Sometimes, in the smallest of updates can make a big difference for a car. The new Mazda6 is proof of that. It still looks like the same attractive sedan, but take a closer look at it, and you’ll notice a few subtle tweaks that give the sedan a more refined appearance. Part of the changes is tied to Mazda’s “Mature Elegance” styling, a design language that the automaker first unveiled in its Vision Coupe concept. The new Mazda6 receives some hints of the new aesthetic architecture. That’s on top of the car also receiving a more powerful turbocharged engine. It’s a new day for the new-and-improved Mazda6.

New Year; New Looks

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Let’s start with the exterior of the new Mazda6. Most of the changes are in the front of the sedan. It’s in this section that we see Mazda adopt a bigger front grille that’s similar to the one found on Mercedes-AMG models. The added prominence of the grille extends all the way to the outer edges of the headlamps, far longer than it used to be on the previous version of the model. Just below that is a new layout to the front bumper. The lamps on the old model are now gone, replaced by aggressive chrome strips and a more stylized bumper. The result is a more refined look to a sedan that was already attractive in our eyes. Two new color options are also part of the updates. They're called Soul Red Chrystal and Machine Gray Metallic. They join an impressive palette of paint options that are being carried over from the previous model.

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There are more significant changes in the interior of the Mazda6 compared to the exterior. Mazda even said that only two pieces from the outgoing model were carried over to the updated version. The steering wheel is one of them, while a few small trim pieces count as the other. Beyond these, the 6’s interior gets a healthy dose of improvements. The dashboard now looks more stretched out. The lower half of it, in particular, stretches from one side to the other with no disturbances to it. That new design also plays into a much clearer center console is a lot cleaner. The center tunnel also looks more refined, thanks to the thick leather trim surrounding it. Speaking of which, the new Mazda6 also gets a bigger inventory of premium materials, including Nappa leather, Sen wood, and UltraSuede NU. It’s hard to make out in the photos, but these items are found on the doors, seats, and dashboard of the Signature trim models.

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As notable as the exterior and interior changes are, the biggest update to the new Mazda6 is found under its hood, specifically the 2.5-liter turbocharged SkyActiv engine that's making its first appearance on the sedan's engine lineup. This particular powertrain is notable because it’s the same engine that Mazda has in the CX-9 crossover. It produces 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque and features the SkyActiv-Drive automatic transmission as the standard gearbox. A six-speed manual transmission is available as an option, but its availability is limited to lower-trim versions of the Mazda6 that don’t use the 2.5-liter turbo mil.

References

Mazda 6

Read our full review on the 2018 Mazda6.

Read our full review on the 2017 Mazda6.

Read more 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show news.