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Mazda was reportedly working on an awesome new rear-wheel-drive performance sedan that would get a huge jump in power and replace the outgoing Mazda 6. That project was purportedly put on ice, with Mazda executives ruling out the proposed car. But Mazda may have reversed course. A rumor from Japanese outlet BestCarWeb claims the Mazda sedan project is back on again.
Here’s what we know so far.
The report says the CX-90 may have caused Mazda to reconsider
BestCarWeb says that Mazda’s more upmarket large SUV lineup — represented by the new three-row CX-90 SUV in America — has been performing better than anticipated. And that purportedly has inspired Mazda to revive plans for a similar, premium-adjacent sedan. The new model would be more of an Audi or BMW rival than a competitor for something like a Volkswagen Passat.
The Mazda 6 successor may get the same engine lineup as the CX-90
The report has Mazda giving the new performance sedan the same engine lineup as the CX-90. That would be a 3.3-liter inline-six that puts out up to 341 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque and a 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid that puts out 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque; a diesel would be available in other markets. Either would be a huge bump over the previous Mazda 6’s 227 horsepower turbocharged inline-four.
What will the new Mazda sedan look like?
BestCarWeb says the new Mazda sedan will have a swooping four-door coupé style body rather than a traditional three-box sedan look. The report also says Mazda will offer the sedan with options for a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout or all-wheel-drive. Don’t expect Mazda to revive the manual transmission.
When will the new Mazda sedan arrive?
According to BestCarWeb, the new Mazda sedan will arrive in 2025 at the earliest. And North America would be the target market for the vehicle, so it would definitely come to the United States.
Would a new Mazda sedan help it take on the likes of BMW and Audi?
The rumored outline of a Mazda 6 successor sounds incredible. Mazda is renowned for its tuning and driving dynamics. The new inline-six in the CX-90 is potent and buttery smooth. Mazda also does a great job with luxury-feeling interiors That should be the recipe for an excellent sport sedan and one that could challenge European competitors on price.
However, the sporty sedan market is far more brand-loyal than the three-row SUV market. Kia has had a runaway success with the world car of the year-winning Telluride three-row SUV. But the brand’s sedan equivalent, the sporty Stinger, struggled to find traction with buyers and has been shelved. Even if it’s really great, a Mazda 6 successor could still face tougher sledding than the CX-90.
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