North American market despite its ravenous craving for SUVs, and will be based largely on the overseas CX-60 crossover. This means it will indeed have a lustworthy front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, and could offer the same 280-hp inline-four turbo and 340-hp inline-six turbo engines as what you'll find in the CX-60. Plug-in hybrid versions of these engines could also be on offer, again in the same fashion as its SUV counterpart.
Given the more upscale positioning for the new Mazda6, along with the ongoing shift upmarket for the brand as a whole, the new sedan will take aim at more sumptuous players from Lexus, Acura, and Genesis. However, we likely won't see it for a couple more years, as development could still be in its early stages. Until then, America should expect a CX-60 clone in the form of the CX-70, while Europe will receive the larger CX-90 but under the CX-80 name.
Image Credits: Mazda
Report
Oct 15, 2023
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Mazda's Successful SUVs Could Have Resurrected Plans For A New Mazda6
Plans for a new inline-six, rear-wheel drive sedan are once again underway at Mazda.
Rumors from earlier in the year proclaimed that SUVs had killed the anticipated revival of the Mazda6 sedan. Now, the project is said to be back on track––inline-six, rear-wheel drive, and all––and it's those same SUVs that have apparently helped to turn the lights back on, according to a recent report out of Japan.
When we last saw the 6, it was sent to the chopping block due to––you guessed it––shifts in demand to SUVs. But before its bemoaned death in 2021, the Mazda6 served as an attractive rival for the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. While it bested the latter two in the looks department, its front-wheel drive format wasn't quite as exotic as its upcoming, rear-drive replacement promises to be. Mazda had originally axed the 6 with the intention of reviving it later, but an insider from Mazda told a Japanese outlet in August that the rear-wheel drive architecture that was supposed to underpin the new 6 was "exclusive to SUVs." In other words, Mazda's plans for a hot RWD-style sedan were no more.
But wait, don't send Mazda an angry email just yet. You can actually thank them for shifting their efforts to crossovers. The recently-launched CX-90 three-row, along with the smaller CX-60 over in Europe, are bringing home the bills for the brand, and Japanese outlet Best Car believes that Mazda plans to use those profits for that reborn Mazda6. The source continues that the aforementioned SUVs don't cost much to make, and this leaves extra room for a niche product.
Interestingly, the Mazda6 is said to be geared towards the North American market despite its ravenous craving for SUVs, and will be based largely on the overseas CX-60 crossover. This means it will indeed have a lustworthy front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, and could offer the same 280-hp inline-four turbo and 340-hp inline-six turbo engines as what you'll find in the CX-60. Plug-in hybrid versions of these engines could also be on offer, again in the same fashion as its SUV counterpart.
Given the more upscale positioning for the new Mazda6, along with the ongoing shift upmarket for the brand as a whole, the new sedan will take aim at more sumptuous players from Lexus, Acura, and Genesis. However, we likely won't see it for a couple more years, as development could still be in its early stages. Until then, America should expect a CX-60 clone in the form of the CX-70, while Europe will receive the larger CX-90 but under the CX-80 name.
Image Credits: Mazda
