something does not add up indeed. but that is not Mazda's experience in building RWD platforms, MX-5 is RWD built from scratch with relatively low sales compared to CUVs. Say what you want, but even with BEVs having huge market share in Western Europe and North America in the next few years, the remaining ICEV market will still be huge. When most of the market moves on to BEVs, the remainder is only one so will still have the rest of the market for itself. Mazda being under Toyota, they can easily re-badge BEVs later on. When you want to be in two opposing markets, it is wise to separate the corporate entities.
Making a new FWD or RWD platform, has the "same" cost in terms of pure engineering aspect (at least I am highly convinced). Additional cost might come from differences in manufacturing, but mostly in the ability of platform sharing and volume. Now if Mazda considers the modifications to are needed to build large FWD platforms to be not that cost efficient, while also limiting other attributes, such as power and performance, you can only get so much of a 4 cylinder, and Mazda usually does not do downsizing, the is no other way except a 6 cylinder. A V6 costs more than an I6, and an I6 transverse FWD just costs too much in terms of modifications and will be a very compromised product. The fact that the Mazda will not have manual transmission nor RWD, but AWD, already highly reduces cost related to low volume. Mazda is not the only company trying to "premiumise" its products, it is the whole car industries' strategy, with exception of those that do the complete opposite,namely Dacia.
ICEV based BEVs are a very bad compromise, and ICEV-BEV modular platform compromises both platforms and increases costs, I do not see how the opposite is possible. PHEV's like the Opel Ampera somehow do not exist anymore, 48V mild-hybrids are marketing BS and should be considered pure ICEVs, eventually the only ICEVs should be HEVs like Toyota, till now now maker does them like Toyota. And while late to the game, the NX450h+ turns out to be best best true PHEV, all the good of NX350h HEV plus usable EV-mode range.
BEVs permit having quite some performance, the only way for ICEVs is to step up too, and that means no more under-powered I4s.
