U.S.-Bound 2009 Mazda6 Revealed

• Competes with: Chevy Malibu, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord
• Looks like: The European 6 revealed last September
• Drivetrain: 3.7 liter V-6 with six-speed automatic transmission, 2.5 liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual or five-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: Summer 2008

Last year, we saw the thoroughly restyled Mazda6 lineup that would be sold worldwide. We have no idea why it took so long for Mazda to finally take the wraps off of the U.S. version, seen here for the first time, since it looks so similar to the worldwide version. However, the changes are significant since Americans will get a larger car inside and out with a powerful V-6 option, and a different interior.

What of the hatchback and wagon we saw for Europe? Nope, they’re not coming to the U.S., just the sedan.

Engine choices are interesting: The top of the line 3.7-liter V-6 is the same engine that powers the CX-9 three-row crossover. In the CX-9 it produces 273 hp. If those numbers remain, the new Mazda6 would be the most powerful non-luxury midsize sedan on the market, beating out the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevy Malibu and Nissan Altima V-6s. It will be teamed to a six-speed automatic transmission.

A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine will serve as the base power plant and is the same engine that powers the European version. We’d guess power would be similar to the announced 170-hp engine for Europe, and fans of manual transmissions get a six-speed manual. A five-speed automatic is also available. Both automatics come with a manual shift feature. All North American Mazda6 sedans will be built in Flat Rock, Michigan at a plant shared with Ford.

When the Mazda6 debuted, it really set the tone for how sporting and sophisticated daily transportation could be in what is normally a rather boring segment. Since then, every automaker has caught up. With this redesign, Mazda looks to recapture its edge. One additional photo can be found below.

Comments

It's nice, atleast from the outside. Just hope that reliability is on par, their new crossovers have below average reliability according to Consumer Reports.

I will withhold final judgment until I see real-world photos however Mazda has included a really downmarket feature on this new car: the black plastic shark fin where the rear doors meet the c-pillar. The European version gets real glass there and it makes a big difference to the design aesthetic.

i heard rumors that this version sold out to the boat-loving part of the public, becoming more like the Camry in overall softness and affinity to disconnect the driver. hope not!

all the horsepower increase will mainly help people like me get speeding tickets. the joy in driving really mostly comes from how a car handles, its suspension, etc. Really hope they didn't change the Mazda6 in the Camry direction!

YES! I don't care at all about the mazda6, but do you know what this means for the mazda3? It will get a 2.5 liter engine pumping out 170 horsepower and teamed with a 6 speed manual! Yes I can't wait for the redesigned mazda3 to come out so I can get my hands on it.

Keith,
Actually if you check the link at the top of the post you'll see the Euro sedan has the black piece on the door. The Euro hatchback has glass there.

It looks good, but I want the Euro Hatchback!

It's weird that this looks so similar to the european version yet at the same time looks much more like it's sagging on it's suspension. Could it be the larger size? it certainly doesn't look as taut and "on it's toes" as the previously released versions. It's hard to explain, but I see it.

Also, I'm confused about why they felt like they had to re-engineer the car for US tastes? It seems like a lot of expense to put a new interior in and make a bigger car that looks practically the same as the European version.

It's especially odd considering the EU version is also a pretty large car anyway. And then they don't even bring the best looking version - the wagon! crazy!

I suspect that in addition to the larger size this US market car will have been "americanized" (cheapened) inside and out, to make it more affordable. Hence the lack of bodystyles also.

Of course, i am paranoid...

Dave,
I was studying more Euro-version photos and realized after I posted that only the hatchback version has the glass. There is something different though about the US version...it looks more bloated for some reason. I haven't seen any specs but has the wheelbase been stretched for the US version? Is there more overhang on the back? The rear doors seem longer.

I went to British Mazda web site and got fuel economy - 8.1L/100km = 29mpg of combined driving. Sounds more like Corolla in EPA. Pretty impressive for large car!

Keith,
All mazda is saying now is that it is indeed larger than the european model yes. We're not sure how since it looks so similar but it did take them a long time to come up with it so I wouldn't really doubt an extra inch here or there.

Why do Americans need bigger, heavier cars than Europeans? Oh, because we're fat. Thanks, Mazda!

In America we like Luxury. This is why even smallest Hyundai here comes with leather seating, etc.
Our families are bigger. While Europeans have negative birth rate, Americans consistentlty making 2 children per woman.
And fatness is a sign of prosperity and wealth BTW. In India this is especially the law. Poor are skinny and reach are fat.

