2004 Mazda Rx-8 Coupe 4-door 1.3l 6-speed on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mazda6 diesel engine delayed over low performance, still coming

Oh Mazda... we had many hopes for the promised diesel four-cylinder in the Mazda6, but those have remained largely unfulfilled, as the oil-burning powerplant has failed to appear on dealer lots following its 2012 LA Auto Show announcement. Despite engineering issues that forced the company to announce that the program was delayed back in September 2013, Mazda remains adamant that the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D is still coming to our shores. "We're still very much committed to diesel," Mazda's North American CEO, Jim O'Sullivan, told Automotive News. "We are still working on getting the performance aspects up to where we want them, and we do have a plan – an engineering road map – to get it done." According to AN, Mazda's initial plan with the 2.2-liter diesel was to build an engine so clean it could get by without an aftertreatment system, which generally accounts for the price premium of diesel engines versus their gas counterparts. The new system has come with performance issues, though, necessitating the delays. "If [we were] a commodity brand and didn't care about that, it would be on the market right now," O'Sullivan told AN. "But I know the people were expecting something from us, expecting certain drive characteristics and performance, and I didn't want to disappoint them." While O'Sullivan's defense of the diesel Mazda is admirable, the exec stops short of giving us an indication of when the new engine will finally arrive.

2017.5 Mazda6 gives you more for the same money

The current Mazda6 has been around since the 2014 model year, but Mazda continues to update it and make it more enticing. For this midyear update that's earned the "2017.5" model year stamp, Mazda has added more standard features to both the base model Sport and midlevel Touring models. The Sport model now comes with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard features. The Touring model picks up navigation and heated seats as standard equipment. You can also opt for 8-way power leather seats on the Touring as well. If the extra features weren't enough, Mazda doesn't charge anything extra for the trim levels. All the base prices remain the same. The cheapest Sport model, which comes with a manual transmission, still starts at $22,820. The cheapest Touring model, again with a manual transmission, keeps its starting price of $25,070. Aside from a nice addition of features for no extra cost, there's something else interesting about the 2017.5 Mazda6, and that's the model year itself. The last time Mazda used a half-year designation was for the 2016.5 CX-5. It was the last model year of the previous generation CX-5, with the completely redesigned model launching for 2017. This leads us to believe that we may be seeing a completely new Mazda6 for the 2018 model year, with a reveal sometime within a year. It's possible Mazda could just do a significant refresh for 2018 as well, but the 6 also is the next model due for a complete redesign. And since the folks at Mazda have told us they're in the process of thoroughly updating the lineup again, we would lean toward the likelihood of a completely new car rather than a refresh. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda 6 View 33 Photos Image Credit: Mazda Mazda Car Buying Sedan

2018 Mazda6 gets more power, efficiency to go with updated looks

The 2018 Mazda Mazda6 will debut at the L.A. Auto Show later this month, and the company released teaser images of the exterior and interior Wednesday – both of which tell us a lot about the new car. Mazda also said the sedan will have more efficient and more powerful engines. Starting with the visuals, the car doesn't look extraordinarily different from the current model, but there are notable changes. Up front, the Mazda6 now has a deeper-set grille with a 3D mesh instead of slats. The chrome strip that wraps around the lower part of the grille extends across the width of the headlights, too. Both of these cues are pulled from the Mazda CX-5. From what we can tell in the image, it looks like most of the sheetmetal along the sides and top are roughly the same as the current model. The interior also isn't a major departure from the current car, but the changes do make it cleaner and more elegant. All of the air vents sit along one slender plane that stretches across the interior. It leaves the top of the dash uncluttered and makes the vents look like a more integrated part of the design. Below the vent strip is another line of what appears to be vinyl or leather trim, and below that are the climate controls. The updated looks are accompanied by significant mechanical upgrades. While the current model offers just one engine, a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the new car will have two options. The first is again a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine, but it now has cylinder deactivation, allowing it to run on just two cylinders at times. For those who prefer power to efficiency, the Mazda6 will also be available with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder from the CX-9 crossover. In that application, it makes 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The full reveal of the car happens on November 29 at the L.A. Auto Show. Be sure to check back then for more photos of and details about the car. Related Video: Image Credit: Mazda LA Auto Show Mazda Sedan