New Mazda MX-5 revealed

This is the all-new Mazda MX-5. The fourth-generation version of the 25-year-old rear-drive roadster is new from the ground up and enters the market next July with a brand new rear-wheel-drive chassis and two new petrol engines, all built using the company’s SkyActiv technology.

The firm describes the new model as "returning to the original aims of the first generation car and embodying the fundamental pleasure of driving an open-top lightweight sports car in a product suited to today’s needs."

This latest version reverses the trend of generational changes of MX-5s by being lighter and smaller than the car it replaces. Mazda isn’t saying exactly what the new weight figures are but it will admit to savings "of around 100kgs", meaning that the base model should end up being just a shade over one tonne.

As well as using SkyActiv design to cut weight from the Mazda's chassis, the bonnet, boot and front wings are now made from aluminium – and a lighter material has also been used in the soft-top hood construction.

The new car is also 105mm shorter in overall length than the outgoing version, though its wheelbase has only shrunk by 15mm. It is also 20mm lower, but 10mm wider.

The history of the Mazda MX-5 – picture special

So far Mazda will only admit to power being provided by a newly developed SkyActiv engine that will be longitudinally mounted in the nose. However, there are likely to be two new direct-injection petrol engines on offer, one a 1.5-litre and one a 2.0-litre.

Both are reworked versions of engines already powering the company’s hatchbacks and are likely to offer around 140bhp and 180bhp respectively. This represents a small power advantage over current models – our source admitted that the "US market wouldn’t accept less power" – but with the weight savings they promises superior power-to-weight ratios, extra performance and considerable fuel economy and CO2 advantages. 

Mazda is already being bullish about the credentials of the new rear-drive chassis which, as before, has double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear end. Company boss Masamichi Kogai has already talked about the new car recapturing the agility and fun of the first generation model. "The original concept behind the MX-5 was so simple; to offer the pure joy of a lightweight sports car that moves precisely as the driver intends," he said. 

To assist this the engine now sits lower and further back than previously, lowering the centre of gravity and, according to product development boss Nobuhiro Yamamoto, the MX-5 now has a perfect 50:50 weight balance. 

The design work was mainly carried out at the company’s Japanese headquarters under the direction of Ikuo Maeda. Like the company’srecent saloons and hatchbacks it’s referred to as being part of the ‘Kodo’ design philosophy – but it’s a more simple, sculptured look than we’ve come to expect from modern Mazdas. It's more sharp-edged than withprevious MX-5s too. 

Celebrating 25 years of the Mazda MX-5 - picture special

Inside, there are plenty of MX-5 hallmarks. It’s still a snug two-seater and it’s still possible to lower the manually operated soft-top hood with one hand. You still sit low in the car but the view out is claimed to be superior as the bonnet has been lowered and the A-pillars and windscreen header rail have been made thinner.

Like previous incarnations the cabin looks cluttered and all the controls are simple. The centre of the dash top is now dominated by an infotainment screen, derived from the Mazda 3 hatch. Like other Mazdas it’s also controlled by a rotary knob, nestling next to the conventional handbrake. 

There’s also a tangible uplift in cabin quality compared to previous incarnations, with far more soft-touch surfaces and more stowage space. More attention has also been paid to keeping passengers from being buffeted whilst driving with the hood down. Mark 1 MX-5 fans will also no doubt recognise the headrest-mounted speakers, intended to help maintain music volume with the roof down.

Prices will be announced closer to the on sale date but there’s likely to be a small rise compared to current models. As such a base 1.5-litre model should cost around £20,000 when it hits the showrooms.

When the new Mazda MX-5 launches there will also only be a soft-top model, but it's understood that a folding metal-roofed coupé will join the line-up as this model currently accounts for 80% of UK sales.

First Look at the New for 2015 Mazda Miata

It’s official. Mazda will introduce an all-new version of its nimble MX5 sports car later this month at the New York International Auto Show- and, no matter how hard Mazda’s product planners want us to call it the MX5, we’re going to call this new Mazda what it is: the new Miata.

Speculation surrounding the 2015 Mazda Miata has been steadily leaking out in recent months. For example, (we think that) we know that the new car will use a version of Mazda’s next-gen, ultra-clean SkyActiv power trains. We know that the basic hardware of the new Miata will also underpin a reborn Alfa Romeo Spider that will undercut the hotly anticipated Alfa Romeo 4C when it heads to US shores, which will happen sometime after the Miata establishes a beachhead. We know it will continue to be a front-engine, rear-drive sporty roadster built to honor the spirit of the original Lotus Elan. We also knew, thanks to a leak at Mazda and Carscoop’s willingness to enrage the OEMs, that it would look something like this …

… which looks pretty good to me.

