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2014 Mazda6: June 2013

The 2014 Mazda6 is our most recent addition to the Autoblog long-term fleet, and we spent the month of June getting to know our Soul Red tester, generally enjoying the honeymoon phase of this twelve-month relationship. During June, the Mazda6 spent the majority of its time with director of photography Drew Phillips, who in addition to putting together this pretty gallery of our rakish long-term car, had a lot to say about it as a daily driver.
You see, not too long before Mazda delivered our long-term 6, Drew bought a 2014 CX-5 crossover to support his growing family. The CX-5 was the first vehicle to use Mazda's full suite of Skyactiv technologies, and we've generally enjoyed the good-to-drive CUV. A lot of that CX-5 goodness lies beneath the more shapely lines of this sleek Mazda6 sedan, so it's only fitting that Drew had a lot of comparisons between Mazda's two housemates during his month behind the wheel.

Mazda Hazumi Concept shows up ahead of Geneva

Last week, Mazda officially teased its Geneva-bound Hazumi concept, showing little more than an aggressive headlamp design. But now, thanks to the magic of the Internet, another rendering of the Hazumi has appeared on the web, and, well, it's totes adorbs.
In Mazda's original release from last week, we were told that the name "Hazumi" means "spring up" or "bound" in Japanese, and is "particularly well-suited to a small car that appears to be bursting with energy." And now that we're getting a nearly full glimpse of the thing, we absolutely have to agree. The company's Kodo design language offers aggressive style in a cute little shape, and the usual raft of concept car-spec treatments (no mirrors, huge wheels, etc.) make it look even more comical and delightful.
Indeed, the Hazumi is understood to preview the next Mazda2 subcompact, and if this concept car points the way forward for Mazda's tiniest hatch, consider us totally geeked. Mazda is also set to debut its new 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine at the Geneva Motor Show next week, and while the company hasn't confirmed if that powerplant will make its way into the next Mazda2, it sure makes sense, at least overseas. Stay tuned.

AWD Mazda6 or Mazda3? That could be a thing, but there's a problem

We wanted a stronger engine in the Mazda6, and last week at the L.A. Auto Show we got one, Mazda's turbocharged 2.5-liter four. (Though some of us wanted a manual transmission with it, but didn't get that.) And now we learn that apparently a lot of us would like to have all-wheel drive in Mazda's sedans. That might be a tough ask, but Mazda says it hears us. In an interview with CarAdvice, Masahiro Moro, Mazda North America's president and CEO, said there's a big demand in the U.S. for AWD, so Mazda's looking into it. Ah, but maybe we can't have everything. "I think we are not able to combine four-wheel drive and the 2.5-liter turbo. We have a layout issue with the sedans, that's why a four-wheel drive isn't deployed on the Mazda 3 and 6 so far," Moro said. "But there is a huge demand, at least what I know is that in the East Coast of the USA, 80 or 90 percent of premium sedans are sold with all-wheel drive." And with Mazda going upscale, it only makes sense to give upscale, performance-oriented customers what they want, like the AWD sedans the German premium brands have been offering for years. "Four-wheel drive becomes a premium cue for U.S. consumers," said Moro, "and obviously I have asked our R&D department to think about how we can accommodate four-wheel drive capability in the future." Though the CX-9, being a crossover, of course has AWD in combination with that turbo engine, it simply must not have the platform limitations of the sedans. And all-wheel drive in the Mazda6, at least, has been available in Japan, Europe and Australia, but paired with the Skyactiv-D and another smaller engine, diesels we don't get here. Moro's statement leaves open the possibility of AWD with the base 2.5-liter engine, but maybe not. Besides, a premium buyer would want the turbo. So, when Moro says the future, he means not now, not in the Mazda6 facelift we just saw. But maybe in the next big redesign? Or maybe the configuration problems will be easier to overcome when working with the innovative new 2.0-liter Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engine that's expected in the 2019 Mazda3. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda6: LA 2017 View 16 Photos Image Credit: Drew Phillips / Autoblog Auto News Mazda Technology Emerging Technologies Performance Sedan