Despite an unattributed claim by a Japanese business newspaper earlier today, Mazda is not canceling its slow-selling 6 sedan. The company confirmed to Car and Driver that “there is no intention to discontinue” the model. This is consistent with what we were told during a recent conversation with Mazda’s U.S. CEO Jim O’Sullivan, who indicated that the present generation of 6 would be around for the next several years.
At the same time, O’Sullivan told us not to expect any major changes for the 6 in the next two years beyond the introduction of the company’s new four-cylinder SKYACTIV engine and transmissions. A diesel is not planned for the 6 at this time, although one is headed to another Mazda product (we suspect it’s the CX-5 or CX-9) in the next 18 months.
It is possible, however, that the Mazda 6 will no longer be built at the company’s Flat Rock, Michigan, facility. The factory is shared with Ford, and it’s possible Mazda could eventually move production of the 6 to Mexico to take advantage of less-expensive labor there. Ford recently claimed that it pays $8/hour more for labor at its UAW facilities—including the AAI plant where the 6 is built—than it does in non-union factories. That said, Mazda has not given any indication that this is going to happen.
by blog.caranddriver.com
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