The sixth generation Mazda Familia, sold internationally as the 323, was introduced in January 1985. Available as a three- or five-door hatchback and four-door saloon, the range was comprehensively renewed from its predecessor. In November 1986, cumulative Familia production reached five million units, reflecting the model's global commercial importance. For the BF generation, Mazda offered turbocharged DOHC-engined variants in both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive configurations, producing 140 PS. The 4WD version was sold in Japan in either a lightweight GT or more fully equipped GT-X grade.
The 323 4WD used a turbocharged engine to meet the power demands of international rally competition while operating within the Group A regulations that required production of road-legal cars in commercially viable quantities. The four-wheel-drive system distinguished the 323 4WD from the front-wheel-drive turbocharged variants and gave the car traction characteristics suited to the gravel and mixed-surface conditions of WRC rounds. In May 1988, a Japanese-market-only homologation special, the 4WD GT-Ae, was released with an additional ten horsepower over the standard GT-X and a viscous rear limited-slip differential, bringing the specification closer to that of the incoming BG-generation cars. Full-time four-wheel drive was also made available on less powerful BF 323 variants with 1.5-litre engines, broadening the range's appeal to consumers in markets where all-weather traction was a priority.
The Mazda 323 4WD saw action in Group A rally competition during the mid-to-late 1980s, demonstrating competitive pace on gravel surfaces where the turbocharged four-wheel-drive combination was most effective. Mazda's rally programme during this period was building towards the more ambitious effort that would follow with the BG-generation Familia GT-X, which received a more powerful 185 PS turbocharged 1.8-litre BPT engine when released in 1989 along with viscous limited-slip differentials. The BF 4WD served as the foundation on which Mazda developed its understanding of all-wheel-drive rally car preparation ahead of that more powerful successor.
In the United States, the BF-generation 323 arrived for the 1986 model year. A 4WD variant with a turbocharged and intercooled 1.6-litre 16-valve DOHC engine rated at 132 hp was introduced for 1988, sold as the GTX, and was the first four-wheel-drive passenger car Mazda offered in that market. The GTX was available only with a five-speed manual transmission and represented the top of the BF 323 range in North America. Australian and South African markets also received BF-based 323 variants, with some models continuing into the early 1990s after the main market transition to the BG generation had occurred. The wagon body style that had been introduced in November 1985 continued to be offered alongside the next-generation BG Familia in most markets, updated with a new front grille, and remained in production until 1994 and 1995 in various regions.