According to Which Car, the Japanese automaker decided against producing and selling performance vehicles under its MPG badge or Mazdaspeed sub-brand: there is simply no need for it anymore, the source claims.
Alastair Doak, a representative of Mazda Australia, opined that speed and handling enthusiasts would find all they needed in the recently introduced RWD platform that Mazda was going to use for its electrified cars. The new architecture should help the company achieve a new level of performance in its vehicles, although all details remain to be revealed at this time.
Neither the Australian nor the U.S. branch of the company gave any further comment. What we know at this point is that the new tech platform has a classic layout and supports inline-six engines – gasoline and diesel – as well as hybrid systems.
The recently introduced Mazda CX-60 SUV is the first production vehicle to take advantage of it. It comes powered by a 2.5-liter four-pot and a single electric motor, which combine efforts for 327 PS (322 hp / 240 kW) total and let the car hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.8 seconds. Six-cylinder versions are set to arrive later.
In other recent news, the company confirmed that there would be no new Mazda6 in Europe. The alleged successor to the old Mazda6 was rumored to be in development based on the new RWD platform mentioned above. Sourced had claimed it would rival BMW and Mercedes-Benz offerings. In reality, however, the only Mazda6 in Europe is ten years old and looks like it may not leave us a successor.