Mazda has dropped more clues as to how its 2015 MX5 (née, the 2015 Mazda Miata) will look when it is officially unveiled later this month- and it doesn’t exactly share the new 3′s corporate face, either. At Geneva, Mazda’s chief Miata designer, Peter Birtwhistle, told the guys at AutoExpress UK that the new, 2015 Miata will be “more masculine” than the current car. “If I had to describe it in one word,” said Birtwhistle, “it’d be ‘edgy’. I think it will be a surprise for people … It’s a tight, edgy little car that is going to appeal to a broader range of people. We know the clichés about the MX-5 as it gets older, but this will position it differently. I think it’ll attract a lot of young guys.”

So, there you have it. If you want to attract a lot of young guys, the 2015 Mazda Miata is going to be the car for you. Or, you know, you could just wait for the Alfa Romeo version, which is expected to look like the Duetto concept, below …

… which first bowed back in 2012.

We’ll be able to see how much what we thought we knew turned out to be known in a few weeks at the NY Auto Show. That’s when the 2015 Mazda Miata debuts for real (or so we’ve been led to believe), and we can start pining for a new-age, base-model track rat of our very own.

Sources | Photos: Carscoops

Next-gen Mazda SkyActiv Engines Could Be Cleaner Than EVs

Can a gas-powered car be cleaner than an electric vehicle? Mazda thinks so, claiming the next-gen of SkyActiv engines will emit fewer emissions than EVs. And they could do it, if you look at the entire well-to-wheel emissions picture, through the use of super-efficient engines and mild hybrid systems that do away with heavy battery packs.

Not to take anything away from Mazda’s excellent line of SkyActiv gasoline engines. These super-efficient motors use high-compression, direct injection, and other fuel-saving technologies to improve MPGs, with the added benefit of extra Zoom-zoom as well. These high-tech engines has given Mazda the most fuel-efficient line of cars in America. Engineers are aiming for diesel-like fuel economy from its gasoline engines, and Gen 2 SkyActiv will up the ante further.

Where the current SkyActiv engines have a compression of 14:1, the next generation will approach 18:1 compression (until recently, most gasoline cars had single-digit compression ratios). Combined with friction-reduction technology and further improvements in fuel deliverly, these improvements will lead to a 30% boost in thermal efficiency and fuel economy. Mazda claims it can bring well-to-wheel vehicle CO2 emissions, of an unspecified “average” Mazda, down to just 80g/km.

Beyond that, the Gen 3 SkyActiv engines will utilize further-improved mild hybrid and supercapacitor systemsthat draw almost no energy from the engines, while dropping emissions down to just 60g/km. By taking batteries out of the equation, these vehicles will be lighter and thus more efficient. With the hybrid system active, well-to-wheel emissions could be just 50g/kkm, equivalent to the Mazda2 EV. That’s making assumptions about the EV’s power source, however, and with the increasing popularity and efficiency of solar panels, a truly zero-emissions electric vehicle is no longer a fantasy.

Still, you’ve got to applaud Mazda for aiming high, and it isn’t like gasoline engines are going to disappear anytime soon. We might as well make them as efficient as possible as long as we’re stuck with them, right?

Source: AutoCar

Toyota will use Mazda's Skyactiv engine in new subcompact

It looks like Toyota is going to have a little more zoom-zoom in the future. The giant Japanese automaker has struck a deal with Mazda to use its Skyactiv engines for the possible replacement to the Yaris. The new subcompact will be built under contract by Mazda at its new factory in Mexico.

Keishi Egawa, CEO of Mazda in Mexico, told Automotive News that Toyota would be responsible for the interior and exterior design and would allocate 50,000 subcompacts per year to Toyota of the factory's 230,000-unit capacity. Production of the new model will begin between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016. Toyota has not confirmed whether the presumed Yaris replacement would also share other components with Mazda.

An official production date for the next Mazda2 hasn't been set yet, but it's expected around the second half of 2014, according to Automotive News. Mazda also hasn't said what version of the Skyactiv is going into the little hatchback. While the Hazumi concept, which likely previews the next 2, is using a new Skyactiv-D 1.5 diesel, this powerplant is unlikely for the US version.

