After being teased for quite some time now, the new generation Mazda 6->ke346 has finally made its first appearance today before its official debut at the 2012 Moscow Motor Show (August 29 through September 9, 2012). The new model is set to go on sale by the end of the year, with prices to be announced at a later date.

The new Mazda 6 is the second Mazda model - after the new CX-5 - to adopt the company's full range of Skyactiv technology and the "KODO – Soul of Motion" design language. The sedan is the mass production model born of the Mazda Takeri concept unveiled back in 2011. On the exterior the new Mazda 6 combines the animalistic tenacity, dignity and a sporty flare, while the interior has received better quality materials and a nicer design.

As for the engine lineup, Mazda->ke53 announced details just for one gasoline, but for sure more engines will be used. This Skyactiv-G 2.5 produces nearly 200 horsepower.

Updated 01/03/2013: Mazda announced U.S. prices for the new-generation Mazda 6 which is now on sale. Prices will range from $20,880 for the entry i Sport version and up to $29,495 for the i Grand Touring version. The mid-level version, i Touring trim, is priced at $24,495. Mazda is offering an optional Touring Technology Package priced at $2,000 and a MRCC/FOW Package priced at $900.

Updated 07/05/2013: Mazda has announced the fuel economy and pricing for the all-new i-ELOOP system. See the amazing mpg increase after the jump.

2014 Mazda6

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Mazda6
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 184 @ 5700
  • Torque: 185 @ 3250
  • Transmission: Six-Speed Manual
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The new Mazda6 takes is design inspiration from the 2011 Takeri concept. Up front the most notable feature is the company's new "signature wing" grille and a new hood which perfectly continues this wing and flows into the body character lines. The car's newly designed headlamps are offered with LED lights and halo ring light guides - a first for a Mazda mass production vehicle.

The new Mazda6 has also been launched with a very cool exterior paint color: "Soul Red" - a new color born of a unique technological process developed by Mazda, that balances depth and shading which accentuate the car’s dynamic form, and vividness which expresses sportiness.

"The new Mazda6 has a robust framework and a low, wide stance that expresses strength and stability, creating the impression of amazing vitality without detracting from the universal aesthetic appeal and beautiful form it displays as a CD car," says the chief designer Akira Tamatani. "We have created a design in which the wild and dynamic expressions of motion artistically realize a powerful presence. Simply looking at the car heightens one’s expectations about the driving experience even before actually riding in it."

Sport Standard Exterior Equipment:-17-inch alloy wheels

Touring Standard Exterior Equipment:-All Sport features, plus:-19-inch alloy wheels

Grand Touring Standard Exterior Equipment:-Platinum silver 19-inch alloy wheels-Power moonroof-Rear lip spoiler-Bi-xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights with auto leveling

Exterior Dimensions

Length

191.5 inches

Width>/b>

72.4 inches

Wheelbase

111.4 inches

Coefficient of Drag

0.26


Interior

For the interior Mazda has been working on improving the comfort level. For this the company added a new driver-oriented cockpit that offers generous space, while the cabin features higher quality materials and a nicer design.

Inside the cabin, the Mazda6 comes standard with cool features, like: push-button start, power windows, tilt steering wheel and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. When you equip the base Sport trim with the automatic transmission, Mazda also tosses in Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 5.8-inch color touchscreen display, a rearview camera, HD Radio, Pandora, SMS text message receipt and delivery, E911 automatic emergency notification and audio menu voice command

The Touring trim adds in dual-zone climate control, rear seat vents, leatherette seating, a six-way power driver's seat and a Commander Switch for the 5.8-inch touchscreen. The top-line Grand Touring model caps it all off by adding in leather-trimmed sport seats with heated front seats, an eight-way power driver's seat with power lumbar support, a four-way power front passenger seat, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Interior Specifications

38.4 in./27.1 in.
Legroom (Front/Rear) 42.2 in./38.7 in.
Hip Room (Front/Rear) 56.1 in./56.1 in.
Shoulder Room (Front/Rear) 57.1 in./55.5 in.
Cargo Capacity 14.8 cubic-feet

Sport Standard Interior Features-Push-button start-Power windows-Tilt steering wheel-Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls-Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity (Auto transmission only)-5.8-inch color touchscreen display (Auto transmission only)-Rearview camera (Auto transmission only)-HD Radio(Auto transmission only)-Pandora (Auto transmission only)-SMS text message receipt and delivery (Auto transmission only)-Audio menu voice command (Auto transmission only)

Touring Standard Interior Features-Dual-zone climate control-Rear seat vents-Leatherette seating-Six-way power driver's seat-Commander Switch for the 5.8-inch touchscreen

Grand Touring Standard Interior Features-Leather-trimmed sport seats-Heated front seats- Eight-way power driver's seat with power lumbar support-Four-way power front passenger seat-Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters-SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Drivetrain

The 2014 Mazda6 comes standard with a 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder engine that is not overly powerful at 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, but offers 11 percent more torque than the outgoing base engine. In the last half of 2013, Mazda will release a new 2.2-liter SJYACTIV-D diesel engine with a two-stage turbocharger that will improve smoothness across the rpm range. Additionally, we expect increased fuel economy and lowered emissions.

