Mazda developing staight-six engines

Looks like the I6 is delayed till 2023.

https://www.autonews.com/talk-top/m...0WTIUVNYxuQn6JoNTZ2R0s4lrduiqki9uuQOsw_n6SOGM

This interview has a lot of good information on Mazda and the future directions.

That was painful to read. I hope some meaning and nuance was lost in translation. The CEO really talks out of both sides of his mouth.

According to the CEO, Mazda isn't trying to be a luxury brand, they want to be a "high value" brand (...that charges luxury prices). They don't seem to have the product mix to pull this off. In the US, premium priced small cars have always been a tough sell. If gasoline goes back up to $4/gallon, maybe this works. By his own admission, they don't have any vehicles in the market segments that are growing right now (trucks and large SUVs). These are also the most profitable market segments and Mazda doesn't play there.

Most disappointing to me, the "large platform" is now delayed to 2023 and covers the CX-5 and larger. The current CX-9 is likely to be soldiering on for another 4-5 years, matching the run of the previous generation. When it gets replaced, it will be another smallish vehicle, considering it will share underpinnings with the CX-5.
 
That was painful to read. I hope some meaning and nuance was lost in translation. The CEO really talks out of both sides of his mouth.

According to the CEO, Mazda isn't trying to be a luxury brand, they want to be a "high value" brand (...that charges luxury prices). They don't seem to have the product mix to pull this off. In the US, premium priced small cars have always been a tough sell. If gasoline goes back up to $4/gallon, maybe this works. By his own admission, they don't have any vehicles in the market segments that are growing right now (trucks and large SUVs). These are also the most profitable market segments and Mazda doesn't play there.

Most disappointing to me, the "large platform" is now delayed to 2023 and covers the CX-5 and larger. The current CX-9 is likely to be soldiering on for another 4-5 years, matching the run of the previous generation. When it gets replaced, it will be another smallish vehicle, considering it will share underpinnings with the CX-5.

From those comments, I took it as they are not trying to be BMW but don't want to be the old cheap ass Mazda anymore. The need for premium gas for the Sky-X was news to me and would be a deal killer in the USA. Unless that is in a 2.5 or I6 format, I don't really see that engine ever coming to the USA.

When he talks about the Mazda 3 he states: " At the same time, we're going to add a powertrain option so we can lift the high-end even higher, to the level above $28,000 or so." I wonder what that is going o be? A 2.5T?

And on the new Alabama plant: "Will the new vehicle made in the upcoming Alabama plant be on the large platform?

No, it will be on the small platform."
 
Gah, these delays and whatnot are a real bummer. I'd like to see a Mazda with actual zoom to it. They drive and handle really well, but more power would really round out the performance in a meaningful way. I want to get back into a sporty sedan since my wife bought an SUV, but I need it to be faster than the Mazda 6 2.5T and ideally not be FWD. I get that FWD is fine in most situations, but having the rear wheels driven (whether it be RWD or AWD) is more fun, to me at least.

The lease on my CX-9 ends in the spring of 2021 and I have a feeling Mazda won't have anything out there for me, unfortunately. Not unless they bump the power for the Mazda 6 and start offering it wtih AWD, but there's nothing that points to that happening in time for me. :(
 
Gah, these delays and whatnot are a real bummer. I'd like to see a Mazda with actual zoom to it. They drive and handle really well, but more power would really round out the performance in a meaningful way. I want to get back into a sporty sedan since my wife bought an SUV, but I need it to be faster than the Mazda 6 2.5T and ideally not be FWD. I get that FWD is fine in most situations, but having the rear wheels driven (whether it be RWD or AWD) is more fun, to me at least.

The lease on my CX-9 ends in the spring of 2021 and I have a feeling Mazda won't have anything out there for me, unfortunately. Not unless they bump the power for the Mazda 6 and start offering it wtih AWD, but there's nothing that points to that happening in time for me. :(

I'd predict the next Mazda 6 will launch by the end of your lease. If it doesn't, Mazda would be stretching this gen an unprecedented length of time.

It's all but guaranteed that the new model gets AWD as the the Mazda 3 got it. The question of course is the engine. I have a 6 w/ the 2.5T and love it. I'm always launching it as it's so fun to do so. I can't see wishing for even more power without it landing me without a licence. 310 lb ft of torque in a mid-size sedan is pretty substantial. I've never even put premium fuel in it to get the full 250 hp.
 
Mazda should develop a mid-size truck to compete with the Honda Ridgeline ( great underrated vehicle with Honda's excellent AWD system) and the other mid size trucks that are selling like hot cakes. Yes the Ridgeline has been a tough sell here because people don't think it's a truck but I'm seeing more on the road and Mazda needs to expand their line-up and a TUV ( truck utility vehicle) is something they could easily do when they get this 6 cylinder motor out.
 
