Mazda 6 to continue in Australia, axed in Japan

January 23: Mazda 6 axed in Japan, but production to continue for Australia

The Mazda 6 will be discontinued in Japan but will continue to be available in Australia and other markets.

In a media release, Mazda Japan confirmed the Mazda 6 sedan and wagon will no longer be sold in the Japanese domestic market, with production scheduled to end in mid-April 2024.

"Successive Atenzas and Mazda6s have been loved by many customers for a long time, with a cumulative total of 226,437 units sold in Japan," said Mazda's head of domestic sales Kazuyoshi Todo.

"The CX series of wagons will take over this role, and we will continue to deliver a lively experience to our customers through driving pleasure that is in tune with the times."

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However, Mazda Australia has confirmed production of the Mazda 6 will continue for export markets at the brand's Hofu factory in Japan.

"We will continue to build Mazda6 in Japan for Australia and some other markets. This also remains unchanged for its local assembly in Vietnam," said a brand spokesperson.

In addition to Australia, the Japanese-built Mazda 6 is also sold in New Zealand, some Southeast Asian countries, and the Middle East.

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It remains unclear how long the Mazda 6 will continue to be produced in Japan for export markets, with no successor planned to replace the 12-year-old third-generation model.

The decision to axe the Mazda 6 in Japan follows its Toyota Camry rival, which ended sales for Japan in 2023 but continues to be produced there for export markets, including Australia.

Our earlier story, below, continues unchanged.

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January 18: Mazda 6 production reportedly ending, cloudy future for Australia

The future of the Mazda 6 sedan and wagon is uncertain, with an overseas report claiming that Japanese production will soon end.

Japanese newspaper Chungoku Shimbum [↗] – based in Hiroshima, where Mazda is headquartered – claims that the 12-year-old Mazda 6 medium car will end production at the brand’s Hofu Plant between March and May 2024.

The publication reports that production will continue at other factories outside of Japan, however, Creative Trend [↗] states Mazda 6 production also concluded in China at the end of 2023.

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The Australian-market Mazda 6 is sourced from the Hofu factory in Japan.

Mazda's local arm has previously said it will only be able to sell the Mazda 6 "as long as it's offered from Japan", leaving a uncertain future for the 22-year-old nameplate.

A Mazda Australia spokesperson said the reports are “not what we (Mazda Corporation) have announced” and that future product plans for the Mazda 6 will be announced “at an appropriate later date”.

When asked about the future of the Mazda 6 in the brand’s local line-up, the spokesperson added that Mazda Australia cannot comment on speculation.

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Chungoku Shimbum reports the decision is due to increased SUV sales, with models such as the CX-30 and CX-5 between five and 10 times more popular than the Mazda 6.

The Mazda 6 was deleted from the brand's North American range in 2021 – alongside the CX-3 – to focus on better-selling vehicles, including the CX-30, CX-5 and CX-50 SUVs.

The United Kingdom followed in January 2023, with no direct replacement planned.

“[The Mazda] 6 has been part of the portfolio now for a long time [and] as long as it's offered from Japan, we'll continue to offer it here,” said Mazda Australia’s marketing boss Alastair Doak at the media launch of the Mazda 6 20th Anniversary special in May 2023.

“We have a loyal group of customers who still want to drive sedans, or wagons for that matter, and we’ll continue to offer it in our portfolio.”

“As a business strategy, it's our goal to offer choice to Australian consumers, so the default position is if it's manufactured by Mazda Corporation, there has to be a really good reason for us not to take it,” added Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi.

Mazda says around 25 per cent of new Mazda 6 buyers upgrade from an older model – while 40 per cent of buyers have owned another Mazda.

VFACTS new-car sales data reveals 1528 examples of the Mazda 6 were sold in Australia in 2023, making it one of the slowest-selling vehicles in the Mazda line-up, behind only the now-discontinued MX-30 (580), the CX-90 SUV that arrived in mid-2023 (603), and the MX-5 sports car (653).

In the medium car segment, the Mazda 6 was outsold by the electric Tesla Model 3 (17,347), the Toyota Camry (10,581), the BMW 3 Series (3147), the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2625), the electric Polestar 2 (2463), and the Lexus ES (1727).