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Mazda6 sedan and CX-3 crossover won't live to see 2022

These slow-selling vehicles will be killed off due to evolving consumer interests, Mazda said.

Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
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RIP, handsome.

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is dropping two models from its lineup, the automaker confirmed Friday. The midsize sedan and subcompact crossover will be discontinued for the 2022 model year, the automaker said, citing evolving consumer interests as the key reason for these vehicles' demise.

The Mazda6 is an enthusiast's pick among midsize sedans, with sharp steering and great chassis refinement, and it's a seriously pretty car, too. But buyers in this space much prefer things like passenger space, fuel efficiency and solid safety and infotainment tech, and the Mazda6 has long lagged behind its classmates in these regards. Mazda only sold 16,204 examples of the Mazda6 in the US in 2020. In comparison, Honda sold 199,458 Accords, Hyundai moved 76,997 Sonatas and Toyota offloaded 294,348 Camrys.

2020 Mazda6 is still athletic, but a little fancier

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The subcompact CX-3 crossover is also a super slow seller, and isn't nearly as well-rounded as competitors like the , or Kia Seltos. Plus, Mazda now offers the CX-30 crossover, which is better looking, has a nicer interior, is more fun to drive and can be had with a potent turbo option.

As Mazda phases out the Mazda6 and CX-3, it prepares to launch the new MX-30 electric crossover in the US. This is Mazda's first fully electric vehicle, with great style and refinement, which is expected to go on sale in California this fall.

Mazda CX-3 gets a modest update for 2019

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