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2014 Mazda6 earns Popular Mechanics' 'Car of the Year'

Ring one up for Mazda. The Japanese brand's midsize offering, the Mazda6, has been named Popular Mechanics' Car of the Year. The 6 received a comprehensive reworking for the 2014 model year that saw it adopt sleek, sexy sheet metal; a clean, logical interior; and powertrain technologies that allow it to net some of the best fuel economy available in a gas-powered, non-hybrid sedan.
Popular Mechanics praised the 6's Skyactiv 2.5-liter, 184-horsepower engine, as well as its agility and responsiveness during testing. It also remarked on the functional, but well designed cabin, and the degree of available technology.
"The Mazda6 really impressed us with how well it delivers so many things modern car owners want: great mileage, fun road-handling, upscale features and looks - and remarkable value," said Jim Meigs, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Mechanics.

2020 Mazda3 gets five-star overall rating from NHTSA

Mazda is adding another figurative piece of silverware for its heralded Mazda3, this time in the form of a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The designation applies to both the hatchback and four-door sedan, and front- or all-wheel-drive versions. Mazda’s entry-level compact, which underwent a dramatic redesign for 2019, notched five-star ratings across the board: frontal crash, side crash and rollover crash tests. The Mazda3 has also been named Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with top scores on all crash tests and ease of use of the LATCH child-seat system, but an acceptable rating for its headlights as the only slight ding. Mazda opted to make its i-Activsense safety technology system standard on the 3 for 2020. It covers NHTSAÂ’s recommendations of having forward collision warning, lane departure warning, crash imminent braking and dynamic brake support, and it adds features like blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, automatic on-off LED headlights and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The fourth-generation car also got a stiffer body with a 10-fold increase in high-strength steel and a revamped suspension. Mazda sold 50,741 examples of the Mazda3 last year, which made it the automakerÂ’s No. 2 nameplate, though well behind the CX-5, which moved 154,545 units. Sales in January were off 45.7% from the prior year, when the new version wasnÂ’t yet on sale, suggesting that despite its distinctive looks and accolades from the motoring press, the Mazda3 is fighting an uphill battle against crossover-dom. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Mazda to use rotary engine as a range-extender with its first electric vehicle

There's more news from Mazda at the Tokyo Motor Show, where the brand made a big splash, including new developments in its never-ending rotary engine saga. First, Mazda execs confirmed that the Japanese automaker will bring back the rotary engine as a range-extender and battery juicer for its first electric vehicle in 2019. But secondly, the company won't have a rotary-powered successor to its RX-7 and RX-8 sportscars in time for the company's centennial anniversary in 2020. Autoblog previously confirmed that Mazda is planning to have an EV in 2019 that will be available in both pure electric and range-extending versions. Now, the Australian website Motoring reports that the global EV will feature a powertrain similar to the experimental Japan-only Mazda2 (Demio) EV, which used a single-rotor engine as a generator to power the battery pack and increase its driving range. The publication says Mazda plans to release a series of plug-in hybrids based on existing models around 2020, then a pure electric car co-developed with Toyota and Denso in 2021 as part of the EV Common Architecture Spirit Company joint venture. A Mazda spokesman tells Autoblog the company couldn't confirm any details about future products. Meanwhile, enthusiasts shouldn't wait for a rotary-based production version of Mazda's RX-Vision concept from 2015. Motoring cites two executives who explain that the company simply lacks the capital necessary to invest in developing the new model in time for its 2020 centennial. Mazda debuted its rotary engine 50 years ago in the Cosmo Sport in part as a way to stand out from its larger Japanese competitors. The engine, which uses a spinning three-tipped rotor in place of pistons, is smaller and lighter than conventional piston engines, with a greater power-to-weight ratio and quieter, smoother operation. But it delivers less fuel economy and higher emissions — two weaknesses that could be improved via a stop-start system Mazda has developed, based on a pair of U.S. patents. The company has also been hard at work developing its next-generation Skyactiv-X engine, which uses highly precise combustion ignition technology to deliver significant gains in fuel economy and power.Related Video: