Australia’s transition from a nation of family sedans to SUV fanatics is almost complete, with one of the last popular four-doors officially set for retirement.
The Mazda6 has been dropped from the Japanese brand’s line-up after more than two decades on sale, where it previously competed with the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Toyota Camry for a place in the driveway of Australian families. While there originally were plans to introduce a new generation model, those plans seemingly were shelved as interest in sedans faded around the world.
Sales of sedans have been in decline for more than a decade, although in 2024 sales were up in some sectors of the market thanks to the arrival of the new Camry and the BYD Seal electric model. However, Mazda6 sales were down 11.4 per cent with less than 1400 examples sold.
While it sales role has declined, Mazda Australia managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, praised the ‘6 and the role it played in helping grow the brand locally.
“We owe a lot to Mazda6 in helping to make the Mazda brand what it is today,” Bhindi said. “Coinciding with the origins of our Zoom Zoom philosophy, its local introduction in 2002 contributed to a paradigm shift for the brand, and it immediately became widely praised as the benchmark for front-wheel drive dynamics and involvement.
“While we have seen the market shift its preference towards SUVs in recent years, the Mazda6 has always been – and continues to be – held in particularly high regard by loyal enthusiasts and keen drivers alike, thanks to its embodiment of Jinba Ittai, timeless looks and easy to live with nature.”
While the brand sold just 1354 Mazda6 in 2024, it found buyers for 22,835 CX-5 SUV, underlining the market’s shift towards higher vehicles at the expense of the traditional sedan made popular by Holden and Ford decades ago. A decade ago there were 22 mid-size sedans in the same market sector as the Mazda, but in ‘24 that number had dropped to just seven. Crucially, of those seven only three managed to sell more than 1000 units.
Other examples of family sedans to disappear in the past decade beyond the Commodore and Falcon include the Ford Mondeo, Holden Malibu, Kia Optima, Kia Stinger, Nissan Altima, Subaru Liberty and Toyota Aurion.
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