The deal seems to be an ultimate vindication of Mazda's promise that Skyactiv would allow for class-leading, fuel-efficient engines. "You can't out-Toyota Toyota and you can't out-Honda Honda. You've got to be you," said Mazda USA's director of communications Jeremy Barnes to AutoblogGreen in 2011. Now, it has the world's largest automaker striking a deal to borrow its tech.

News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL

Next-Gen Mazda SkyActiv 2 Engines Improve Efficiency 30%

It was a bold move by Mazda to ignore hybrid vehicles in favor of improvements to traditional combustion engines, but the gambit has paid off. Mazda already has the most-efficient line of new cars in America, and the next-generation of SkyActiv engines could improve efficiency another 30%.

The sequel to the so-far-successful line of SkyActiv engines will be called SkyActiv 2, and will continue to build on the success Mazda has found with technology that boosts both fuel economy and performance. With its innovative i-Eloop supercapacitor system, the 2014 Mazda6 mid-size sedan gets a hybrid-like 40 MPG on the highway. A 30% improvement would put the same car well into the 50 MPG range, and Mazda says it’ll be possible right around 2020, which is when a new wave of strict European emissions requirements kick in.

The key, say Mazda execs, is improvements in lean-burning engines. While direct injection has allowed for higher compression ratios of up to 14:1 in Mazda’s gas-burning engines, engineers want to go even further, seeking an insane 18:1 compression ratio, which is usually restricted to diesel engines and race cars. The higher the compression, the less fuel needed to produce power, which results in drastically lower emissions, all without compromising performance. And we haven’t even seen the Mazda6 with the 2.2 liter turbodiesel in action yet, though at an estimated 45 MPG, a 30% improvement in efficiency would put the diesel Mazda over 60 MPG on the highway, canceling out the need for costly hybrid drivetrains.

At least that’s the idea.

Even so, Mazda already has plans to introduce hybrid versions of the compact Mazda3, and it is also testing a hydrogen-powered plug-in hybrid using a rotary engine as well, just in case gas-only engines don’t cut it. The automaker has even dabbled in pure-electric vehicles. But so far, super-efficient gas engines are proving popular with consumers and reviewers alike, and if Mazda can keep up the momentum, it won’t have to bother with any sort of alternatives.

Source: Automotive News

Mazda reports strong Skyactiv sales, plans to boost output 25%

Mazda is set to expand production of its Skyactiv engines after critical and commercial acclaim for the fuel-sipping powerplants. The Japanese manufacturer has a number of plans in the works to bump up production, with the first being a 25-percent increase in output from its Hiroshima, Japan engine facility.

Besides adding a new line, Mazda will modify the line that built MZR engines, a family of mills that includes the 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Mazdaspeed3 and the 2.0-liter found in the MX-5 Miata. The bump in production is just part of Mazda's goal of selling 1.7 million vehicles globally by 2016, with 80 percent of those vehicles expected to wear a Skyactiv badge.

Mazda also builds Skyactiv engines at a joint-venture facility with Ford, in Changan, China, while a Mexican facility will go online by March of 2014. Skyactiv engines currently power the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5.

Show full PR text

News Source: Mazda

Mazda6 Diesel Is The First Diesel Car To Win In Indy

The Mazda6 Diesel race car is on a mission, and that mission is to win races and spread awareness of Mazda’s new 2.2 liter SkyActiv-D turbodiesel motor. With yesterday’s victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Mazda6 Diesel raced its way into the history books as the first diesel-powered car to win a race at Indy.

The Mazda6 Diesel won the alt-fuel friendly GX Class in the Grand-Am series at the Brickyard 400, which is admittedly small with just 3 entrants; two Mazda Diesels and a Porsche Cayman S. Nonetheless, a diesel race car has not finished in the top 3 since 1952, when the Cummins Diesel Special took the pole (but not the checkered flag). For a track with such a long and illustrious history, this is definitely a major milestone.

And it couldn’t come at a better time quite frankly. Americans are increasingly turning to diesel-powered cars in larger numbers thanks to major improvements in fuel economy and performance. The 46 mpg Chevy Cruze Diesel marks GM’s return to the diesel market for the first time in decade, and Chrysler is rolling out a 3.6 liter diesel V6 for its SUVs and pickups.

While not on sale yet, the Mazda6 Diesel will have plenty to brag about, with 5 class wins since its disappointing Daytona debut, and the market for oil-burners frankly couldn’t be better right now. Things are looking great for one of the most anticipated diesel sedans in memory.

