2021 Mazda 6 gains wireless Apple CarPlay

The Mazda 6 hasn’t been left out of the latest round of updates to the Mazda range.

The company’s US operations have confirmed the mid-sizer will receive wireless Apple CarPlay, with the updated model arriving in American dealerships later this month.

A spokesperson from Mazda Australia said the “updates will be available to us and we are currently working on finalising local model lineup and specification”.

The 2021 Mazda 6 is also the latest Mazda to receive a special Carbon Edition, though we expect this to be for the North American market only. It features Polymetal Grey paint, gloss black rear lip spoiler and door mirrors, and 19-inch black alloy wheels, with red leather seats and matching stitching on the dash and centre console armrest.

The news follows Mazda USA’s announcement of a larger, 10.25-inch screen for the CX-5 and CX-9. The Mazda 6, however, will keep its 8.0-inch touchscreen for now, running the older MZD Connect infotainment system instead of upgrading to the newer Mazda Connect system used in the Mazda 3.

First introduced in 2013, the current generation of Mazda 6 has long been a consistent – if distant – second in sales in the mid-sized segment, beaten year-after-year by the Toyota Camry like its fellow mid-sizers.

It received a facelift for 2015, while 2018 saw the introduction of a turbocharged 2.5-litre flagship.

So far this year, the Camry is outselling the Mazda 6 by eight-to-one. That’s nothing new, particularly considering the Camry’s strong fleet presence, but perhaps a more worrying development for Mazda is the rise of the Skoda Octavia that has narrowly overtaken it in the sales race.

Through the end of July, Mazda has sold 946 of its mid-sized sedan and wagon range while Skoda has sold 972. The Subaru Liberty and Volkswagen Passat have sold 499 and 406 units, respectively.