Very Nice 2011 Model Mazda Cx9...... Unit# U23w on 2040-cars

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Why a production Mazda Koeru won't be a Subaru Outback clone

No automaker has had a hit quite like the Outback Many have entered, few have won. The Subaru Outback is one of those automotive bogeys that competitors seek to imitate but never quite capture. Mazda is poised to change that, its CEO tells Automotive News, with a production version of the Koeru concept. We're torn on whether this attempt will be the one to do it, whether the proposed model is truly aimed at the Outback, or whether it's just another pale imitation destined for failure. While the ingredients are pretty basic – wagon-like shape, extra cladding, a smidge more ground clearance than a regular car – no automaker has had a hit quite like the Outback. Reasons include packaging issues, poor brand fit, and Subaru's seemingly unstoppable momentum in building all-wheel-drive archetypes. That hasn't stopped a bunch of companies from trying. And now for a list: Ford attempted with the Freestyle/Taurus X; note that that model no longer exists, having been replaced de facto by the Flex and the newly crossover-ified Explorer. Audi discontinued the A4 Avant and slapped the Allroad badge and some fender flares on to capture the affluent outdoorsy crowd, initially selling well but now down 40 percent since last year. The humpback Honda (Accord) Crosstour and Toyota Venza could also be considered Outback-apers, as both short-lived models took sedan bodies and added a hatch and optional all-wheel drive. Dodge got into this space a few years back with the Journey Crossroad trim level, but fake brush guards and black wheels do not an Outback make. Volvo has perhaps come closest with the XC70, a not-quite-crossover that it nevertheless brands like its other crossovers. It helps that the Volvo die-hard and the repeat Subaru buyer aren't too different. Most of these models no longer exist, and the ones that do haven't sold as well as Subaru's Outback so far this year. Even if you're generous and add all 96,718 Journey sales (and not just those for the Crossroad, which FCA doesn't break out separately) to V70/XC70, Venza, and Crosstour, it still doesn't equal the 136,227 Outbacks Subaru pushed through November of 2015. And, as Automotive News points out, Mazda hasn't sold that many crossovers so far this year (the number is 129,932 thanks to huge CX-5 numbers). So why is Mazda considering going after the hallowed Outback? First off, we're not sure that it is because there's the question of what tiny niche this vehicle would occupy. "It's a totally new car.

Confirmed: Mazda Miata gets more power, higher redline, telescoping wheel

Our friend over at Road & Track, Bozi Tatarevic, has a keen nose for stuff just like today's Miata news, and he spotted an article by the Japanese car magazine Car Watch that details Mazda's upcoming updates. Car Watch actually got to drive the car, too. There's a lot to go through, but the highlight has to be confirmation of what we told you earlier this year about a significant power bump: The Miata will indeed get an increase of 26 horsepower, from 155 to 181. But the power's not the whole story. Mazda has increased the redline from 6,800 RPM to 7,500. It's not clear at this point where torque and power peaks are in the rev range, or how these changes affect low-speed drivability, but more revs are almost always a good thing and aren't likely to detract from the roadster's fundamental goodness. Car Watch reports that lighter pistons and connecting rods are fitted to help reduce rotational mass in the 2.0-liter inline-four. Some valvetrain changes were needed to support the higher redline, mainly stiffer valvesprings to prevent valve float. Mazda also changed the shape of the valves and optimized the intake ports to breathe better at higher RPM. The inner diameter of the exhaust ports were increased to flow better through a new muffler better tuned to the engine's new operating range. This confirms and gives a little more detail to what we reported earlier based on a leaked document from Mazda Canada. Car Watch also confirms that the revised Miata will get a low-inertia dual-mass flywheel, which should help absorb some vibration, noise and harshness from the higher-revving engine without losing too much of the directness that a single-mass flywheel provides. Mazda usually gets stuff like this right, so while we won't know until we get a chance to drive it whether the DMF feels "right," we're not too worried about it. There's also a telescopic steering wheel, a first in any Miata, which has a range of about 1.1 inches. That doesn't sound like much, but it should help folks with longer legs reach the wheel without having to crank the seat forward. Interestingly, Car Watch reports that the telescoping wheel was opposed by some in the company seeking to save every fraction of an ounce of weight, and to get it through, the company apparently had to change some of the material in the upper steering column from steel to aluminum to satisfy the weight-conscious. Little details like these are fantastic.

Mazda3 diesel under consideration for US, hybrid not so much

It's been a long time coming, but we finally clapped our eyes on the real deal, officially official 2014 Mazda3 in hatchback form yesterday. Yet there's a lot more to learn about this next-generation version of what has always been one of our favorite compacts. We know that the US version will come with one of two Skyactiv engines, but what about alternatives? Will there be any... or will the gasoline-fed four-cylinders be powerful and frugal enough to carry the day?
According to Automotive News, the answer is a definite maybe. Mazda North America CEO Jim O'Sullivan has told the trade publication that his employer will consider adding the company's well-liked 2.2-liter Skyactiv diesel powerplant to the model down the road. However, the company first wants to see how the engine fares with American consumers in its big-brother Mazda6 sedan, a model that goes on sale later this year. As for a potential Mazdaspeed3 successor, mum is still the word.
Anything else? Uncharacteristically, Mazda will build a hybrid model of its new 3. We say "uncharacteristically," because the Japanese independent has long shied away from gas-electric powertrain tech. In fact, it's gone so far as to boldly announce its aversion to the technology, with auto show banners proclaiming "Not Electric. Not Hybrid. Not A Drag To Drive." Despite all that, this new generation of Mazda3 will in fact be the company's first full hybrid production model. According to AN, however, O'Sullivan says that the company has "no plans" to sell it in the US.