Engineering boss dampens excitement for rear-wheel-drive Mazda 6

A senior engineer has downplayed the upcoming Mazda 6 – a model rumoured to be coming with a six-cylinder engine powering the rear wheels, its first such vehicle since the Mazda 929 of 1997.

Mazda's engineering and development lead in Europe, Joachim Kunz, was quoted as saying the company’s focus is on SUVs, suggesting the Mazda 6 could be on the backburner for the time being.

“It would be very nice… to have the [rear-wheel-drive] concept and six-cylinder engine for a Mazda 6 successor or a large sports coupe,” Kunz said in the March edition of the UK’s Autocar magazine.

“We would love to have it, but at this point in time, it’s most important to sell SUVs.”

The engineering boss stopped short of saying the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) Mazda 6 was dead entirely, appearing to want to keep the spotlight on the carmaker’s revitalised portfolio of SUVs.

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In October 2021, reports from Japan suggested the six-cylinder RWD Mazda 6 would be unveiled in 2022. However, given the ongoing supply-chain issues being felt across the automotive industry, it’s possible Mazda has delayed the model in order to shore up parts for its SUV line-up.

“The SUV trend is continuing, and even more for Mazda. It’s what’s selling best,” Kunz said.

Mazda has confirmed a six-cylinder RWD platform is on the way, with the recently-unveiled CX-60 to debut the company’s ‘Large Architecture’ platform with a choice of either a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine or a 3.3-litre turbo-diesel six, as well as a plug-in hybrid four-cylinder.