Mazda should develop a mid-size truck to compete with the Honda Ridgeline ( great underrated vehicle with Honda's excellent AWD system) and the other mid size trucks that are selling like hot cakes. Yes the Ridgeline has been a tough sell here because people don't think it's a truck but I'm seeing more on the road and Mazda needs to expand their line-up and a TUV ( truck utility vehicle) is something they could easily do when they get this 6 cylinder motor out.

One could argue that they Ridgeline is the best vehicle Honda makes and I love the concept. However, I don't think Mazda can develop a new platform like that. For example, Mazda put a lot of effort and money into making the CX-9 -a car originally just for the USA market and its sales have been pretty flat. My thinking is that they need to have a new platform that can be used for a large sized sedan and a three tow SUV.
 
One could argue that they Ridgeline is the best vehicle Honda makes and I love the concept. However, I don't think Mazda can develop a new platform like that. For example, Mazda put a lot of effort and money into making the CX-9 -a car originally just for the USA market and its sales have been pretty flat. My thinking is that they need to have a new platform that can be used for a large sized sedan and a three tow SUV.

I'd agree that Mazda corporate cannot be happy with CX-9 sales figures. The current generation sells about as well as the last one did. I know I read somewhere that their goal was 50,000/year and they sell about half that. Not good.

Long term, I see Mazda cozying up to Toyota even more to control costs. I just hope they can keep their "soul" intact while under Toyota's wing.
 
One could argue that they Ridgeline is the best vehicle Honda makes and I love the concept. However, I don't think Mazda can develop a new platform like that. For example, Mazda put a lot of effort and money into making the CX-9 -a car originally just for the USA market and its sales have been pretty flat. My thinking is that they need to have a new platform that can be used for a large sized sedan and a three tow SUV.


We own both a 2018 CX-9 AWD GT and a 2019 Honda Ridgeline AWD RTL-E. I love them both. CX-9 is mostly my wife car but I drive it whenever I can because I think its great. The Ridgeline I've had for 5 months and it has given me a great comparison between the turbo 4 banger and the old school Honda V6 engine as well as the very different AWD systems. The Ridgeline is one of the most practical, comfortable and decent fun to drive vehicles I've ever had and I've had a bunch. If it ends up being reliable like most Honda's it's tough to beat.

As much as I think the 2.5 turbo in the CX-9 is sufficient for that vehicle I do prefer the V6 in the Honda. The vehicles weigh about the same and the Ridgeline is basically a Pilot with a bed. The V6 feels like a stronger motor and the power delivery is much more linear and precise. It reacts more exactly to what your right foot is asking for. There is no guess work as to when or how the power comes on. Also a 6 speed auto in the Honda. It also never "gear hunts". The CX-9's turbo is plenty fun for what it is and I'd say the low end torque pull is a bit more than the Honda V6 but you can rev the crap out of that thing and when the V-tech kicks in at 5000-5000 rpms the CX-9 motor is tapped out. It's just a very different experience with similar gas mileage. Don't get me wrong I like them both a lot but I would say the CX-9 would be even better with Honda's V6 and their very good torque vectoring AWD system that is found on the Pilot, Passport and Acura's. It's always "on" and it never feels like a front wheel drive vehicle. I'd say the CX-9 feels tighter in the curves except when the power is on and then that Honda AWD/ rear wheel drive stuff happens and it gets you through a corner much better. I think that is why some of the reviewers like the Pilot so much.
 
I'd predict the next Mazda 6 will launch by the end of your lease. If it doesn't, Mazda would be stretching this gen an unprecedented length of time.

It's all but guaranteed that the new model gets AWD as the the Mazda 3 got it. The question of course is the engine. I have a 6 w/ the 2.5T and love it. I'm always launching it as it's so fun to do so. I can't see wishing for even more power without it landing me without a licence. 310 lb ft of torque in a mid-size sedan is pretty substantial. I've never even put premium fuel in it to get the full 250 hp.
As it relates to power, I was utterly spoiled by a BMW 335i xDrive. It had 300 hp/tq and that 50hp deficit has been surprisingly noticeable. That said, the CX-9 is also heavier and less aerodynamic, so that definitely makes a difference too.

I think the Mazda 6 with AWD and the 2.5T is amazing and it would definitely feel faster than the CX-9. I have no doubts that the 6 would satisfy my needs for a great handling vehicle, but overall power/speed is another matter that I'd just need to try first. BMW's xDrive is also a full-time AWD system as opposed to Mazda's (and others') that are more reactive and send power to the rear wheels only after the fronts of slipped. I know Mazda's works a bit more proactively at times too though.

