As a refresher, Artisan Red is the fourth special color in Mazda’s color palette. Designed to be used in their Large Product line, it’s meant to convey the deep, lush red found in mature red wine. It combines the carmaker’s know-how in producing Soul Red, Machine Gray, and Rhodium White. It features a translucent paint layer with a high chroma pigment (Soul Red), smoothly-aligned aluminum flakes (Rhodium White), and a shade-rendering jet-black pigment (Machine Gray).

Now, while it’s destined to be the upcoming CX-90’s image color, Mazda couldn’t help but show how it looks like in a current product; so, they’ve decided to use it on a model that commemorates the 20th anniversary of their mid-sized sedan, the Mazda6. For non-fans of Artisan Red, an alternative color is Rhodium White.

Aside from the special paint job, the Mazda6 20th Anniversary Edition comes with special front fender badges, a high-gloss silver grille, and high-gloss silver 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside, it has new tan-colored nappa leather seats with an embossed 20th anniversary logo on the front headrests. Leganu synthetic suede (also in tan) further give a rich, dignified feel to the cabin.

Apart from the 20th Anniversary Edition model, the rest of the Mazda6 range gets some updates for 2023.

These include the availability of two new colors: Rhodium White and Platinum Quartz as well as added conveniences in the form of wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging, and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam support.

Powertrain options for the 2023 Mazda6 remain the same. The range (at least in Japan) starts with a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine with 156 horsepower and 199 Nm of torque, while going up to a normally-aspirated 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G with 190 horsepower and 252 Nm of torque. The 20th Anniversary Edition comes exclusively available with the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D with 200 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque either in front- or all-wheel drive.

For export markets, meanwhile, the limited-edition Mazda6 comes with a turbocharged 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G now producing 235 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. According to Mazda, peak figures are the same, but torque delivery has been optimized. The 6-speed automatic has been re-calibrated as well for a more direct upshift response.