Source: Gas2.0

2014 Mazda6 with i-ELOOP rated at 28 city/40 highway/32 mpg combined

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announced fuel economy figures for and updated pricing of its new 2014 Mazda6 midsize sedan, featuring the i-ELOOP regenerative engine braking system. (Earlier post.) The i-ELOOP equipped Mazda6 is EPA-rated at 28 city/40 highway/32 combined mpg US (8.4, 5.9 and 7.4 l/100km, respectively).

Fuel efficiency when paired with the manual transmission for non-i-ELOOP cars is rated by the EPA at 25 city/37 highway/29 combined mpg (9.4, 6.4 and 8.1 l/100 km) and increases to 26 city/38 highway/30 combined mpg (9.0, 6.2 and 7.8 l/100 km) with the automatic.

i-ELOOP (Intelligent Energy Loop) is an ultracapacitor-based regenerative engine braking system that converts a vehicle's kinetic energy into electricity as the car decelerates. The electricity captured is then stored for later use to power all the vehicle's electrical components, such as headlights, climate control and audio systems. This reduces the need for the engine to burn extra fuel in order to generate electricity and, therefore, improves fuel economy without sacrificing driving performance. In order to efficiently recapture the kinetic energy and convert it into electricity, i-ELOOP utilizes a 12- to 25-volt variable voltage alternator, a DC/DC converter and a low-resistance, high-capacity electric double layer capacitor (EDLC).

With the i-ELOOP system in operation, the alternator is free-wheeling, creating almost no parasitic drag on the engine, which reduces the amount of fuel used. Upon vehicle deceleration, the engine and alternator continue to spin as the vehicle slows down, working off of the vehicle’s inertia. To take advantage of this free energy, i-ELOOP’s special variable-voltage alternator kicks in and generates short bursts of electricity that is stored within the capacitor. The capacitor then meters power out into a smooth, continuous flow to satisfy energy loads.

While the increased engine braking caused by the alternator is too small for drivers to feel, the smooth power delivery coming from the capacitor means the electrical systems do not operate differently with i-ELOOP. Exact fuel savings will vary based on electrical load and individual driving habits.

On sale now, the 2014 Mazda6 starts at $20,990 MSRP and is available in three trim levels: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. Featuring a SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine as standard equipment, Mazda6 vehicles offer 184 hp (137 kW) at 5,700 rpm and 185 lb-ft (251 N·m) of torque at 3,250 rpm. Sport ($22,695 MSRP) and Touring ($23,645 MSRP) models are available with either a SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission or SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission.

A mid-year add-on, the SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission is now available on the Touring trim. The SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission adds $1,050 to $24,695 MSRP, but equipment and features remain the same for all Touring models.

Available on Grand Touring models ($29,695 MSRP), i-ELOOP will be part of the new GT Technology Package ($2,080 MSRP) which features additional vehicle equipment such as a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), High Beam Control (HBC), Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), a Sport mode button and active grille shutters. The stand-alone MRCC/FOW Package, which includes Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), is still available for Grand Touring models but will be phased out in the coming months.

Source: Green Car Congress

2014 Mazda Mazda6 Gas Mileage Revealed: 40 Highway, 32 Combined

The automobile market is no longer a stranger to cars achieving highway mileage of 40 mpg, but to see such a figure coming from a midsize car is quite an impressive feat.

What's more, the midsize car in question--Mazda's 2014 Mazda6 sedan--has no diesel engine nor hybrid system to help it reach this mileage.

Instead, Mazda puts the 6's impressive gas mileage down to its efficient SkyActiv range of engines and the much-vaunted i-ELOOP regeneration technology.

Ordinarily, brake energy regeneration is something found in hybrid vehicles, capturing energy lost when slowing down, storing it in a battery, and using it when required.

i-ELOOP--for "Intelligent Energy Loop"--does away with heavy battery packs and indeed the electric motors found in hybrids. Instead, the system captures energy from braking in a capacitor--an electric component storing energy in an electrostatic field.

The capacitor can store and discharge energy quickly, to provide power for electrical systems in the vehicle. Mazda says these systems drain 5-10 percent of the engine's power in normal driving--usually through the parasitic effect of turning an alternator when the engine is under load.

i-ELOOP takes that drain away, using an alternator only under braking and when coasting--i.e, when the engine isn't using fuel. It then stores the energy as electricity in a capacitor, to be used to power the car's electrical systems. That 5-10 percent of engine power can instead be used in its most efficient manner--driving the vehicle itself.

The net result in the Mazda6 is 28 mpg city, 40 highway and 32 combined, for the 2.5-liter gasoline model with an automatic transmission. That's enough for 656 miles on a highway tankful.