Which is of course why the worlds best luxury cars are European...

It's nothing more than the fact that American consumers have always had larger cars and as a consequence won't accept less, even if they could. And they could.

It'll change more and more as gas prices continue to rise. No longer will regular family cars have 3.7 litre engines for example. In 10 years, I expect the top-of-the-range Mazda6 (or equiv) will have a 2.5 engine, like the Euro model does today.

Americans are fatter though, but it ain't nothin' to do with wealth. Obesity is as much a result of poverty as it is wealth. There is a reason the ghettos around US cities are full of 300Ib people.

I'm sorry, but Tony, I cannot get past that lst post of yours!

If Americans TRULY liked luxury more than those around the world, US cars wouldn't be built as cheaply as they are today. Sure, leather seats give the IMPRESSION of luxury, but (and this is true especially in smaller cars) most vehicles here are decontented compared to their overseas equivilent.

Luxury isn't JUST leather seats. Luxury can be the availibility of heated cloth seats, or soft touch dash plastics, or a lit and cooled glove box. It is also the luxury of CHOICE - of me being able to get a 5 door hatch Yaris if I choose.

It's why a BMW will always be more luxurious than a Buick, even a basic 3-series.

That could be a contentious point...

I don't care how luxury European cars are. To me they all junk. Some - performance but unreliable and overpriced junk.
I respect Japanese. Their work etics. I buy only Japanese cars. For half price of European I can buy a car, which will go for 10 years without a problem.
I don't buy American cars because American manufacturers for long years screw up consumers and filled their pockets while giving nothing good but promises to consumers.
As European people... Seriously. Europeans are just ancient creatures. Ready to kill each other, with many countries still living in the macho society. You guys are 18th century still in your mentality.

Too funny.

this is some kind of joke, right?

Mart, 3-series is not luxury car. It is performance but it is crampy-crampy.
American luxury is spacy and comfortable, like a sofa. This is why Camry is doing this well in this country.
when I was 20 I took a ride on the back seat of Cadillac DeVille. That is luxury! No engine noise, soft and smooth. Like a comfort wagon of the train

Mart, I thought you are saying Bentley... And you... 3-series. This is funny!!!

WOW! It looks great. It reminds me of a Nissan altima with Mercedes S-Class wheel wells.

Looks pretty bland to me. Why hide the zoom-zoom?

I know I'm supposed to believe that more power is always better, but I wish we could get a V6 that doesn't want to torque steer the car off the road. Given that there's about a 100 hp difference between the two engines mentioned, a third midrange option would be nice.

Yep, it will beat the others' V6 in terms of power. But it needs an extra 0.2L to do that.
Come on guys, we are not that easy to fool.

J, I don't think Mazda wants to fool anyone. This is their corporate engine now, 3.7 and they will stick it into all large enough bays. But I am sure that cylinder head and tuning will be modified for the car use instead of truck.

i'm trading in my camry.

Tony,

Which eye of yours see I was saying Mazda was trying to fool anyone?
That comment was to refer to the following statement: "Engine choices are interesting: The top of the line 3.7-liter V-6 is the same engine that powers the CX-9 three-row crossover. In the CX-9 it produces 273 hp. If those numbers remain, the new Mazda6 would be the most powerful non-luxury midsize sedan on the market, beating out the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevy Malibu and Nissan Altima V-6s."

All they have was just 5 more hp over the Accord's 3.5L, 3hp over the Altima's 3.5L, 5hp over the Camry's 3.5L, and 21hp over the Malibu's 3.6L(This is pathetic! IMHO). But it takes them 0.2L of displacement over the Accord, Altima and Camry. And 0.1L over the Malibu.

"Why do Americans need bigger, heavier cars than Europeans? Oh, because we're fat. Thanks, Mazda!"

Can't really blame Mazda for this one. The current 6 did not sell as much as Mazda hoped. Why? It was too small for the American market. It competes with the Camry, Accord, Altima etc, but it had the size of a 93 Camry or 95 Accord. All car makers have catered to 'big' American tastes. Witness how Accord, Altima, Camry, Galant, Sonata etc. have grown in the last decades. Mazda is just following suit.

However, I do agree with you. The new one looks too big (Euro size and especially the Euro hatch and the better-looking wagon would have worked just fine for me). Styling looks like a cross between the current Altima and Malibu. It does look better than both these competitors, but it lacks the athletic, sporty look of the current car. It just looks too long and big.

