The Mazda 6 is being indirectly replaced by the Mazda 6e/EZ-6 electric vehicle (EV) and range-extender electric vehicle (EREV) liftbacks, but reports of a six-cylinder successor persist.
“The sedan segment has shrunk but there are many fans,” Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro told Car & Driver.
“We’ve got a really beautiful concept. We already have this idea. We are able to install a six-cylinder, but marketability remains a concern.”
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Mazda CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90
Moro-san appears to be referring to Mazda’s new inline six-cylinder engines, as employed in its family of rear/all-wheel drive SUVs based on the Japanese carmaker’s Large Architecture: the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90.
Mazda has turbocharged 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, both with 48V mild-hybrid systems. The petrol engine produces up to 254kW of power and 500Nm of torque, while the diesel delivers up to 187kW and 550Nm.
There have been persistent rumours out of Japan since 2021 that this platform would also be employed by a Mazda 6 replacement, repositioned as more of a BMW 3 Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class alternative than as a rival to the Toyota Camry.
But Mazda poured cold water on the idea in 2023, when CX-90 program manager Mitsuru Wakiie told media via an interpreter: “All Mazda said was to provide a CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90. Just to provide four SUVs.”
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Mazda EZ-6
In 2024, Mazda described in its annual report the CX-80’s launch as “completing our four Large product lineup globally”.
However, there’s evidently still a desire within Mazda to launch a sedan based on the Large Architecture, even though the company has the new rear-wheel drive 6e/EZ-6 EV and EREV developed with its Chinese joint-venture partner Changan.
This is being rolled out in various global markets, with Mazda Australia having previously said it was interested in looking at a business case for the car.
Mazda Australia officially axed the Mazda 6 early in 2025, as it wasn’t compliant with an incoming Australian government regulation.
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Mazda 6
The current, third-generation Mazda 6 had debuted in Australia all the way back in 2012, and had already been axed in the US and Canada in 2021, in the UK in 2023, and in China and Japan in 2024. That left it available only in a handful of markets across Europe, Asia and Africa.
The number of offerings in the mid-size passenger car segment in Australia has continued to dwindle, with the Ford Mondeo, Kia Optima and Subaru Liberty retired in 2020, the Volkswagen Passat and Arteon in 2023, and the Peugeot 508 in 2024.
Most of those models, or their successors, live on in other markets, with the exception of the Liberty and Arteon.
SUVs have continued to grow in popularity globally, but there are still a handful of markets relatively friendly to mid-size cars, including China and South Korea.
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Nissan Skyline
A rear-drive, combustion-powered Mazda 6 successor could serve as not only a potentially more affordable rival to the likes of the 3 Series, but also a competitor for the aged Nissan Skyline (previously sold here as the Infiniti Q50) and Lexus IS in Japan.
The Skyline is living on borrowed time, while Lexus has yet to reveal a replacement for the now 12-year-old IS.
Outside of Toyota, which builds stalwart sedans like the Camry, Crown and Century, Japanese brands have generally been moving away from sedans.
Even Toyota offers far fewer than it used to, including in the Japanese market where sedans remain popular.
Nissan now offers just the Skyline in Japan after axing models like the Fuga, and though it still sells three sedans in markets like the US, two of these are rumoured to be on their way out while a planned electric model has been delayed indefinitely.
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Lexus IS
Honda has the Accord in Australia and continues to offer a Civic sedan in overseas markets, though it pulled the plug on its Legend flagship in 2021 after almost four decades.
Like Toyota and Nissan, Honda also has some unique sedan models for the Chinese market
Subaru’s latest Impreza is offered exclusively as a hatch, while production of the Legacy sedan ends this year. That leaves the WRX as Subaru’s last remaining sedan globally.
Mitsubishi has no sedans left globally, with production of its final remaining sedan – the Taiwanese Grand Lancer – ending in 2024. Daihatsu recently discontinued its Toyota Camry-based Altis, while rival Suzuki only sells a sedan in India.
Even Toyota’s luxury Lexus brand has fewer sedans than it did. While it still sells the ES and LS, as well as the IS outside of Australia, it pulled the plug on its BMW 5 Series-rivalling GS in 2020.
