Mazda announced development of an inline six-cylinder engine in a March 2019 investor report. Now, the power plant is coming to the United States. A new teaser for the CX-90 gives a glimpse of a badge that reads “…LINE 6.”
Not many details are available about the Mazda inline-six mills. The gas-fueled version is reported to have a capacity of 3.0 liters and appears to be turbocharged based on previous photos.
The 3.3-liter turbodiesel produces 228 horsepower (170 kilowatts) and 369 pound-feet (500 Newton-meters). There is also a mild hybrid version from the factory producing 251 hp (187 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm). Don’t expect oil burners to be available in the US.
Mazda didn’t say when the CX-90 debuted in the US other than indicating that it is “coming soon”. The Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the media on Thursday, November 17. We cannot rule out the company launching new models there.
Mazda reportedly intends to install this in-line six engine on models that ride on a new rear-wheel drive platform. Future iterations of the Mazda6 allegedly use this technology. It was supposed to debut in the first half of 2022, but it didn’t happen. There are even rumors that the automaker shares these underpinnings with Toyota and Lexus.
Mazda says the inline-six is likely its final combustion powerplant. The company is making baby steps into EVs with the MX-30.
Through October 2022, Mazda has sold 240,710 in the US for the year – down 17.8 percent from 292,732 vehicles to date in 2021. The CX-90 will replace the CX-9 in the brand’s lineup. The crossover had 26,860 deliveries in the first 10 months of 2022, down 13.8 percent from 31,172 units in the same period last year.
In Europe, Mazda recently introduced the rear-wheel drive-only CX-80. This is a three-row version of the CX-60 and is said to have a slightly larger body to fit in the extra seats. The model is not coming to the US. Instead, the Americans got the CX-70 and CX-90.
