Mazda Australia say the current-generation Mazda6 will be soldiering on without an all-new rear-drive replacement, saying its SUV range is, and will continue to be, its core priority.
The medium-sedan segment is shrinking in Australia – and around the world – with the Ford Mondeo, the Holden ZB Commodore, the Kia Optima and the Subaru Liberty among the models that have hit the scrap heap in a falling segment over the past few years.
But while the Mazda6 is unlikely to be replaced anytime soon, it will power on in Australia, with updates to the current-gen car planned.
"As a priority, if you look at the volume of the Mazda6 versus the CX-5, where would you put it? It's a pretty easy conversation," says Mazda Australia's marketing director, Alastair Doak.
"We can rememberer the heady days of the original Mazda6, which was doing up to 1600 (sales) a month, we’re now doing a coupled of hundred a month.
"I think the market is telling us they want more SUVs and other things, and we'll continue with that. But the current Mazda6 will continue, and there are some updates coming to it, and it will continue in our line-up."
The Mazda6 had long been rumoured to welcome an all-new model, with credible Japanese reports suggesting it would adopt Mazda's new large-vehicle architecture, with rear-wheel-drive formats and thumping new inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
But it appears the brand has gone cold on the idea – despite unveiling the stunning Vision Coupe concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2017 – with Mazda's European product engineering chief telling UK media that "it's most important to sell SUVs".
"This SUV trend is continuing. And even more for Mazda. It's what's selling best," he said.
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