Mazda preparing to take on BMW, Mercedes-Benz with new luxury sedan

New reports detail Japanese maker’s bold new move as it looks to carve out a niche for itself. But will the gamble pay off or will it come back to bite the brand?

Mazda is reportedly chasing the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class with its next-generation 6 sedan.

The new Mazda6 sedan is expected to challenge the German luxury brands.

Reports from Japanese publication Best Car and US magazine Car and Driver both claim that the brand’s new mid-size sedan will push into luxury territory by adopting rear-wheel drive and an inline six-cylinder engine. This kind of set-up would look more at home in a BMW than a Mazda.

BMW has long used a rear-wheel drive, inline six-cylinder set-up.

The new engine is expected to have the brand’s Skyactiv-X technology. This petrol engine works like a diesel by compressing fuel rather than using a spark plug, which lowers fuel wastage to increase fuel efficiency. It is claimed to offer diesel-like efficiency with petrol power.

The engine is expected to also feature 48-volt mild hybrid technology, which will help power the ignition mechanism and other electrical functions, further reducing fuel use.

The new 6 is expected to use Mazda’s new Skyactiv-X engine.

The car could have similar styling to the brand’s Vision Coupe concept, with a long bonnet to accommodate the larger engine and sweeping lines in keeping with Mazda’s design language.

Mazda appears to have been eyeing off a push into premium territory for some time with the brand removing entry-level versions of the new 3 hatch and sedan with the purpose of chasing profits not sales volume.

The new 6 could borrow styling from the Mazda Vision Coupe concept.

Mazda isn’t the only brand to attempt to take on the big Germans via a price bracket creep strategy. Volkswagen has been trying to position itself as a cheaper alternative to the established luxury brands.

But the biggest hurdle will be buyer perception.

Lexus has taken decades to establish itself as a genuine luxury brand in Australia.

Hyundai is trying to do the same with its prestige spin-off, Genesis. Genesis launched late 2019 after several delays and sales have been slow. But the range will be expanded later this year with an all important GV80 SUV and G80 sedan.

Nissan’s premium offshoot Infiniti was one mainstream brand with luxury ambitions that failed. The brand closed up shop in Australia in 2019.