The Japan Mobility Show is right around the corner, and it sure seems like Mazda is going to tug at our heartstrings. Not with a new MX-5, not with a factory restomod, but with a concept that may or may not—in form—evoke a dream we’ve all had and the automaker’s hinted at. The official teaser photo shows a four-door fastback, possibly even a liftback, with a gunslit greenhouse, voluptuous quarter panels, and C-pillar for days. Mazda claims this concept is “representing the vision for future Mazda vehicles that symbolizes the company’s theme for the exhibition,” but enthusiasts are hoping for something more.
Given Mazda’s general concept car trends over the past 15 years, it’s easy to see why people expect this to be a preview of a specific model. After all, the Shinari and Takeri previewed the Mazda6, the Minagi previewed the CX-5, the Hazumi previewed the Mazda2, and the Kai previewed the current Mazda3. The internet’s expecting a preview of a rear-wheel-drive Mazda6, but there’s a chance the internet will be disappointed.
Way back in 2017, Mazda unveiled a gorgeous four-door concept car with classic rear-wheel-drive proportions. Huge dash-to-axle ratio, long hood, short deck. Sure, the Vision Coupe name for the show car was a bit of a misnomer, but it was the sort of thing that got everyone’s hopes up for a new Mazda6. At the time, Mazda’s family sedan was getting on four years old, so assuming a typical model cycle, a replacement should’ve been coming soon.
However, that replacement hasn’t happened yet. Indeed, the Mazda6 that initially went on sale for the 2014 model year wasn’t phased out in America until the end of the 2021 model year, and only discontinued it in Japan last year after a decade of production. While a range of crossovers from the rest-of-world CX-60 to the huge CX-90 have gone on sale with longitudinal underpinnings, the bottom falling out of the family sedan market seemed to dash all hopes of a rear-wheel-drive Mazda 6. Well, for a bit, at least.
Last year, Australian outlet Drive interviewed Mazda’s head of large products, and that interview renewed hope:
In addition [to CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90], if there are any possibilities then, of course, we would like to consider that as well,” Kohei Shibata, Mazda program manager of the CX-60, CX-80 and broader Large Product Group, told Drive through a translator.
“Personally, a FR [front-engined, rear-wheel drive] sedan would be a good dream for everyone.”
Of course, that’s an exceptionally vague, non-committal response, but why dangle that carrot in front of our noses? Why not just use the boilerplate media-trained response of not commenting on future products or plans? It would be cynical to view this use of hope as intentional, but if you look at the track record, you can see where the cynics are coming from.
Out of all the seriously long-running mainstream automakers, Mazda has banked the most on hope. Beyond murmurs of a RWD Mazda6, this sort of dance has been going on for a while. Remember when the third-generation Mazda2 in North American production spec was shown off at auto shows from Montreal to Chicago, then unceremoniously canned for just about every applicable market except Puerto Rico? How about that U.S.-spec diesel Mazda6 that never materialized? Oh, and don’t get me started on the rotary sports car revival hopes. All the concepts and patents and even offering a rotary engine as a range-extending generator in the MX-30, but yet, it’s been ages, and we don’t know where any of this is going. These are the sort of blows that make it hard to count on Mazda for future products, but the company’s also hard to rule out because it often does spectacular stuff.
Developing a brand new longitudinal architecture with a new straight-six and a new gearbox in the 2020s seems crazy, but it’s real. You can go down to your local dealer and buy a CX-70 or CX-90 that drives a heck of a lot better than most other large crossovers. Offering an affordable two-seat convertible sports car in 2025 is an anomaly, but Mazda makes it work. Even the premise of a rest-of-world rotary-generator-equipped EREV with coach doors and cork trim feels absurd, but it’s completely real. What’s more, none of the aforementioned promises amount to vaporware, chiefly because Mazda hasn’t asked consumers for deposits on them. But do the amazing cars that actually made it here make up for the stuff that’s been talked about but never happened? At this point, I’m not so sure.
On the Mazda stand at the Japan Mobility Show, we might be looking at an image of the future, or we might be looking at a future that will never materialize. The former would be amazing, but the latter would be heartbreaking. So, don’t read too far into the concept. Oh, and if Mazda’s reading this, when it comes to stuff like a new rotary sports car or a rear-wheel-drive sedan, do it or don’t, but don’t say maybe.