The 2.5-liter engine links up to a SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission as standard and this nets the sedan fuel economy ratings of 25 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined. The optional SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission jumps fuel economy to 26 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. The Automatic transmission is optional on Sport models but it is standard on Touring and Grand Touring models.

The Grand Touring trim level has available i-ELOOP as a part of the GT Technology Package until late 2013 and as a standalone option after that. The i-ELOOP system uses the kinetic energy created when slowing down to create electricity that it later stores for use to power the headlights, audio system and climate control. This stored energy reduces the amount of time the vehicle has to rely on the engine-driven alternator, allowing the engine to disengage the alternator at times, thus reducing drag on the engine and increasing efficiency. The net result is increased fuel economy in the Grand Touring model to 28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 32 mpg combined.

Gasoline Drivetrain Specifications

Engine

2.5-Liter Four Cylinder SKYACTIV-G

Output (Horsepower @ RPM

184 @ 5,700

Torque (Pound-Feet @ RPM)

185 @ 3,250

Fuel Economy (City/Highway/Combined)

25/37/29 (Manual Trans.) / 26/38/30 (Auto Trans) / 28/40/32 (W/ i-ELOOP)

Acceleration (0-60 mph)

7.6 Sec.


Prices

The base prices for the i Sport, i Touring and i Grand Touring are $20,990, $24,995 and $29,495, respectively. This amounts to a price hike of only $155 over the 2013 model year on the base model.

On the Touring trim, you can add in the Touring Technology Package for an extra $2,000 and receive a laundry list of features, including: leather seating; Bose 11-speaker stereo system; Advanced Keyless Entry; Smart City Brake Support; automatic headlights; rain-sensing wirpers; Homelink; auto-dimming mirrors; and heated mirrors.

The big package for the Grand Touring trim is the $2,080 GT Technology Package, which includes, on top of the earlier-mentioned i-ELOOP: Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), High Beam Control (HBC), Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), a Sport mode button and active grille shutters. The stand-alone MRCC/FOW Package, which includes Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW). This package will be phased out later in 2013, but the future of i-ELOOP is uncertain following the phase out. We are certain the individual features from the package, including i-ELOOP, will become standalone options.

TrimDrivetrain Pricing
i Sport SKYACTIV-G 2.5L W/ Six-Speed Manual Transmission $20,990
i Sport SKYACTIV-G 2.5L W/ Six-Speed Automatic Transmission $22,495
i Touring SKYACTIV-G 2.5L W/ Six-Speed Automatic Transmission $24,495
i Grand SKYACTIV-G 2.5L W/ Six-Speed Automatic Transmission $29,495

Optional Package Pricing

Package Trim Availability MSRP
GT Technology Package Grand Touring $2,080
Mazda Radar Cruise & Forward Obstruction Warning Package Grand Touring $900
Touring Technology Package Touring $2,000
Snowflake White Pearl Mica Paint All $200
Soul Red Metallic Paint All $300

Competition

2014 Buick Regal

For 2014, Buick equipped the Regal with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine as its base engine, which pumps out 259 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This sprints the Regal to 60 in 6.5 seconds and nets it 18 mpg city, 29 mph highway and 22 mpg combined. The base model starts out at $29,910. In summary, the Regal is more luxurious and faster than the Mazda6, but it is also significantly more expensive.

2013 Hyundai Sonata.

The Sonata gets a Theta II GDI 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 198 horsepower or a 2.0-liter Theta II turbocharged GDI four-cylinder engine that puts down 274 horsepower. These engines net the Sonata a 0-to-60 mph sprint in 7.9 seconds and 6.7 seconds, respectively. The base engine is rated at 24 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, and the 2.0-liter unit is rated at 22 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. Additionally, the Kia starts off closer to the Mazda6 at $21,195.

Conclusion

The new Mazda6 is not only stunning, but it is also more powerful at the base level and far more efficient. This may well be enough to put the MAzda6 back into the interest of buyers, as the last-gen model was an afterthought to most buyer, with exception to the Mazda nuts. Additionally, the upcoming 2.2-liter diesel engine will be a welcome addition to the lineup that we are very excited to see.