The 2017 Vision Coupe concept you see here will lend design hints to the next-gen Mazda 6.
The Mazda 6 has always been one of the best looking, sharpest handling sedans in the U.S. So with a new model on the way for 2023, you’d expect much of the same. Right? Wrong. The Hiroshima-based carmaker has announced that it plans to make one of the most radical about-faces seen in the auto industry in a long time.
The next-generation 6 will switch from a front-wheel drive platform to a rear-wheel drive chassis, and in so doing, take on some of the big hitters in this segment including the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes Benz C-Class.
Styling-wise the 6 will inherit much of the same sleek, clean lines from its predecessor but accentuate those styling traits by incorporating proportions seen on the gorgeous long-nosed Mazda Vision Coupe concept that debuted at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. When this four-door ‘coupe’ was first revealed, Mazda referred to it as a mere next-generation design study vehicle with no reference to any production vehicle. We can now see that this concept had aspirations to influence a next-generation Mazda 6, and other models. Expect the new Mazda 6 to be heavily based on the lines and surfaces of the award-winning Vision Coupe.
As the popular Mazda 6 sedan moves upmarket, its so-called ‘large’ vehicle strategy will undergo a significant transformation, and not only in the rear-drive department. The 6 will also incorporate an extensive range of Mazda’s latest powertrains, including a 2.0-liter gasoline plug-in hybrid for Europe, while for the U.S., the firm will offer a turbocharged straight-6 gasoline engine, a 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid, a turbodiesel and the innovative Skyactiv-X spark-controlled compression ignition with a 48-volt hybrid system. More good news is that those drivetrains will be mated to a new 8-speed automatic transmission and optional i-Activ all-wheel drive system.
Mazda is a small-scale automaker when compared to the clout of its recent partner Toyota. Of late, Mazda has been strengthening its ties with Japan’s No 1 carmaker, with ventures including Mazda Toyota Manufacturing that makes the Corolla Cross in the U.S., as well as a new cost-cutting auto design alliance between Mazda, Toyota and Denso announced last year. While Mazda utilizes Toyota’s hybrid technology, we are hearing that Lexus may use Mazda’s Skyactiv technology in some of its upcoming cars.
The 6’s new rear-drive platform will appeal to those who love to drive. But what will impress many Mazda fans hoping to see the sedan’s handling improved even further, is the fact that the new 6 will employ a system called Kinematic Posture Control, first used on the MX-5 in Japan. KPC is a fancy name for a system that uses existing technology, but new algorithms, to apply brake pressure to the inside rear wheel while cornering to create a torque vectoring effect that helps the car to corner sharper and flatter. I’ve tried it on the face-lifted MX-5 in Japan and I can tell you it works surprisingly well, stabilizing the car in the corners, especially when you go in too hot or the surface is wet.
It’s not just the 6’s new rear-drive setup, engine range and enhanced handling that will tempt buyers. Given that Mazda’s interior design and quality is one-rank above that of Honda and Nissan rivals, and approaching that of BMW and Mercedes, this new 6 will definitely make waves when it launches by late 2022.