Compare that with the 6's predecessor, equally equipped with a 2.5--a car that managed only 22 mpg city, 31 highway and 25 mpg combined.

i-ELOOP comes with the GT Technology package, which also includes radar cruise control, lane departure warning and active grille shutters, among other features. The package has an MSRP of $2,080 and goes on sale this month.

2014 Mazda Mazda6 pricing starts at $20,880.

Source: Green Car Reports

Forbidden Fruit: 57 MPG Diesel Wagon is the Mazda 6 We Want Right Meow

Over the past few months, Chris and I have both swooned over the sexy, swoopy new Mazda 6 and its racy new SkyActiv, clean-burn diesel engine (at Detroit and Chicago, respectively). One thing we both noticed was that Mazda USA was pretty cagey about the whens and hows of getting the new 6 to the US with said diesel engine, with company executives saying the car “might” be available here later this summer. That’s a long way off, in my book.

Despite today being the first day of spring, though, summer suddenly seems a lot further away – thanks to the latest review of Mazda’s new SkyActiv diesel wagon.

Autocar got a chance to take one for a spin in the UK, where the car is readily available for purchase. Autocar called the 173 HP motor “refined and, with 309 lb-ft of torque, (capable of delivering a) reasonable shove.” A 300 lb-ft “shove” in the back-side sounds fine to me, especially when the aerodynamically-efficient wagon gives back 57 miles of highway awesomeness for each gallon of diesel you give it (61, with manual-transmission).

You can check out some of Autocar’s photos, below, and CLICK HERE for the original article. While you’re at it, feel free to click on any “Mazda” ads you see on this site, find the “contact” page, and tell whom it may concern that you want the new Mazda 6 diesel wagon, like NOW.

Source: Gas2.0

Mazda 6 Diesel Racer Falls To Fuel Pump Woes At 24 Hours Of Daytona

Utilizing a production-based car and engine, the Mazda 6 diesel is proof that you can have fast, efficient fun thanks to turbodiesel technology. This diesel Mazda race car uses a synthetic blend of smokeless diesel for competition, but a fueling system issue knocked the three racers out of competition just six hours into the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Synthetic fuels have been around for decades, and this latest smokeless diesel is the product of Dynamic Fuels, owned in part behind chicken producers Tyson Farms. The diesel fuel uses non-food feedstock and plant materials to produce a high cetane (octane rating, but for diesels) diesel fuel that also produces less foaming during competition.  The Mazda 6 with its SkyActiv-D turbodiesel engine competes in the Grand-Am series new GX class for alt-fuel vehicles.

Mazda hasn’t said whether or not the synthetic fuel was to blame for the fuel pump failures of all three Mazda 6 racers just six hours into the 24 hour Daytona race. A weakpoint in the fuel rail of the high-pressure turbodiesel system knocked two of the racers out of contention in just a couple of hours, while the third made it just six hours before the rear mail seal failed. This is because the cars’ builders, Speedsource, had just five hours of shakedown time at the track between completing the cars and bringing them to Daytona.

It’s a rough start for the new Mazda 6 diesel race car, but not entirely unexpected. We have faith that Mazda and Speedsource are yearning to bounce back from this setback, and Mazda has a long history as a feisty fighter. There’s always that next race to look forward to, and the hope that Mazda brings a wagon version of the Mazda 6 to the U.S. market as well.

Source: Motor Trend

On Board The Mazda6 Diesel Race Car

We’ve talked at length about how awesome the all-new Mazda 6 diesel race car is going to be, and finally the day has arrived when we get to see this ride in action. 

For those who don’t know, the Mazda6 diesel race car uses the same SkyActiv-D 2.2 liter diesel engine that will go into the production car you and I can buy. Of course, the racing version has been tuned and tweaked to provide extreme levels of performance. Still, as one of the few automakers willing to take the chance to campaign a diesel race car, and a family sedan at that, we think Mazda deserves big credit.

The diesels are coming…and they’re coming faster than you may have realized.

Source: Road & Track

2014 Mazda6 gets up to 38 mpg, priced from $20,880*

PRESS RELEASE

- Redesigned Mid-Size Sedan Entry Offers Competitive Pricing, Best-in-Class Highway MPG -

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced official pricing and fuel economy figures for the all-new 2014 Mazda6. Starting at $20,880[1] MSRP, the all-new mid-size sedan is the second vehicle in the Mazda lineup to fully incorporate SKYACTIV®[2] TECHNOLOGY, the brand's breakthrough engineering approach toward increasing overall vehicle efficiency. Offering both powerful performance and improved fuel economy, the 2014 Mazda6 features best-in-class highway fuel economy of 38 miles per gallon (MPG).

