Mazda has no intention to produce the next-generation Mazda6 sedan for Europe, Autoevolution reports quoting a statement Joachim Kunz, senior brand development manager of Mazda Europe, made in an interview with Autocar.
According to Kunz, the Japanese brand realizes that taking a large coupe or sedan and outfitting it with a six-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive system would be a good idea. However, as of right now, Mazda finds that crossovers and SUVs outsell four-door vehicles by a wide margin, so there will be no Mazda6 release in Europe.
Earlier on, Alastair Doak of Mazda Australia made a similar statement. He pointed out that traditional car types lose customers, forcing Mazda to focus more than ever on designing SUVs using its new RWD platform. This is the plan for the near future.
The CX-60 SUV that debuted at the beginning of the month was the first production vehicle to make use of the new architecture. It came powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric add-on joining efforts for 327 PS (322 hp / 240 kW), becoming the brand’s most powerful street-legal car in history. Later on, the same model will be offered with traditional ICE engines, specifically gasoline and diesel V6s. The manufacturer’s roadmap has three more SUVs planned for production on the same chassis.