I own the current Mazda6 (2003), and it is likely to be my last 6.

Also this is inaccurate:

"2.5-liter four-cylinder engine will serve as the base power plant and is the same engine that powers the European version"

Although this engine is offered in Europe, Europeans also get lots of other engines. They probably have about 6-7 option 2-3 diesels and 3-4 gas - and the 2.5 is not likely to be anywhere close to being the best selling engine in Europe.

Hopefully, the new V6 is better than the lethargic (compared to its competitors), unrefined and relatively thirsty V6 from the 2003 Mazda6, but a 2.5 with a 5-speed manual should be more than enough power.

There are 4 engines in the EU Engine Range:

1.8 gas (120hp)
2.0 gas (147hp)
2.5 gas (170hp)
2.0 diesel (138hp)

There is also a 160-170hp diesel on the way, apparently...

The 1.8 is probably a little underpowered...

It's ironic how people blast the look of the Camry and that's exactly what this new Mazda looks like. An updated Toyota Camry.
And there is nothing wrong with that as I think the Camry is an attractive car that if you stripped off the name "Camry" many people would agree. Mazda did a very good job with this one.

J,

I don't think it's fair to call an engine pathetic because it has a lower power to displacement ratio than the competition. Car engines are ridiculously complicated machines. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of variables starting with the business decisions intended to make products cheaper and more universal, through the engineering decisions about how to make thousands of parts behave in the most efficient and reliable way to meet a number of different needs. It's not like the engineers tried to squeeze every horsepower out of these engines; these cars are ordinary family haulers.

Even high performance engines can't be judged simply by specific output. Both BMW and GM make 500hp engines; BMW's has a 5.0L displacement while GM's is a huge 7.0L. At first it seems like the BMW engine is superior, but the GM engine is actually lighter with smaller exterior dimensions and a lot more torque. That doesn't necessarily mean it's better though. Like I said, there are many other variables.

what's up with people's obsession with horsepower? poisoned by journalists who get to drive as hard as they want on tracks without speed limits and cars they don't own or have to pay to fix??? i took a little 2.0T Passat to 120mph+ and my "little" '04 I-4 Mazda6 to 110mph+ on flat roads ... so what? will anyone drive an 300-hp STi 140 all the time without having to go to jail?

i rarely get passed, at ANY speed, in these little 4-cylinder cars. Mazda6 made its mark with slightly better handling (and styling), not horsepower or engine refinement, when it first came out in '03. i doubt cars like Camry's, Accords, or Mazda6's ever get taken to the track!

anyone actually DROVE one of these babies? cuz i'd rather drive an "anemic" RX-8 any day than the powerfully unsophisticated Mustang GT. somebody tell me about the handling characteristics, please!

Lil'Tom,

But if GM is trying to regain a spot in the mid-size sedan category, don't you think it is a blemish point on their product?

first of all, the Passat passes up the Mazda6 by 7 hp and uses a bit less gas.

Eurpoean cars are just as reliable as rice burners (save MB), and more reliable than American cars (again, save MB). not only that, but they outperform Japanese cars consistently. Drive a VW or an Audi at its limit, and you'll still be in control. Drive a Nissan or a Subaru or a Toyota at its limit, and you will be spinning out.

BTW, the Japanese will NEVER be able to build an interior like the Germans can. Even though the A8 has not been redesigned in a while, it still has better interior quality than a LS460. The Lexus ES350 has an exposed screw on its steering column, that you can see every time you turn the wheel. not only that, but that $40k car has har plastic on the dash. Even a Jetta does not have plastic on the dash.

as much as i like my Mazda6, i have to ask -- does anyone think that the Mazda6 would ever have the reliability or reputation for refinement anywhere near an Accord or Camry? nope. the Mazda6 should keep its own little niche of being a smaller, more agile handling car, with a look that, at least back in 2003, was fresh and little more sporty.

Instead, it's gotten bloated. i think the new 2009 version will sink like the pre-2003 generation that sank miserably because they thought they were going to play in the same pool as the Camry/Accord. for a minute i thought Mazda realized its niche in building small cars and smartened up by building the Mazda6. what a shame. might as well re-badge a Ford Taurus

It is a very cool car in a boring segment. Thanks to the new Malibu and the new Accord, and now to the new Mazda 6, the last Camry is one of the worst designs they have ever made, good for rental like the Sebring.

