'Close to zero' possibility Mazda EZ-6 will go to Japan but does that mean an Audi A5, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class crushing straight-six sedan and wagon is back on the cards? Report

Unveiled at this year’s Auto China motor show in Beijing, the Mazda EZ-6 is produced by Changan Mazda, as the name implies a joint-venture between Mazda and the Chinese state-owned automotive giant Changan.

Developed with the Chinese market as its primary focus, the mid-size sedan will be offered as a pure battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

At just over 4.9m long and close to 1.9m wide with a 2900mm wheelbase the EV-6 is around 35mm longer than the existing Mazda 6 sedan and almost identical to the latest Toyota Camry. 

It’s underpinned by a strut front, multi-link rear suspension with drive going to the rear wheels and was widely believed to be a likely replacement for the now 12-year old, third-generation Mazda 6.

In fact, CarsGuide has recently reported on pre-production versions of the car undergoing additional testing, tuning and validation ahead of an expected European market launch.

But reports out of Japan today point to the EZ-6 not being offered in the Japanese domestic market. According to insider sources tapped by BestCarWeb, "The possibility of introducing (EZ-6) in Japan is close to zero."

Render of the fourth-gen Mazda 6 sedan (image: BestCarWeb)

Which raises the possibility of a new Mazda6 sedan and wagon, likely based on Mazda’s ‘FR’ platform currently sitting under the CX-60 and CX-80 SUVs.

As BestCarWeb points out, reserving the FR chassis for SUVs only isn’t optimal from a financial point-of-view and a new rear- or all-wheel drive sedan/wagon series powered by the CX-60/80’s 3.3-litre inline-six turbo-petrol or turbo-diesel mild-hybrid engines, with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid also in the mechanical mix would be an appealing option. 

Does that mean the Audi A5, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class be worried about a premium-leaning straight-six sedan? Only time will tell.

Based on that rationale the BestCarWeb team has produced its vision for the gen-four Mazda 6.