Top graphic image: Mazda
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First thought: That’s a very nice silhouette, but the visibility…early closed-canopy fighter aircraft are really beating modern cars bad, and those had people choosing to instead open the canopy and let freezing wind smash their face at over 100mph. The Razorback/Bubble Canopy slider should not be able to go this far left, and it looks terrifyingly possible there is no rear window on this concept.
To those content with rear visibility via camera: No rear window also probably means no liftback.
The only weird thing about the CX90 is the “base” model gets a de tuned engine. Why??? why even offer a base model if you just don’t want to sell people that. also Inline 6 engines are great but only 280 & 330 horsepower is fairly weak sauce for a TURBOCHARGED inline six in 2025.
Give us the BT-50
Funny cause we have every small pick-up truck under the sun here and the Mazda is the one I see the least. They must sell like 3 a year. It’s just not competitive with the others.
Given Mazda’s track record of building it’s rotary sports cars off of the piston engined platforms, could we be maybe in for a 6 sedan and an RX 9 as a way to amortize the cost of the sedan tooling? Or is it just my rotary fanboy self dreaming
Love my 10 year old Mazda 6, though mixed feelings about sealed transmission. Starting to make a bit of noise at 200K miles in.
I’m going to have my transmission unsealed around 100,000 miles. Transmission fluid is a wear item no matter what they say.
I am going to be blunt and say Mazda should absolutely positively not build this show car or any 4 door sedan. Mazda is a tiny company and needs to focus its resources very carefully if it wants to be around long term.
The most an enthusiast can hope is Mazda keeps pumping out the CX SUVs with good sales numbers. That is the only way they can continue to make the MX5 Miata. Any distraction and stretch from the current mix of cars is too much of a financial risk.
As a Miata owner and general Mazda fan…I think you’re right about them needing to mostly focus on the crossovers to keep them viable. Having said that, I’d still like to see them offer a proper (family-sized) wagon again. Wagons are getting more traction at the top end, but there’s a black hole on the affordable end of things, which is either a sign or a potential opportunity. A wagon would still be something practical to sell to the masses (a lowered crossover!), but with more sporting character to fit Mazda’s philosophy.
But yeah, please don’t waste your money on a 4 door sedan.
Also, please spend some of the money on offering more fun colors for the Miata.
All those previous disappointments Mazda got lost somewhere.
Sexy? Sure but I kinda’ like to be able to see out of the back.
Nothing is sexier than accidentally backing over your dog.
Maybe they’ll unveil a new RX.
As long as they keep making the mx-5 long enough for me to get one upon retirement, I’ll be happy to keep seeing their pretty ideas.
looks concept-y. I’ll get excited if looks closer to a prototype when unveiled.
They’re going to break our hearts again. Not sure if I can invest in drooling over another Mazda concept car only to never have it green lit for production.
Mazda is the biggest tease in the automotive world.
Eh, it’s an industry-wide issue. Cadillac has had some amazing concepts that have never come close to reality (Ciel, Sixteen, Escala, El Mirage), Buick had the Avenir and Avista, Nissan the IDx, on so on.
That is very true and those all were super cool concepts.
In general most concepts look amazing (obviously), but Mazda was a little different in that its concepts were stunning BUT also seemed shockingly production-ready, and being a Mazda, they probably wouldn’t have been some $200k unobtainium vehicle.
The sick Cadillac Sixteen was very cool but it was not particularly close to production-ready, and even if by some chance it was, you know it would have been a very expensive car.
The Nissan IDx looked totally fun, and probably would have been (fairly) cheap, but it wasn’t pure sex in terms of its styling like many of the Mazda designs are.
If they make a liftback sedan with their new-ish inline six I will put down a deposit tomorrow
Given the Toyota partnership, I could see a lot coming from a FR platform that supports a straight 6; new Mazda 6, new Lexus IS/RS, Supra.
Looks like a four-door Phantom Corsair.
Rust Heinz is calling Mazda. He wants royalties.
Mazda’s eternal struggle between what they want to make and the reality of the American market soldiers on. They’ve wisely put the bulk of their resources into crossovers, as much as we want to see them get back to making sports sedans.
This is really it. They have managed not to fall into the Nissan hole of making crappy transportation appliances while maintaining driving characteristics that make them worth considering as a middle option between utility brands and luxury brands.
