Why There Won’t be a 2022 Mazda 6
In 1996, there was a sports utility vehicles (SUVs) craze. The trend resulted in the SUVs outselling regular passenger vehicles three years later. In 2015, SUVs outsold sedans for the first time, and since then, the market for sedans has been on a downward spiral. People are now in need of more cargo space and more room for their families. As a result of the shift to SUVs, many companies have discontinued sedans in the last five years, and Mazda is joining the list. Mazda 6 for the 2022 model year will no longer be manufactured, and you probably are wondering why the decision. It is about the struggle to maintain market share despite the competition, and here is all you need to know about the future of the 2022 Mazda 6.
Dead But Might Be Resurrected
On May 21, 2021, Motor Trend published that Mazda had announced the discontinuation of two vehicles – the Mazda 6 and the CX-3 – for the 2022 model year. The company explained that they had axed the cars due to the evolution of consumer interests which Motor Trend decoded as SUVs overtaking the sedans in the market. The evidence was how Mazda CX-5 was doing much better in the market; for every Mazda 6, the company sold nine CX-5s.
All the same, the writing was on the wall for the last five years, and Mazda probably knew it was only a matter of time before it buried Mazda 6. In 2016, the Mazda 6 Club communit discussed their observations regarding the declining sales of the vehicle. One person wondered what was going on with Mazda 6. In the past few months, the vehicle’s sales had dropped significantly and some argued that it was due to the impending elections. Another noted that some vehicles were doing quite well, even in the light of the looming elections. The bottom line is that they all agreed that Mazda 6 is one of the best sedans, and seeing it lose the battle against SUVs was sad. So it was a bit puzzling to watch its sales being dwarfed by the Honda Accord. The Mazda 6 Club community had every right to be concerned because while in 2015 the vehicle moved 57,898 units, in 2019, the sales had reduced to 21,524 units. The pandemic then struck, and sales continued on a downward slope because, in 2020, the units sold were 16,204. The slight increase to 18,504 units sold in 2021 was not enough to delay the decision to stop the production of the Mazda 6. Still, one person remarked that maybe Mazda could redesign the vehicle completely in 2017. It appears that the company was thinking the same because, in 2017, sources informed the public that Mazda would switch a future generation of Mazda 6 to RWD (rear-wheel drive). Changing to RWD would be in an attempt to make the sedan more appealing to the consumer. However, the timing of the proposed premium appearance was still unclear, and some speculated that the RWD would arrive in the market in 2025.
What Does the Future Hold for Mazda 6?
According to Motor Biscuit, discontinuing the Mazda 6 meant that the US only has two Mazda non-SUV vehicles, and only the Mazda 3 remains as a sedan. Perhaps the only reason that Mazda 3 is not being axed together with Mazda 6 is that it has continued outselling the latter in the last 15 years. However, it might also follow Mazda 6 to the graveyard as American consumers continue shifting from sedans to SUVs. The rumors circulating that Mazda 6 is not being put to rest completely might be further fueled by the company’s reluctance to talk about what the future holds. Mazda’s spokesperson said the company could not divulge any details of its future products in 2021, making consumers wonder when the RDW will arrive. Some believed that the RWD Mazda 6 would be launched in March 2022. If it is true, and the Mazda 6 resurfaces with the inline 6 SkyActiv-X engine, it will be ready to compete with other sports sedans. It will be the first RWD Mazda sedan since the mid-1990s and might have to change its name not to confuse consumers seeing that even the next generation CX-5, CX-8, and CX-9 will all be renamed CX-50. Until the unveiling of the replacement, Mazda 6 lovers will have to rush for the remaining units. So far, only 256 units of Mazda 6 have been sold in 2022, and there is no telling how many are left. All the same, consumers still have a variety of options as Mazda plans to unveil five plug-in hybrids, fully-electric and hybrid models between 2022 and 2025.
Can You Buy a Discontinued Model?
With Mazda 6 being pushed out of the 2022 lineup, you might wonder if it is worth it to buy one. Carketa explains that most prospective buyers fear the lack of service parts of a discontinued model. Fortunately, auto manufacturers appreciate that most of their revenue comes from selling service parts. Therefore, even after axing a model, they continue making parts for years after taking the car off the market. That said, you should not be concerned about buying any of the remaining Mazda 6 models. You should, however, be careful before driving away with a discontinued car model. You might be lured by the room for negotiation that can land you a great buying price as car dealerships will be interested in offloading the models faster. It is advisable to be cautious; once a car is off the market, its value goes down quickly, meaning that the resale value may not be worth it. A car, like the Mazda 6, pulled off the market due to lack of popularity is likely to depreciate faster. All in all, it usually is a gamble when it comes to the resale value. Consumer preferences can also change with time, and when a car resurfaces, an older model is worth much more.
