The all-new Mazda 6 mid-sizer was a sure starter for first quarter next year but the Japanese brand has pulled out all the stops to get it into local showrooms earlier.
The sedan and wagon range has only just made its debut here at the Australian International Motor Show but looks set to be available for those who've made Santa's "nice" list.
Mazda Australia's Steve Maciver says the car was made available to Australia earlier than originally planned and they were keen to get it. "Early December is the date that it will now be launched, we're delighted to have the car in our showrooms earlier than we had planned.
"Pricing is still being finalised but it will be competitive," he says. The company's sales figures have been strong throughout the year but the addition of the new 6 could push it beyond 100,000 units for the first time.
"The addition of new product to our line-up will put us in a good position - we'll just have to wait and see," Mr Maciver says. The 6 brings with it the full arsenal of Skyactiv technology, including the world-first "i-ELOOP" brake energy recovery system that uses a capacitor to store the recaptured energy and the stop-start fuel saver system.
Also on the list of available equipment in the new 6 will be auto high-beam dipping, adaptive headlights, hill-start assist, emergency stop hazard light flash, blind spot and lane departure warning systems and adaptive cruise control.
Mazda says the all-new body has more ultra-high tensile steel, lowering the car's weight reduction while retaining crashworthiness and improving torsional rigidity by about 30 per cent for the sedan and 45 per cent for the wagon The range - minus a hatch, sacrificed for a more-efficient global car strategy - will get the Skyactiv-D 129kW/420Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel already impressing in the snout of the CX-5 SUV, replacing the current car's manual-only diesel offering of 132kW and 400Nm.
The model range will also debut the Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre 138kW/250Nm petrol engine, a 10 per cent power increase and an 11 per cent increase in torque (on 91RON fuel) over the current petrol-powered Mazda6.
Both engines will be offered with a six-speed Skyactiv automatic transmission - claimed fuel use is 5.4l/100km for the turbodiesel and 6.6l/100km for the new petrol powerplant. Length has increased by 130mm to 4865mm (with 105mm of that in wheelbase increase) , width is 1840mm (up 45mm) and height has risen 10mm to 1450mm.
.jpg)
