Mazda6 gets wider stance, adds mpg
 | Davis: Another opportunity |
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A redesigned Mazda6 will arrive in U.S. showrooms in the first quarter of 2013 with a wide stance and better fuel economy.
Mazda wants the 2014 Mazda6 to have the best fuel economy among mid-sized sedans, which would put its highway rating at about 35 mpg or higher.
The Mazda6 will get a sporty chassis, high-compression direct-injection engines and other elements of what Mazda calls Skyactiv technology. The new sheet metal is expected to adopt the Mazda Takeri concept car's wide stance, muscular fenders and trapezoidal grille, which is the face of Mazda's next-generation vehicles.
"Dimensionally, proportionally and stancewise, everything is correct," said Robert Davis, senior vice president of Mazda's U.S operations group. "Like CX-5 and Mazda3, it's a chance to position a car in a mainstream segment that's unique to Mazda."
The current Mazda6 has been a disappointment, with sales consistently hovering at about half of the 75,000-unit annual target set before its 2008 launch.
The base Mazda6, with a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine, gets 30 mpg on the highway. The sticker is $21,275, including freight.
Mazda executives have said that a diesel engine will be offered in a U.S. vehicle next year. In an interview at the New York auto show, executives declined to say whether a diesel would be offered in the Mazda6. But they cited the strong sales of the Volks-wagen Passat TDI as a sign that Americans are willing to have diesels in their family sedans.
Davis said prototypes of Skyactiv diesel engines have generated 160 hp and 310 pounds-feet of torque.
You can reach Ryan Beene at rbeene@crain.com. -- Follow Ryan on 