Wait until car enthusiasts learn that concept cars are almost never bound for production and are just a way of previewing a future styling direction and giving designers a concrete example to draw inspiration from.
That’s not a C-Pillar, that’s a whole C-Wall.
The large C-pillar on the current gen 3 hatch is the only thing keeping me away from it. I hope this hypothetical 6 doesn’t have the same problem.
I’ve had lots of reasons why to avoid the Mazda3: the lack of headspace (I don’t fit), terrible clutch-feel (abysmal next to Honda/VW), and being relegated to the most basic engine, driveline & options when you want the manual on what is, arguably, a sport hatch.
But that red paint is gorgeous on the hatchback.
Same here. Wanted the hatch (I still think it’s the best-looking car currently on sale in the US) but the visibility and claustrophobic interior kept me away.
Yeah, but owning a Mazda seems kind of exhausting- all your friends and family members will be skeptical of your purchase and criticize you for it, until you take them all for a drive one by one so they understand. Who wants to go through all that? Seems tedious
Oh no an excuse to drive my Mazda, the horror!
I just find the ads perplexing, its like they want to convince us they have an image problem that they’re fixing, when they never had an issue in the first place. Cadillac spends 50 years trying to fix their image problem, Mazda is trying to gaslight everyone into thinking they have one, for some reason
I feel like the purchase of a new Mazda by most of the folks that hang out here would elicit sighs of relief from family and friends rather than any skepticism or criticism… Not a crowd renowned for sane/rational/logical/resonable/well-thought-out decisions where car ownership is concerned.
So, that cute little red hatchback is the third-gen Mazda 2 that we never got in the states (from Mazda) other than rebodied to be sold as the Scion iA, right? I assume so, but if I’m wrong someone will surely correct me. I drove (and really liked) the iA, disliking only the snout. As a hatchback, it’s even more appealing. Jeez, we really missed out not getting it here.
Mazda, listed closely, please. If you make this with the turbo-6 and back it up to a 6-Speed manual, I will buy one, I don’t even care what they cost. I will trade in my CX-30 Turbo, take out a loan, and give you the naming rights for my first-born child to buy one of these the second they hit showrooms. I will buy one new, I don’t care about things like “total cost of ownership” or “irresponsible loan terms” or anything else. I will do it. Please, let me ruin my life by buying one. Mazda please.
I’m jealous of you having a CX-30 Turbo. I’ve had a couple of Miatas, but nothing bigger yet, much to my chagrin. For all our sakes, I hope your kid does get to be named “Mazda, son of Alexk98.” 😉
It’s a ton of fun for what it is and what it costs, and I managed to custom-order/allocate the exact trim/spec I wanted! I used to have an NA, and my dad has an ND2 club, and both are absolutely more fun than the turbo 30, but it’s an awesome daily. My favorite quirk is it has tunes for both 87 and 93 octane from the factory, and I get about 32mpg highway either way, and the lower octane tune is only a 10 lb-ft loss (320 down to 310), so it’s barely noticeable for most driving. That said, for a stick straight 6 sedan that looks even like the concepts, I’d trade my 30 in in a heartbeat.
My conservative nature in my old(er) age has me preferring Mazda’s naturally aspirated 2.5 to the turbo version, if only for the theoretical less plumbing/longer life. Also, I’m never in a rush to get anywhere, so the slower 0-60MPH time would be moot to me. I like that the same engine(s) are used across Mazda’s entire legacy line-up, from the CX-30, through the CX-5, and up to the former CX-9. Not that the turbocharger would be a deal-breaker for me, if a good deal came my way.
Dear Alexk98,
That you for your note. We hear you loud and clear on your desire for a new crossover.
Sincerely,
All Automakers
Careful – they made the Mazda Bongo for decades. Boy or girl, that’s asking for wedgies.
As long as I don’t have to name my kid Laputa, I think I can manage! Unironically, Cosmo could be a sick name, but maybe middle not first, otherwise I’d have to get used to endless questions about Seinfeld.
You know… I would too.
And I’ve never said that about a new car either. I daily a Mazda 3 6-speed; it’s fun, but it is a small economy car and they only offered the manual on the smaller 2.0L.
I have my 911, which is amazing, but it’s hard to just relax and spend lots of time driving, or to justify daily driving, without worry.
I think I would sell both to buy a RWD 6-speed turbo-6 Mazda.