Automotive

Mazda to unveil new Mazda6 flagship sedan in LA

Mazda to unveil new Mazda6 flagship sedan in LA
The most significant of the 2018 Mazda6's upgrades are those being made under the hood
The most significant of the 2018 Mazda6's upgrades are those being made under the hood
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The most significant of the 2018 Mazda6's upgrades are those being made under the hood
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The most significant of the 2018 Mazda6's upgrades are those being made under the hood
The 2018 Mazda6's interior appears to see some refinement to the middle dashboard strip, which now has a more straight-lined, full-length band across the interior
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The 2018 Mazda6's interior appears to see some refinement to the middle dashboard strip, which now has a more straight-lined, full-length band across the interior

Mazda has announced that a new iteration of its flagship Mazda6 sedan will be unveiled at the LA Auto Show on November 29. The 2018 Mazda6 will include two new engines options, one of which could compete with some of the eight-cylinder-powered competition.

The Mazda6 has seen only moderate upgrades since its well-received, current-generation debut in 2012. It has been a flagship offering from Mazda, heralding in the company's SKYACTIV engine and chassis technologies.

The most significant of the 2018 Mazda6's upgrades are those being made under the hood. A new 2.5-liter gasoline engine with cylinder deactivation will be the standard offering for the car. Designed to improve fuel efficiency without compromising the 6's base performance, this SKYACTIV-G engine will also come with the 2018 CX-5 crossover, which makes its North American debut in LA.

The current-generation SKYACTIV-G 2.5 offers up to 35 mpg (6.7 l/100km) on the highway. We expect that cylinder deactivation will improve that score by as many as two points, depending on how aggressive Mazda has been with its programming.

Also interesting is the second engine option, which will be familiar to those who have read about the new Mazda CX-9 crossover. That 2.5-liter four-cylinder has been turbocharged with a unique system that improves power output significantly. So much so that the torque output is on par with some V8 engines with almost twice the displacement, Mazda says.

The 2018 Mazda6's interior appears to see some refinement to the middle dashboard strip, which now has a more straight-lined, full-length band across the interior
The 2018 Mazda6's interior appears to see some refinement to the middle dashboard strip, which now has a more straight-lined, full-length band across the interior

The new Mazda6 will also feature a wider range of advanced safety technology in the form of Mazda's i-ACTIVESENSE suite. This includes improvements to the sensors for the adaptive cruise control and a new 360-degree camera system. The adaptive cruise can now function in stop-and-go situations without driver input to the pedals.

Mazda has not given too much away as to the new 6's design, but from what we can see of in the photos released thus far, most of the exterior elements remain the same with tweaks to the grille, lower intake, and possibly the side paneling. Similarly, the interior appears to be much the same with some refinement to the middle dashboard strip, which now has a more straight-lined, full-length band across the interior.

New Atlas will be on the ground in LA to bring you more details.

Source: Mazda

2 comments
2 comments
IvanWashington
how well does the suspension filter out road surface irregularities?
Grunchy
I wonder if any of these built-in camera systems offer recording capability? Because that sort of information would be useful in case of an accident. And if they have the cameras already, why not add a recording function at the same time- why does it have to be an aftermarket solution?