The front-wheel-drive, two-door coupe market might be decidedly slim these days, but Mazda is looking to change that.
According to a report from Australia’s AutoExpress, we could see a Mazda6 coupe as early as 2016 for the 2017 model year. It’s not quite the RX-8 successor enthusiasts have been hoping for, but a two-door Mazda6 should satisfy those pining for something sporty with two doors and a fixed roof for the next little while.
The news, however, does come at something of a surprise, at least for North America. Most of the Mazda6’s midsize sedan competitors have abandoned the two-door coupe formula — the Camry-based Toyota Solara has long since departed and Nissan pulled the plug on the Altima Coupe in 2012, leaving the Honda Accord Coupe the sole vehicle in that market.
AutoExpress’ report also drops another interesting detail. Following the Mazda6 coupe in 2016, we can expect a diesel-hybrid version of the 6, as well as Mazdaspeed versions of the 2, 3 and 6, as well as a Mazda1 city car and a premium compact based on the 2.
