Mazda introduced its 2014 Mazda 6 at the Moscow motor show on Tuesday. The redesigned midsize sedan will mix it up with recently updated entries from Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Honda and Toyota. Judging by the details released by Mazda at the show, the 6 seems well equipped for the fight.
Unlike the recently introduced Mazda CX-5 crossover, which bore just a passing resemblance to the Minagi design exercise that preceded it, the new 6 appears to be quite faithful to the Takeri sedan concept first shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2011. In keeping with the automaker’s practice of ascribing mythical language to its engineering and design principles, both cars bear the influence of Kodo, or soul of motion, the philosophy that displaced Nagare, Mazda’s previous design language.
Like the Takeri concept, the 6 bears pronounced front fender arches, sharply creased character lines that sweep upward from the bottom of the front wheel wells, a smoothly arcing roofline over a crescent of side window glass and a gaping front grille that departs a bit from the much-maligned “Mazda smile.” The car has a slippery, low-slung look that is borne out by a 0.26 coefficient of drag.
The wheelbase of the sedan has increased from the 109.8 inches of its predecessor to 111 inches. This aligns it more with larger midsize offerings like the 2013 Ford Fusion at 112.2 inches, while eclipsing that of the 2013 Nissan Altima, at 109.3 inches. Mazda said the longer wheelbase allowed for a roomier interior and more ample storage space.
Like other recently introduced Mazda vehicles, the sedan incorporates the automaker’s Skyactiv suite of efficiency-enhancing technologies. The centerpiece of Skyactiv is power-plant engineering that relies on extremely high compression ratios, up to 14:1 in some iterations; specially tuned exhaust plumbing that reduces combustion temperature; variable valve timing; and direct fuel injection to deliver fuel economy and performance to rival hybrid powertrains and turbocharged direct-injection engines. The Russian specification of the sedan receives two Skyactiv engines: a 134-horsepower 2-liter 4-cylinder unit and a 189-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder.
Aside from high-compression engines, the Skyactiv technology package includes lightweight body and chassis units, as well as automatic transmissions that combine a multiplate clutch and a torque converter.
The Takeri concept vehicle that made the auto-show rounds over the last year was equipped with a diesel engine. The automaker has not indicated if a diesel would be offered in the new sedan.
The Russian-specification 6 is also equipped with i-Eloop, a capacitor-based regenerative braking system that Mazda said would improve fuel economy by reducing the vehicle’s dependence on traditional battery-charging technology. The car also has engine-shutdown technology.
Mazda said specifications, pricing and availability information for the North American market would be announced at a later date.
** Courtesy of NYTimes.com
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