That said, nothing will change the fact that an inline-6 sounds better than an inline-4, at least to me. When it comes to cars, I look at them more as an experience than an appliance, so less about getting from point A to point B and more about what it's like between them. To that end, the sounds it makes also matter. Mazda's 2.5T sounds pretty good for a 4-cylinder though!

All that said, I do hope that the revised 6 w/AWD is out by the time my lease is up in spring of 2021, it'd probably make my car shopping easier!
 
The biggest thing that concerns me in this thread is the Alabama plant. For me, the #1 reason I bought my CX-9 was the J at the beginning of the VIN. I have had two Ohio ('99 TL, '07 RDX) and one Alabama ('16 MDX) Acuras. Never again. Same reason I did not consider one of the Hyundai twins from Georgia. There IS a difference. You can just feel it. Got to say, when I drove my brother's G70, it had the same feel, so I would consider a Hyundai made in Korea.

I like the idea of a straight six in a larger cross-over. But if it is made in Alabama, I'll be looking elsewhere. Hopefully that won't be the case, and this is really about Toyota working with Mazda on a post-BMW I-6 plan.
 
As much as I think the 2.5 turbo in the CX-9 is sufficient for that vehicle I do prefer the V6 in the Honda. The vehicles weigh about the same and the Ridgeline is basically a Pilot with a bed. The V6 feels like a stronger motor and the power delivery is much more linear and precise. It reacts more exactly to what your right foot is asking for. There is no guess work as to when or how the power comes on. Also a 6 speed auto in the Honda. It also never "gear hunts". The CX-9's turbo is plenty fun for what it is and I'd say the low end torque pull is a bit more than the Honda V6 but you can rev the crap out of that thing and when the V-tech kicks in at 5000-5000 rpms the CX-9 motor is tapped out. It's just a very different experience with similar gas mileage. Don't get me wrong I like them both a lot but I would say the CX-9 would be even better with Honda's V6 and their very good torque vectoring AWD system that is found on the Pilot, Passport and Acura's. It's always "on" and it never feels like a front wheel drive vehicle. I'd say the CX-9 feels tighter in the curves except when the power is on and then that Honda AWD/ rear wheel drive stuff happens and it gets you through a corner much better. I think that is why some of the reviewers like the Pilot so much.

Couldn't agree more. In December I was choosing between a 17 CX-9 and 17 MDX SHAWD. It was a very tough choice because they each had a lot of pros and few cons. I had a Mini Cooper S a few years back and boy was that car fun, but day-to-day the performance could be so different. Sometimes I'd mash the gas and take off like a rocket, and other times it would struggle to raise the revs in the same gear. Summertime heat would also kill it's power. While turbo engines are remarkably efficient and powerful these days, my previous experience with inconsistent power delivery from turbos was something I wasn't thrilled to experience again.

Handling is pretty similar for both vehicles: they both feel front heavy and tend to understeer in neutral/power-off corners -- though the CX-9 feels a bit better composed -- but when you accelerate out of the turn, the torque vectoring noticeably rotates the rear of the MDX out of the corner making it feel like a true RWD car with loads of grip. Whenever I do that it and hear the V6 whine it puts a goofy grin on my face. The V6 noise and consistency from natural aspiration sealed the deal and I bought the Acura.

Note for those who don't know, the MDX, Odyssey, Pilot, Passport, and Ridgeline are all built on Honda's global light truck platform (Ridgeline has heavy-duty suspension components) and share nearly identical versions of the 3.5 NA V6, 6spd/9spd transmission, FWD/torque-vectoring AWD

The biggest thing that concerns me in this thread is the Alabama plant. For me, the #1 reason I bought my CX-9 was the J at the beginning of the VIN. I have had two Ohio ('99 TL, '07 RDX) and one Alabama ('16 MDX) Acuras. Never again. Same reason I did not consider one of the Hyundai twins from Georgia. There IS a difference. You can just feel it. Got to say, when I drove my brother's G70, it had the same feel, so I would consider a Hyundai made in Korea.

This was a huge consideration for too. There was (and is) a noticeable quality difference in these vehicles. The MDX (all of them, not just mine) have noticeable quality defects you can see from a hundred feet away. Just look at the chrome trim around the windows, none of it lines up. The seam where the front bumper meets the fender sticks out, and so does the fuel cap door. That is pretty bad by today's standards. I don't have any squeaks, creaks, or rattles though and my light grey interior is holding up very nicely for a 4 year old car. Not a doubt in my mind that the CX-9 is the better built and better looking car. While I expected this to be a deal breaker for the Acura, I reminded myself that I will own this car for the next decade or more and in a few years the looks will be dated anyway, the technology will be defunct, and the people I drive around in my car wont notice these drawbacks like I do. As long as the powertrain keeps delivering like it does, I can live with misaligned chrome.
 
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