New Mazda6 Unveiled at Los Angeles Motor Show
Hello. Bob Aldons, The Car Guy reporting on Mazda6 at the Los Angeles Motor Show, opening to the public on December 1st. When I started in the car business in February 1978, Mazda was but a small player in Australia. Shortly after, late in 1980, Ford Australia launched the Laser, which was, in fact, a Mazda 323. Laser took the market by storm for Ford usurping Mazda in terms of total sales. And that’s the way it was for years, from the KA Laser right through to the KH Laser and then Ford decided that the relationship needed to end. Over the years, Mazda has stuck to its knitting – building quality cars for the retail market, not only in Australia but around the world. And, at least in Australia, Mazda and it’s dealers have been super successful. Retail customers are fans of the brand and continue to place Mazda in the top echelons of sales in Australia. Consistently in third place, Mazda has seen the large players come and go – they’re in front of the once mighty Ford and Holden and only Toyota and Hyundai maintain a lead over Mazda. Mazda6 Premium is what I expect from the company.
Mazda has launched a new model Mazda6 at Los Angeles and we can expect it in mid-2018. Here’s what Mazda have to say – In Their Own Words
“These are but a small sample of the Mazda vehicles from the past 50 years that have embodied “Mazda Premium,” a set of guiding principles that complements the automaker’s human-centric design and engineering. Mazda uses these principles to build passenger cars and SUVs that compete in a class above, at a price that is readily affordable, offering a depth of engagement with its owner that satisfies at every touch point. With vehicles like these, it is Mazda’s goal to enrich people’s lives through a car ownership experience that celebrates driving and to become a brand with which customers feel a strong emotional connection.
New Mazda6 certainly delivers all of the above, elevating Mazda6 from its traditional competitive set into a higher class, with unparalleled craftsmanship, design, and technologies for the driver who savours every moment behind the wheel. Yet, Mazda6 is also serene, thoroughly reworked underneath its sheet metal to deliver a refined experience befitting of a far more expensive car.
A Mazda Premium Path Forward
The 2016 Mazda CX-9 three-row large SUV was a remarkable step for Mazda. It once again elevated Mazda, showing if Mazda built an SUV with superior driving dynamics, class-above refinement, an abundance of amenities, technology, and a strong engine, customers would come. After more than a year since going on sale, approximately 61 percent of all Mazda CX-9s sold in Australia have been either high-grade GT models or top-trim Azami models. In fact, so great is the appeal of the Azami, it has resulted in 40 percent more retails than expected.
It was natural, then, that Mazda would follow this plan with its flagship sedan. Mazda6 has received improvements every year it has been on sale. Updates for the previous model year added more sound insulation throughout its cabin and Nappa leather interior appointments. Mazda6 also received standard G-Vectoring Control, a Mazda-exclusive technology that makes steering response more direct and linear by using a minute reduction of engine torque at turn-in to put extra weight on the front tires.
But simply adding Nappa leather and some new technologies does not a flagship model make.
Thus, Mazda6’s chassis has also been thoroughly revised to provide a more supple ride, greater agility, and dramatically improved NVH. Mazda6’s Atenza interior features authentic Japanese materials that evoke a sense of classic Japanese design.
The colour of its brown Nappa leather seats was inspired by the aged wood in ancient Japanese temples, the UltraSuede® NU trim has a subtle gold tint, using a similar technique to that which is used to make ornate kimonos, and Sen wood, a type of wood often used in taiko drums and Japanese furniture, is used to accent the cabin and enhance the premium feel.
Perhaps the greatest upgrade of Mazda6 Atenza is its source of motivation. Mazda’s award-winning, SKYACTIV-G 2.5T petrol turbo engine returns for its second application. The SKYACTIV-G 2.5T is an engine renowned for its nearly instantaneous, ample torque, courtesy of its Dynamic Pressure Turbo, which accelerates exhaust gasses through a tiny inlet to quickly spool up its turbocharger at low RPM before opening a larger secondary passage to use throughout the engine’s operational range. The engine produces torque on par with a 4.0-litre V-8 engine. Mazda6 was already a class favorite among discerning drivers. These latest upgrades will launch Mazda6 above the mainstream sedan fray, changing the idea of what an affordable midsize sedan can and should be.
‘Mature Elegance’: A Design Vision
Mazda’s striking VISION COUPE concept that debuted at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show portended a revitalised focus on elegance. Mazda6 carries a similar theme, called “Mature Elegance,” creating an added level of sophistication to Mazda’s KODO—Soul of Motion design language that complements its aspirational ambitions.
Up front is Mazda6’s new grille, which accentuates a look of depth, with a strong framework, low center of gravity and wide stance. Its standard LED headlights to integrate fog lamps and carry a crisp, wide lighting signature. Painted surfaces extend lower on the body, and new 17- and 19-inch wheel designs complement the upgraded appearance. Finally, Soul Red Crystal paint makes its debut on Mazda’s sedan, joining Machine Grey Metallic and a full palette of available paint colors.
Inside, the interior is all-new, with only the steering wheel and small trim pieces carried over from its predecessor. Most noticeable is its horizontally stretched dashboard that accentuates Mazda6’s width and belies a sense of subtle sophistication. On Mazda6 Atenza models, Sen wood, Nappa leather, and UltraSuede® NU adorn the doors, seats, and dashboard, providing an atmosphere that can coddle on any High St just as easily as it can enliven spirited drives along the Great Ocean Rd.
