Mazda Plans To Save Its Six-Cylinder Engines. Here's How

Automakers, like people, have certain things they do well. Staying within that comfort zone can lead to greatness. Straying outside can get a bit awkward. Mazda excels at its Jinba-ittai philosophy, which, dispensing with the poetry, means producing intuitive, driver-focused combustion vehicles. When Mazda focuses on that, the brand works wonders. This leads to sports cars like the MX-5 Miata and crossovers like the CX-5 being at or near the best vehicles to drive in their segment.

Where things have been more awkward for Mazda is electrification. We've been hearing about Sustainable Zoom Zoom 2030 plans — yes, that's the name — for nearly a decade. But the brand is just dipping its toes into the market with hybrids and its now departed MX-30 EV, while stylish, offered a disappointing 100 miles of EV range.

Fortunately for Mazda enthusiasts, its future efforts are not all focused on electrification. Mazda has plans to keep its combustion engines in the lineup, including its buttery-smooth turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six.

We're expecting a new generation of Mazda's most popular-selling vehicle sometime this year.

Mazda's next-generation combustion engines, Skyactiv-Z, will offer "close to the ultimate combustion," which the brand defines as achieving high fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance. Mazda will use Skyactiv-Z technology in standalone combustion engines, hybrids and rotary engines, which it has been designing for range-extended EVs.

Mazda explicitly confirmed that Skyactiv-Z tech would go to inline-six engines in its large vehicle segment. The Mazda CX-90 and CX-70 offer Mazda's turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six that delivers 340 horsepower. Now that we know that the engine will get new life for a second generation, it's worth asking what models it could be used for.

Mazda discontinued the Mazda 6 sedan back in 2021. Rumors have been floating about a successor returning ever since. Spy shots show Mazda testing what may be an EV sedan successor. A Japanese report from BestCarWeb back in 2023 had Mazda developing a new "four-door coupe" for the North American market. That report specified the new sedan would be built on the CX-90s platform and offer the same PHEV and six-cylinder combustion engine options. It was supposed to arrive sometime after 2025.

Mazda has not confirmed that a new six-cylinder sedan is coming, though the idea feels more probable than the engine ending up in a next-generation Toyota Supra. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry ditching six-cylinder power may open up a large enough niche for a new Mazda to exploit.

Mazda is having record sales success. That has come from focusing on what the brand does well (driving dynamics, style, reliability) and not pivoting too hard to what it doesn't (efficiency). We'd all like more "sustainable zoom zoom." But Mazda needs to sell cars to pay for that future. So, it's not surprising to see Mazda keep building its successful six-cylinder SUVs while it can alongside them.

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