Mazda 6

BY JAKE HOLMES
April 2008

At prior auto shows we’ve seen the European Mazda 6 and the Japanese Atenza, both of which are all-new for 2009. However, Mazda has held off on showing the new ’09 Mazda 6 that is destined for America this fall. Mazda officials insisted that the 6 had to be significantly changed for American consumption by making it larger and giving it a more-powerful engine in order to better compete in the U.S.

Today Mazda released pictures and information on the American version of the 2009 Mazda 6, and it looks just as good as the foreign models. The new car is more aggressive and muscular than the outgoing model, which was introduced in the U.S. in 2002. When the new 6 graces our shores by the end of this summer, it will only be offered as a sedan even though other parts of the world will receive hatchback and wagon forms.

Like its foreign counterparts, the new 6 will be powered by a 168-hp 2.5-liter inline-four engine (replaces the 156-hp 2.3-liter) mated to a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. American models, built in Flat Rock, Michigan, will also receive the 273-hp 3.7-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic from the 5Best-winning Mazda CX-9. In European and Japanese markets, the 6/Atenza is offered with a turbo diesel engine but not the V-6.

Mazda has yet to release dimensions for the American car (which will be sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico), but it should be larger than its foreign counterparts in order to be more competitive with models like the Honda Accord, which continue to grow with each generation. The Japanese Atenza sedan measures 186 inches long, 61 wide, and 56 inches tall.