At yesterday’s financial update briefing by Mazda Motor Corporation for the second quarter of financial year ending March 2021, Mazda gave a sneak preview of its upcoming inline 6-cylinder engine, which is rumoured to make its world debut in the all-new 2022 Mazda 6.
News of Mazda developing a new inline 6-cylinder engine is not new, as it was first announced in May 2019.
Yesterday’s announcement however, recapped Mazda’s to produce a front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) large size Mazda model within the next 2 years, and was accompanied by cylinder heads of the straight-six engine block.
Mazda says the new engine FR architecture product (rumoured to be the next generation Mazda 6) will be offered in both regular SkyActiv-G petrol and SkyActiv-D diesel, as well as the lean burn, supercharged SkyActiv-X petrol.
An all-wheel drive option will also be offered.
To keep CO2 emissions low enough to comply with the new set of emission regulations in Europe that will be phased in starting 2021, the new engine will come with either a 48V mild hybrid setup, or a plug-in hybrid.
Alternative powertrain electrification options including using the compact rotary engine is also mentioned, but details are lacking. The rotary engine referred to here will most likely be used as a range-extender engine to charge the batteries or drive the electric motor, rather than driving the wheels directly.
Speaking of electric motors, Mazda also announced that it will be developing an exclusive platform dedicated to battery electric vehicles. This is planned for post-2022.
As a lower volume manufacturer that produces just slightly over 1.4 million cars a year, it is quite unlikely that Mazda developed the 6-cylinder engine only for itself.
Toyota is rumoured to be waiting in in line to use the new straight-6 engine for its Lexus IS, which as a stop-gap measure, is currently powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder and a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 carried over from the previous model.