2008 Mazda6 getting larger???

[basti08]

The Mazda 6 is being redesigned and this illustration shows us what it might look like.
Based on the same platform used for the Ford Fusion it will be a bit larger than the current model.

It is supposed to come out in 2007 as a 2008 model.

---thehollywoodextra.blogspot.com

some spy pics:

[basti08]

After a four-year run with the Mazda 6 on the market, Mazda is finally upgrading its midsize family sedan. Our latest spy photos show a development mule undergoing tests on the streets of Detroit. It's wearing current sheet metal, but we suspect it's riding on the chassis of the 2008 Mazda 6 sedan.

The prototype might not give away any styling details, but its strange appearance does give a few hints to some of the car's expected changes. For one, the next-generation Mazda 6 is going to be bigger. Originally designed for Japanese and European markets, the current model's narrow cabin and limited backseat room have been a constant source of criticism.

This prototype clearly has a wider track as the rear tires barely fit underneath the extended wheel arches. You can also see a cutline running over the rear-quarter panels and wider B-pillars which suggest this prototype is several inches longer than the current model. More width and length would be welcome upgrades as the 2007 Toyota Camry and 2007 Honda Accord both have significantly bigger cabins than the current Mazda 6.

Another major upgrade is expected under the hood. With only 215 horsepower, the current model's 3.0-liter V6 is no match for the V6s from Honda and Toyota. Even the Hyundai Sonata makes the Mazda look weak.

For 2008, we expect the next-generation Mazda 6 will upgrade to Ford's new 3.5-liter V6. This engine debuts in the Ford Edge and Lincoln Mark X crossovers this year as well as the Lincoln Mark Z sedan, a car which shares the Mazda 6's CD3 platform.

With 250 hp and 240 pound-feet of torque, the DOHC V6 won't exactly put Mazda at the top of the family sedan pecking order, but it won't be looking up from the bottom either. A six-speed automatic transmission should help make up for some of its lack of power versus the competition. Ford also claims the new engine can be easily upgraded with new technology like gasoline direct injection, a hybrid drive system, or a turbocharger for more power.

Although Mazda could use the help right now, we don't expect to see this new Mazda 6 for at least another year, probably longer. With two new crossovers hitting the market and a Mazdaspeed 3 on the way, the small Japanese company will need some time before it's ready to launch such a crucial car.

Hopefully the extra year will give Mazda engineers some time to tweak the V6 to give the new sedan the power it needs to compete. Expect to see the results sometime next spring.

[basti08]

if ever i hope it would look as good as this....

[redorange]

If it's based on the Ford Fusion then it's just a modified version of it's current chassis/platform because the Ford is based on the current Mazda 6.

[basti08]

yes, the stretched Mazda6 platform used in the Fusion with some modifications.

[jazon]

mazda 3 rin po ba magkakaroon ng redesign?

[GlennSter]

i think nilabas na yan dito sa toronto. meron ding wagon type.

[squala]

Bigger and with more power, the new 6 should look just as good as the current model, if not even better! I also hope the kick of the manumatic is quicker than it is now.

[niky]

*sigh*... it's that relatively small footprint and light weight that make the Mazda6 as much fun as it is... if they go upsize... didn't they learn from the Fusion?

Why not just add a Maxima/Teana sized Mazda9?

[BlueBimmer]

if ever i hope it would look as good as this....

nice...rx8 lookalike