Introduced on Thursday: 2014 Skyactiv Mazda 6
What it is: The all-new Mazda 6. The design closely resembles the Takeri concept sedan that had its debut in North America at the New York International Auto Show this year.
What it isn’t: Mazda’s flagship car doesn’t resemble anything else in the ho-hum midsize sedan segment. It’s much like its fan base: “young, stylish customers,” said Jim O’Sullivan, the president and chief executive of Mazda North American Operations.
What makes it tick: There’s no V-6, and there’s no turbocharged version. But there’s a Skyactiv-G 184-horsepower 2.5-liter engine. A Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel will be arriving in the United States in the second half of 2013 (no performance numbers are available yet). Expect Skyactiv to ultimately dominate the brand. Sidenote: The company says the new Mazda6 will be the first diesel-powered racecar to compete in the Grand-Am GX class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
How much, how soon? The Mazda 6 arrives in dealerships in the United States in January. Mazda is still tight-lipped about pricing, but don’t expect it to stray far from a starting price in the low $20s.
Our take: With a stunning exterior and advanced technology, the Mazda 6 is like champagne on a beer budget. And with the new Skyactiv Mazda 3 hitting 40 m.p.g. on the highway and the CX-5 reaching 35, it will be interesting to see what the Mazda 6 achieves.
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times
The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata has been named to Car and Driver's 10Best Cars list for the eighth straight year and 14th overall since the vehicle made its global debut in 1989. With a nearly 50:50 weight distribution, the small-in-size MX-5 offers a hefty dose of road-hugging handling and superior driving dynamics, making the roadster a favorite among weekend warriors and daily drivers alike.
"The MX-5 Miata sets the bar high on sports car performance and driving pleasure, which is not lost among its increasing fan base as the vehicle continues to be a world record holder as both the most popular two-seat roadster ever built[1] and the most raced nameplate in motorsports," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). "Sleek, stylish and sporty – the MX-5 remains an uncomplicated sports car with such a visceral driving experience you won't want to take your hands off the steering wheel."
According to Car and Driver, "What keeps the [MX-5] triumphant is not raw performance but a balanced chassis that communicates every nuance to the driver through perfectly calibrated controls." The MX-5 first landed a spot on the 10Best list in 1990 – its first model year – and has made regular appearances ever since.
Powered by an MZR 2.0-liter engine, which produces up to 167 horsepower, delivers 140 lb-ft of torque and redlines at 7,200 rpm, the 2013 MX-5 is available with a soft top or industry-leading 12-second-operation Power Retractable Hard Top, and is on sale now.
Courtesy of Mazda Media
This sporty 2007 Mazda Hatchback is in mint condition and is fully equipped with custom wheels and tires.
The family sedan marketplace has become a brawl, with Honda's Accord, Nissan's Altima and Ford's Fusion all newly redesigned and looking to unseat Toyota's Camry as the best-selling car in the U.S.
Mazda joined the fray Thursday with the introduction of the 2014 Mazda 6 sedan at Los Angeles Auto Show.
The car will be available with one of two new engines, gas or diesel, both designed for efficiency and foreshadowing company plans for future models.
The gas model will go on sale in January. It features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine making 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. It routes power to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
Mazda says it doesn't yet have fuel economy ratings, but expects to be the best in the segment. That means Mazda 6 will have to beat the 27 mpg city, 38 mpg highway rating of the current non-hybrid leader, the Nissan Altima.
In the second half of 2013, Mazda will offer the 6 with a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel engine. The company has yet to release horsepower and torque figures, but the diesel will be available with the same manual and automatic transmissions as the gas car.
Both models will have an available system Mazda calls i-ELOOP, a regenerative braking system that stores captured energy in a capacitor, rather than a battery, and electric motor. Mazda says this allows the system to be smaller and lighter, further enhancing the car's efficiency. The energy this feature captures will be used to power electrical functions such as air conditioning and the stereo.
Other options available on the 6 will include an in-dash TomTom navigation system, alloy wheels, LED lights, and a Bose stereo system.
Mazda also used the L.A. Auto Show to show off a more powerful engine option on the 2014 CX-5 crossover SUV. It''s essentially the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit that will be in the new 6 sedan, and it makes 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque.
It will be available only with an automatic transmission on Touring and Grand Touring models. Fuel economy will be rated at 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway for front-wheel drive models and 24/30 for AWD models.
By adding this more powerful option to the CX-5 lineup, Mazda addresses one of the few complaints we had when we tested the crossover in April. That model had the smaller 2.0-liter engine, making 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. Its handling was easily the most engaging of the segment, but engine sacrificed power in the name of efficiency.
The 2014 CX-5 will go on sale in January. Pricing has not yet been announced.
Courtesy of LA Times