MazdaThe midsize car wars wage on, making up nearly 20% of the total market share of consumer automobiles. And there are more players than ever, so if you want to compete, you’d better not bring your knife to a gun fight. We love the current Mazda6, but the 2014 Mazda6 sedan eclipses it with a completely new design. Based on the ‘Kodo’ (Soul of Motion) design language, introduced in 2010 at the L.A. Auto Show via the sinewy Shinari Concept. The new 6 carries over many of the design cues from the Shinari. We think it’s clean, muscular and definitely better looking than most of its competitors.
And unlike many carmakers, Mazda is downsizing their cars, as well as making them lighter. The new 6 is 2.2 inches shorter than the current car, though the wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer. But the astounding part is the weight savings. Depending on powertrain, the new 6 is 220 to 375 pounds lighter than the current 6 with the four banger engine. Weight is down, rigidity is up — good news for driving enthusiasts. But the sole engine we’ll get stateside (at least for now) is the SKYACTIV-G 2.5 liter inline four cylinder engine with 189 horsepower and 189 pound feet of torque. Expect decent performance, especially with weight loss plan and solid fuel economy numbers with the ultra-efficient SKYACTIV technology. Probably one of the best, if not the best, naturally aspirated four cylinder engines around today. Plus, you can get it with a manual transmission. Awesome.
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