Here's Why The Mazda6 Was Discontinued
The Mazda6 was Mazda's midsize sedan, intended to compete with cars like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Hyundai Sonata. However, Mazda discontinued production of the Mazda6 at the end of the 2021 model year. The reason for this is the ongoing trend that has seen some manufacturers drop sedans from their lineups altogether. The continued rise of SUV and crossover sales, combined with a long-declining sedan segment, both combined cause a decline in sedans altogether. Ford dumped all of its sedans in the U.S. as of the 2020 model year, and GM will stop production of its last mainstream sedan — the Chevrolet Malibu — in November 2024, leaving only two Cadillac sedans.
The Mazda6 is also a victim of this trend. Mazda is a small manufacturer that does not have the luxury of keeping a poor-selling sedan in its portfolio, since most of today's customers are shopping for a taller vehicle with a higher seating position, and a greater perceived feeling of safety. Only 18,504 Mazda6 sedans sold in its final model year is proof positive that this was the right move.
Anyone who shops the Mazda product line now will find a total of five different SUVs (seven if you include PHEVs) to choose from, with only the Mazda3 sedan/hatchback and the MX-5 Miata sports car representing the car side of the ledger. Mazda has accepted this reality, and now has an appropriate lineup with which to compete in the marketplace.
What was the Mazda6's origin story?
The Mazda6 was originally known as the Mazda 626 (called "Capella" in its home market until 1991, then renamed "Cronos"). It was produced from 1979 until 2002. The 626 can trace its lineage all the way back to the 1970-78 Mazda 616/618/Capella, that was essentially a Mazda RX-2 with a piston engine instead of a rotary. The 626 switched from rear to front-wheel drive in the 1983 model year (not counting a few AWD versions that were built along the way), and retained that configuration until 2002.
That was when Mazda changed its model-naming convention for the 2003 model year, and the 626 was replaced by an all-new Mazda6. The Mazda6 retained a front-wheel drive platform until it was discontinued at the end of the 2021 model year. Three generations of the Mazda6 (named "Atenza" in Japan) followed, spanning the years 2003-08, 2009-13, and 2014-21.