It seems increasingly likely that the existing Mazda6 will become the final version of the model that’s long been dubbed ‘the face of Mazda’… but only as we know it.
Recent news suggests that the long-rumoured next-generation mid-size sedan based on the Large Product Group SUVs – with rear-drive as their basis and hybridised inline six-cylinder engine options in line with the imminent CX-60 – has been put on ice, as SUVs take on an added importance for Mazda’s moving forward.
But there’s good news for traditionalist and progressive fans alike of the Mazda6, because it seems Mazda is playing a long game with its long-lived icon.
Firstly, Mazda is likely to keep the existing 6/Atenza line-up going for a while longer, despite a reported stop-sale directive in Japan recently due to semi-conductor shortages, with the mid-size Toyota Camry and Honda Accord rival continuing its evolution.
These are expected to be along the lines of the subtle but effective changes it has received since debuting in Australia in December, 2012.
According to Mazda Australia marketing director, Alastair Doak – whose first big launch with the company as PR manager was with the GG Mazda6 original exactly 20 years ago in 2002 – there’s still life left in the current series.
“There is no end in sight for any of our models for the moment,” he told CarsGuide in Melbourne earlier this month. “They will continue on and will be updated as we go along.”
However, it is what’s further down the line that might interest buyers more, since Mazda is developing a range of new models to be built on its fresh Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture. Note the operative word on this EV platform is ‘scalable’.
Which leads to the second point: with the unprecedented global success of the Tesla Model 3, it seems that the Mazda6 might eventually morph into a slinky and sporty electric sedan (or liftback or even wagon), to take on a vehicle that is already in the history books as the most successful EV of all time.
No car company executive on the planet can ignore this fact, especially as the Model 3 is neither an SUV nor a crossover, flying in the face of conventional wisdom.
But don’t rush out to your local Mazda dealer with a deposit in hand just yet, because a 6-like EV from Hiroshima won’t happen overnight or even over the next couple of years. While a big player in Australia, Mazda remains a comparative minnow globally, and so is in survival mode, driven by a North American expansionist itch of epic proportions.
Or, in other words, the brand is laser-focused on developing and releasing a brace of petrol, diesel and hybrid/electrification-ready SUVs in a range of shapes and sizes to a world clamouring for them right now, especially in the United States.
That said, there is still plenty of speculation – some from as recently as early August – that a high-riding liftback-style sedan crossover might even be one of them as well, with one report suggesting that a late 2022 unveiling is in the mix.
However, Mr Doak has poured cold water over these overseas reports, stating that the time is not right for Mazda to be investing in a shrinking passenger car segment.
“Mazda Corporation has announced the four (SUVs) – CXs 60, 70, 80 and 90,” he said. “And beyond that, looking at electrification, where’s the priority and which one would you choose with limited resources, what would be at the top of your list?
“The reality is that large sedan market globally isn’t strong, and doesn’t appear to change, so the answer to that is that it isn’t a priority. It would be nice, it would be fantastic, and something like the Vision Coupe on that architecture would be spectacularly brilliant.
“But you have to go where the demand is. You have to prioritise unfortunately, so no news is the answer at this point.
“You can never say never, can you? Tastes change, and whatever changes, you need to be nimble to react to the market.”
That’s a no/yes answer to keep Mazda6 enthusiasts in perpetual hope for the next few years, as Mazda busily sorts itself out with a total renewal of its core SUV model range. But the prospect of a Model 3 rival somewhere in the future is a very intriguing prospect indeed.
Watch this space.
Keyword: Presenting the Electric Six: Mazda 6 replacement likely to become an electric car rival for Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2