Technology Aplenty
Lest one thinks the new Mazda6 hasn’t received the technology to match its upscale interior, there’s more in store.
Mazda6’s front seats have been fully redesigned. They are wider, with high-density, vibration-absorbing urethane foam that creates a firm, supportive seating surface. Yet, they’re supple enough to keep the driver and passengers comfortable for long trips. Introducing next-generation seat materials and concepts, first seen at August 2017’s Mazda Frankfurt Technology Forum, Mazda6’s seats are designed to help keep front passengers’ spines in the natural S-shape humans use when standing.
Ventilated front seats in Mazda6 Atenza are a first for the brand and wick away warm air from the front passenger and driver’s backs to keep them cool. Rear seats have also been redesigned with high-density urethane foam, enabling greater comfort.
In addition to the seats, new technology comes by way of available features:
- 360° View Monitor
- A reconfigurable 7.0-inch TFT gauge display in Atenza models
- A new 8.0-inch MZD CONNECT infotainment display with sharper colour contrast
- Full-speed Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go will be standard across the range along with Lane-keep Assist System (LAS), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) and Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA)
- Windshield-projected Active Driving Display head-up unit
Engines to Suit Customers’ Tastes
Mazda6 offers three powertrain options in Australia, starting with the torquey, fuel-efficient SKYACTIV-G 2.5 naturally aspirated engine. Mazda6’s 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine comes with a host of upgrades to reduce internal friction and improve efficiency across all RPM, and it adds a greater level of refinement.
Cylinder deactivation in a four-cylinder engine enables the outside two cylinders to shut down when the vehicle is operating at steady speeds between 40 and 80 km/h, but all four cylinders work instantaneously when needed for maximum performance. A centrifugal pendulum has been adopted in the torque converter of the six-speed SKYACTIV-DRIVE automatic transmission, counterbalancing any vibration that might otherwise be felt when running on two cylinders. The result is an imperceptible switchover between two and four-cylinder modes, yet with very tangible efficiency benefits.
GT and Atenza models will feature Mazda’s award-winning turbocharged SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine as standard. First available in the current-generation Mazda CX-9 large SUV, the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T is a technological tour de force that produces 420Nm of torque from just 2,000 RPM and 170 kW on 91-RON fuel.
Mazda’s industry-first Dynamic Pressure Turbo builds boost nearly instantaneously by using a small inlet port to force air into its turbocharger, akin to how water velocity increases when one holds his or her thumb over a hose. From there, a secondary valve can open up at higher RPM for increased airflow and maximum horsepower. A pulse-scavenging 4-3-1 manifold that prevents exhaust backpressure and helps the engine breathe freely.
Cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is used to reduce combustion temperatures, preventing knocking and therefore reducing the need for fuel-enrichment (when extra fuel is dumped into the cylinders as a means to cool the engine).
In too many instances, turbocharged engines are mated to continuously variable automatic transmissions (CVT), operating in a narrow band of efficiency, sacrificing a connectedness between driver and car—a valued characteristic of all Mazda vehicles called Jinba Ittai. Mazda’s six-speed SKYACTIV-DRIVE automatic transmission, paired as standard to the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine, keeps its torque converter locked through most of its operation, giving a more connected sense of controllability than many other automatic transmissions.
Finally the 2.2L SKYACTIV-D diesel engine will continue to be available as an option on Touring grade and up.
All three engines complement Mazda6, with the naturally aspirated petrol engine serving as an all-around efficient, responsive powertrain, its turbocharged sibling amplifying the driving performance for which Mazdas are known and diesel offering effortless and efficient long-distance driving.
But What’s an Engine without a Chassis?
In this latest round of thoughtful improvements, engineers have revisited every aspect of Mazda6’s chassis, with its suspension offering a smoother, more linear ride quality and greater NVH refinement similar to the ultra-quiet CX-9. Its steering rack is now rigid-mounted to the chassis, offering greater steering response and feel, and its SKYACTIV-CHASSIS has been stiffened in complement with the revised suspension to offer both a smoother ride and to improve outright dynamic performance.
Enabling this more comfortable ride without compromising the Mazda6’s handling, the suspension geometry has been revised, with roll-steer changes that promote more neutral handling. The steering rack also is now rigid-mounted to the chassis, offering more direct steering response.
Additionally, body reinforcements, thicker sheet metal in the rear wheel-wells, reinforced chassis bracing and even thicker suspension trailing link mounts help improve interior conversation sound quality, putting Mazda6 into rarified air when it comes to quietness, refinement, and capabilities.
In Pursuit of Mazda Premium
In pursuit of Mazda Premium, an engine isn’t enough. A chassis isn’t enough. An elegant interior and world-renowned design aren’t enough. Refinement and technology aren’t enough.
But together, they complete what Mazda expects to be yet another step to elevate the brand beyond the realm of mainstream vehicles, offering a “Mazda Premium” experience that will delight customers.
As with its predecessor, the new Mazda6 will land among the world’s best cars, for those who love to drive. But it will aim higher, moving Mazda’s consideration with customers to a new, class-above place, because Mazda never stops challenging.
New Mazda 6 is expected to go on sale in Australia towards the second half of 2018.”
Bob Aldons is the owner and founder of The Car Guy, reviewing cars, reporting on Car Industry Matters, Car Tech and the world at large.
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Want some more information on Mazda – check out some of my previous stories
