Save for the MX-5 Miata and its RX-series sports car brethren, Mazda isn’t well-known for rear-wheel-drive engineering. Instead, Mazda has become famous for its front-wheel-drive performance specials, such as the MazdaSpeed Protege and MazdaSpeed 3.
But that’s not to say the automaker doesn’t dream about expanding its rear-drive portfolio. The model that the company would love to build, it seems, is a proper rear-wheel-drive four-door, a company executive told Drive. Speaking with the Australian publication, Mazda program manager of the Pacific market CX-60 and CX-80 Kohei Shibata said that his dream is to build a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive sedan.
“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,” Shibata said to Drive through a translator. “Personally, a FR [front-engined, rear-wheel drive] sedan would be a good dream for everyone.”
A Mazda sedan sending power to the rear is a dream we at Road & Track share, as we suspect Mazda would be particularly good at getting the basics right. If our experience with the MX-5 and even the carmaker’s more consumer-focused crossover models is any indication, Mazda has learned how to properly hone a car’s steering feel in an age of electric steering racks, as well as determined how to extract as much driving pleasure as possible from every model it. makes. Additionally, Mazda continues to develop its naturally aspirated and forced-induction engine programs, suggesting the brand continues to see a future for internal combustion cars.
Mazda already has a rear-wheel-drive-based platform, too: the CX-70 and CX-90 crossovers (as well as the CX-60 and CX-80 models that we do not get here in the States) utilize a rear-oriented powerflow, even though they have AWD. It’s not uncommon to see sedans and crossovers sharing a platform these days. Drive has reported that such a model was rumored as long as three years ago, but the model has yet to come to fruition.
Don’t get too excited, however, as Shibata echoed his European colleague’s statement from two years ago, explaining that the market for such a car is small — possibly too small for a business case to be made. With the SUV trend continuing to grow, Mazda is unlikely to deviate from its path to prosperity found with the CX lineup.
“Journalists always tell me that you should make a sedan, but the marketplace is so small. So if… the people start to buy that kind of vehicle, then that will let us make that vehicle,” Shibata said to Drive.
You Might Also Like