On sale now, the 2014 Mazda6 is fitted with a SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine, which can be paired with a choice of transmissions: the SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission or SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic. Touting 184 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm, the sleek sedan offers impressive fuel efficiency at 25 city/37 highway/29 combined MPG when equipped with the standard manual transmission, as rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When equipped with the optional automatic transmission, fuel economy increases to an EPA rated 26 city/38 highway/30 combined. For more information on fuel economy and how estimates are determined, visit www.fueleconomy.gov, a joint website venture between the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Available in three trims, the entry i Sport starts at $20,880 MSRP, a slight increase of $155 from the previous model year. With its SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission, standard equipment includes a push-button start, air conditioning with a pollen filter, power windows with a driver-side one-touch up/down feature, a tilt-and-telescopic adjustable steering column, steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise control functions, 17-inch alloy wheels as well as auxiliary and USB connection ports.

When equipped with the optional SKYACTIV-Drive automatic, other added features include Bluetooth® phone/audio connectivity, a 5.8-inch color touch screen display, a rearview camera, HD Radio™ Technology, Pandora®, Radio Broadcast Data System program information, SMS text message receipt/delivery, E911 automatic emergency notification and audio menu voice command.

The mid-level i Touring trim ($24,495 MSRP) sits on larger 19-inch alloy wheels and, when equipped with a SKYACTIV-Drive transmission, includes all the features of the i Sport model equipped with an automatic transmission ($22,495 MSRP) as well as dual-zone automatic climate control with rear seat vents, leatherette-trimmed sport seats, a six-way power driver's seat and a Commander Switch for operating functions on the 5.8-inch display.

An optional Touring Technology Package ($2,000 MSRP) adds a TomTom technology-based navigation system, Bose® Centerpoint® 11-speaker Surround Sound System with AudioPilot®, Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry System, automatic on/off headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink®, an auto-dimming driver's side outside mirror, heated outside mirrors and the all-new Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system.

SCBS is an added safety component designed to assist a driver in avoiding front collisions when traveling at low speeds of less than 19 miles per hour. When the imbedded laser sensor detects an obtrusive object and the system calculates there may be a high risk for collision, the brake pedal travel is reduced in order to hasten braking. Should the driver fail to perform an avoidance maneuver, the SCBS system will activate an automatic braking function. While the system will not eliminate accidents, its intent is to minimize them and reduce the severity of a crash.

The i Grand Touring is considered the high-level trim model and includes all the equipment features of the i Touring with Touring Technology Package. Starting at $29,495 MSRP, additional standard niceties include platinum silver 19-inch alloy wheels, a power moonroof, a rear lip spoiler, bi-xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights with auto leveling, leather-trimmed sport seats with heated front seats, an eight-way power driver's seat with power lumbar support, a four-way power front passenger seat, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and Sirius® Satellite Radio with a four-month complimentary subscription. Two package options are available for the i Grand Touring.

For an additional $900 MSRP, the MRCC/FOW Package adds Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW). The Advanced Package, available from the second half of 2013, adds the MRCC/FOW Package as well as a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), High Beam Control (HBC) and i-ELOOP, Mazda's capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system, which is expected to offer increased fuel efficiency. Pricing for this package is not yet available.

A SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter clean diesel engine will be offered on 2014 Mazda6 vehicles also during the second half of the year. Final specifications and packaging of the diesel engine and trim combinations will be announced closer to its on-sale date.

Standard safety features for all 2014 Mazda6 models include six airbags (front, side and full side-curtain), whiplash-reducing front headrests, power-assisted ventilated front and solid rear disc brakes, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, daytime running lights, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), a Traction Control System (TCS), hill launch assist, a fold-away brake pedal assembly, a trunk entrapment release system, a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), three-point safety belts for all seating positions, front seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters as well as Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH).

i Touring models feature a Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) as standard equipment with the Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system available as an option. i Grand Touring models feature BSM and SCBS systems as standard equipment as well as RCTA and an Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS). Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and High Beam Control (HBC) are available as part of an optional package.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

[1] Starting price is manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for lowest trim level. MSRP does not include $795 destination charge (Alaska $840), title, taxes, license, options and dealer charges. Actual prices set by dealer and may vary.

[2] SKYACTIV is a registered trademark of Mazda Motor Corporation (MC).