Mazda has become the latest carmaker to pull out of the D-segment market in the UK, axing the Mazda6 saloon/estate from its line-up.

There are still a handful of new Mazda6 models in the UK dealer network, but they are going fast

Mazda UK said the decision was due to declining sales in the saloon and estate car sector, as buyers continue to opt for SUVs.

Instead, it will focus on the CX-60 PHEV – its first plug-in hybrid – and the upcoming CX-60 diesel, as well as the CX-5.

Buyers keen to get hold of the last Mazda6 models on sale can still find some examples in the dealer network – but are advised to move quick as they’re going fast.

Sales of the 6 had already stopped in the US but it remains on sale in Europe where demand for saloons is higher.

The first-generation 6 launched in the UK in 2002 – just a year after Mazda established its UK operations – and proved a strong seller, in particular with fleets.

Across all three generations of car, the brand sold 169,123 units in the UK. But recent years had seen this dwindle; in 2021 sales totalled 667 cars and 721 in 2022.

The 6 is the latest casualty of declining UK demand in the saloon and estate car sector – Ford culled the Mondeo from its line-up here in March 2022, saying that changing customer preferences and falling sales had made an electric version unfeasible. Volkswagen followed suit by dropping its Passat saloon – but keeping the estate – while Vauxhall also stopped sales of its Insignia saloon at the start of 2022 after already dropping its estate. Volvo also pulled its S60 in October 2022.

It means the only mainstream D-segment saloons still on sale in the UK are the Peugeot 508 and the Škoda Superb, alongside their compact executive rivals.

Latest SMMT figures show the changing face of UK new car best-sellers; crossovers including the top-placed Qashqai and Ford Puma are in the top 10, alongside the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Ford Kuga midsize SUVs. The rest of the top 10 are hatchbacks.