J,

You make a good point.

All I was trying to say is that a 273hp 3.7L engine may be just as good as, or better than, a 270hp 3.5L engine.

Some people will reject the Malibu for the more powerful competitors, but since these are “appliance” cars power isn’t really a top priority. The vast majority of buyers will opt for the 4 cylinder models. I think if anything makes the Malibu pathetic it’s the fact that it gets worse gas mileage than its more powerful competitors.

Anyway, I’ll reiterate the point from my first post. 270 horsepower is more than any FWD car needs. I’d happily give up power to get rid of torque steer.

I wonder how long it will be before we see waht the next Fusion and Millan look like? (Also didn't the old 6 chassis contribute to a Volvo?)

Tony,

You are the perfect example of why the world hates America. It's time for you to travel abroad and explore the rest of the world.

You say we are the ones who demand luxury cars. There is no chance Japanese and Korean automakers would ship the same cars to Europe as they do to America. Europeans demand, and get, much better cars (well they pay more for them too). Slow selling Camry was replaced with the more lexus-like Avensis. Hyundai and Kia had to introduce the Ceed and i30 becuase nobody in Europe wanted to be seen in a Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio, no matter if they had leather seats or not. America is getting behind the rest of the world Tony. We get the worst quality becuase we know the least on whats going on around us.

I don't see why Mazda had to modify the 6 for us. I bet the 3.7 liter V6 will be a sloooooooooow seller, and I hate you Mazda for not giving us the wagon! Grrrrr.

"Tony, You are the perfect example of why the world hates America. It's time for you to travel abroad and explore the rest of the world...."

The world as we know exists only thanks to America. Without America you would either:
1- Be never born
2- enslaved by Germans
3- enslaved by Russians/commies

I dunno what the world war has to do with car buying habits but whatever.

The US may have a great army, but you certainly have a different set of factors you take into account when buying a car:

Power (makes me feel like a MAN!)
Cheap
Power
Cheap
Nice looking (only if it's cheap enough)
Power
Nicely made interior (optional)
Power
Mileage (but god forbid it has less than 150hp - i don't want people to think i'm at all feminine)
Power

However, there is hope for you yet! ;)

Tony,

Your arrogant answer is exactly why the US is being disliked by the rest of the world. I doesn't matter what you did to "help" in the past, but how you act and deal with the world now counts.

Lil'Tom

That's why Honda had said something like this before: 4 cylinders is all America need.

J,
what do you know?
I guess, guys with machine guns never showed up at your door, never took you and your children, they never separated you, and you never had to live while knowing that your children are kept hungry somewhere and working until death.
You don't want to remeber this? If we don't remember, we'll do it again.
Most people don't hate America. Most people cooperate and trade with America. Only bunch of losers, who have nobody else to blame for all their problems.
You don't have to like American Luxury (Cadillac, Lincoln) (I don't like it), but it is existent, it is there. It is evolving.

Not sure how a post on the Mazda6 got to this point in the comments but let's stay on point.

I will say I'm surprised we have so many international readers. Thanks for reading and taking part in the conversation in a civil style.

Dave T, here how it went:
Somebody here said that Mazda6 is bigger in the USA because we are fat here...
You know the rest.

I agree with the commenter above who said that Mazda is making a mistake trying to play with the Accord's and Camry's of the world. My '03 Mazda6 can handle the pants off of either of those two in comparable years. It has a plenty big boot and some of the largest rear legroom I've ever encountered.

But who knows, maybe because the design is sharp and the quality improved, Mazda will sell more of the 6s. If it makes them stronger as a company, so be it. The RX-8, rumored RX-7 and the Speed3 are all fun cars to drive and the world is better for them.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/Advice/WhatIfNoOneWereFat.aspx
After reading this about how many % American are overweight, I rest my case with Mazda for offering a bigger vehicle.

I don't know why it's so hard to please everyone's tastes. Car companies are in business to make money, and trying to please a small minority won't cut it! The salesman at the local Mazda dealership where I bought my '07 6i VE told me that there are a lot of prospective buyers already lining up to buy this new model as soon as it hits the showroom floor. I think Mazda will sell out the entire first production in a short amount of time. And it will be the same when the new Mazda 3 comes out. Now if only I can figure out a way to increase my income by at least 50%, I will probably be one of those prospective buyers for the new 6, AND keep my '07 6i VE which I love very much for driving around town running errands, shopping, etc.