Rear-Wheel-Drive Mazda 6 Coming Sooner Than Expected

We were sad to see the Mazda 6discontinued in the USfor 2022, but its long-awaited replacement could be just around the corner. For years, there were been rumors that the Mazda 6 will switch to a new rear-wheel-drive platform and gain new inline-six engines. These rumors havenow been confirmed, leaving us waiting with bated breath to see the final product.

According to a new report by Japan'sSpyder 7,期待已久的后轮驱动Mazda 6will finally arrive in the first half of 2022 in Japan, though a US launch has not been confirmed yet. As expected, the new Mazda 6 will sport a radical new design inspired by the breathtakingly beautiful马自达愿景Coupe Concept.

Unveiled in 2017, the Mazda Vision Coupe Concept took the form of a sleek four-door coupe with a long hood and a short rear deck. However, whereas the Vision Coupe Concept had four seats, the new Mazda 6 will offer room for up to five occupants. According to the Japanese publication, the new Mazda 6 will gain a new "thin and sharp grille design" that will define the automaker's future design language as well as an H-shaped diffuser.

在引擎盖下,新马自达6将代表ortedly be offered with a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbo Skyactiv-X gasoline engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system generating around 350 hp. Mazda has even patentednew twin-turbocharger setupsusing an electric supercharger, which we have no doubt will be included in the new model.

A diesel variant of the six-cylinder Skyactiv-X engine is also planned. For the first time in its model history, the Mazda 6 will also be offered as a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric variant will reportedly join the lineup later in the model's lifecycle.

Mazda will reportedly start producing itsnew inline-six enginesearly next year, which would coincide with the launch of the new Mazda 6 in the first half of 2022. With improved performance, stunning looks, and a more luxurious cabin, the new Mazda 6 could be a formidable BMW fighter. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the next-generation Mazda 6 gets the green light for a US launch after it arrives in Japan in the first half of 2022.