Frankfurt 2007: The new Mazda6 brings sexy back to the midsize market

   Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, MazdaClick for high-res live shots that have been added to the media pic gallery var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/other_sports/LIVE_pics_of_the_new_Mazda6'; Although rumor has it this isn't the exact Mazda6 we'll be getting Stateside, we finally saw the car in the metal with our own eyes and like what we saw -- a lot. Not as conservative (not that Mazda usually is) as the Accord or as odd as the Camry, this all-new 6 manages to be exciting in an understated way. Lots of nice curves and details without a lot of bling. In person it has an almost BMW feel about it, very athletic and sophisticated. The hatch and wagon in particular look very rakish. Unfortunately we overheard one Mazda exec mention that the U.S. might only get the sedan this go-around, which would be a bit of a letdown. We liked the hatch and wagon variants and because we were just looking at both of them in the new version, we know that the engineering is already done. Some of the new features we expected look like they made it to the production car. We just had the pre-release post a little while ago and most of that info has remain unchanged. There is a rundown of specs after the jump in case you want to check it out. Things that make this new 6 a near-near-luxury car are here, like xenon headlights, LED detailing, heated seats and an engine starter button. Pricing still hasn't been announced, but it will probably stay pretty close to the outgoing model to stay competitive in this uber-important mid-sized sedan market. U.S.-spec cars will likely get an optional 3.5L V6 in addition to the base four-cylinder, but the Europeans have more choices. The new car weighs less than the '07 model and will more efficient with fewer CO2 emissions to boot. We're really hoping Mazda brings it over as-is and offers all three versions if for no other reason than to further distinguish its uniqueness among its rivals. [Source: Mazda]Gallery: 2008 Mazda6Continue reading Frankfurt 2007: The new Mazda6 brings sexy back to the midsize market Permalink | Email this | Comments