New 2014 Mazda 6 Looks Brilliant
If I were in the market for a new midsize sedan, I’d pick up one of these in a New York minute.
Autoblog recently reported on the upcoming 2014 Mazda 6, unveiled this week at the Moscow Auto Show, and boy, is it a looker. The second Mazda (after the comparo-winning CX-5 mini-SUV) to feature Mazda’s new Kodo design philosophy, the new 6 solidifies the automaker’s move away from grotesque smiling grilles toward a more attractive, distinctive face. The new 5-pointed grille opening is at once lower, giving the nose a more sports-car-like profile, and more upright, lending it additional aggressiveness as the headlights sweep into the very prominent front fender bulges. While they may initially seem out of sync with the slightly more slab-sided rear flanks of the car, recall that flared rear fenders on a sedan can seem a bit cartoonish if done incorrectly (see: current Nissan Maxima) and besides, the fronts serve a visual purpose: To highlight Mazda’s traditional emphasis on handling and driving enjoyment.
The rear, for its part, is nicely tailored and reminiscent of the very handsome Kia Optima’s. It’s also thankfully free of any trinkets and extraneous ornamentation that would quickly date the car; as a result, I have a feeling the shape will seem fresh for quite some time.
The interior is spectacularly well done. It features a meaty 3-spoke wheel, pleasing lighting and detailing and a neatly laid out center stack with actual grasp-it knobs flanking the multifunction screen. I don’t think it’s overstating the case to call the new 6’s interior Audi-esque, and ’round these parts, cabin styling accolades don’t get any higher than that.
With the shape spot-on, the only potential cause for concern is the output of the engines Mazda plans to offer under the new 6’s hood. The aforementioned CX-5 won the recent Car and Driver comparo on the basis of its chassis dynamics; speed-wise it ranked dead last among its competitors. Mazda has an unfortunate history of creating brilliant-driving, yet underpowered cars, and here’s hoping the new 6 bucks that tendency. I will say things don’t look so rosy at the moment: The only engine available with a 6-speed manual is a 2.0l, 148 hp 4-cylinder. The new 6 would have to be made of feathers and aerogel for that kind of output to be able to move it at a respectable pace. There will be a 189-hp 4-cylinder option, still a rather pathetic number nowadays, but sadly it looks as though the stronger engine will only be mated to a slushbox.
If styling and cornering acumen alone were enough to secure the top spot in the hotly-contested midsize segment, I’d say Mazda hits the bulleye with their new 6. Let’s just hope the automaker’s engine choices don’t let down the rest of the car.
Anxiously awaits release of the wagon design. :)
And the Mazdaspeed version. :)
it’s light, too. 3100 lbs! i am not easy to impress but brother, i am impressed. talk about a manufacturer moving in the right direction. mazda (generally) always has.
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2014-mazda-6-debuts-in-russia-photos-and-info-released-news
Yeah, I saw that article after I’d posted. Suppose I could post an update, but…oh well.
Mazda’s making all the right moves these days, engineering- and styling-wise. I remain a fan.
There’s nothing ‘cartoonish’ about the current Nissan Maxima. Looks damned good to plenty of folks, as a matter of fact. That’s why it sells well. The flared rear fenders were ‘done right’ on both cars.
Eh, disagree. While I like fender flares in general, and I appreciate the current Maxima’s Z-like nose treatment, the rear flares just look completely over-exaggerated. The car doesn’t look right with anything smaller than 20″ wheels, and even then it looks a bit grotesque.
It doesn’t look right to you, Matt, and nobody can make it look right to you. However, the car sells because a lot of people, including myself, find it looks fantastic. I have 18 inch wheels, and to me, my wife, and folks that have seen it they think it’s a beautiful car. I also think that the new Mazda 6 looks great. Beautiful thing about cars, theres something for everybody. Hell, I think Porshes look ugly as cars come, but plenty of folks love its looks. Different strokes for different folks.
Let me say this, Matt: I don’t like the wheels that come with the Nissan Maxima. They’re too ‘busy’ to me. I got some five spoke, polished aluminum Enkei GP5’s. Makes the car look that much better.