Since Honda decided a few years back that their mid-size Accord in North America should be different (read: bigger) than the one sold in the rest of the world, its rivals don't have much choice but to follow the same path.
How can you redesign your model and convince the public that they need to run out and buy one? Until now, being more fuel-efficient wasn't a deciding factor. More environmentally-friendly? Nah. There are two sure-fire ways: tell the public that the new car has more horsepower under the hood, and tell them it's way bigger.
So, Mazda is pleased to announce that the 2009 Mazda6 is bigger and more powerful.
Built for speed
The previous-gen Mazda6 had a 3.0-litre V6 that developed 212 horsepower; a modest amount compared to the bigger engines found in the Accord and Camry. Problem solved, as Mazda designated the big CX-9's 3.7-litre V6 for duty in the 6. The sedan now has 272 horses and 269 lb-ft of torque, and all of a sudden, it's got more muscle than almost every other mid-size rival.
The Mazda6 with the V6 now rockets to 100 km/h in 6.0 seconds, which is pretty fast. The quarter mile is cleared in 14.0 seconds at 160 km/h. By the way, a manual transmission with the bigger engine is no longer offered.
On the other hand, fuel economy has never been one of the CX-9 strong points, and since we're talking about the same engine here, well, our average of 13.1 L/100 km isn't impressive. It's okay on the highway but around town, the 3.7-litre burns up a considerable amount of unleaded.
As for handling, the Mazda6's added girth and heft obviously penalised its nimbleness. However, it still feels a little more dynamic and playful than the Accord and way more than the soft Camry.
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| Mazda is pleased to announce that the 2009 Mazda6 is bigger and more powerful. |
How can you redesign your model and convince the public that they need to run out and buy one? Until now, being more fuel-efficient wasn't a deciding factor. More environmentally-friendly? Nah. There are two sure-fire ways: tell the public that the new car has more horsepower under the hood, and tell them it's way bigger.
So, Mazda is pleased to announce that the 2009 Mazda6 is bigger and more powerful.
Built for speed
The previous-gen Mazda6 had a 3.0-litre V6 that developed 212 horsepower; a modest amount compared to the bigger engines found in the Accord and Camry. Problem solved, as Mazda designated the big CX-9's 3.7-litre V6 for duty in the 6. The sedan now has 272 horses and 269 lb-ft of torque, and all of a sudden, it's got more muscle than almost every other mid-size rival.
The Mazda6 with the V6 now rockets to 100 km/h in 6.0 seconds, which is pretty fast. The quarter mile is cleared in 14.0 seconds at 160 km/h. By the way, a manual transmission with the bigger engine is no longer offered.
On the other hand, fuel economy has never been one of the CX-9 strong points, and since we're talking about the same engine here, well, our average of 13.1 L/100 km isn't impressive. It's okay on the highway but around town, the 3.7-litre burns up a considerable amount of unleaded.
As for handling, the Mazda6's added girth and heft obviously penalised its nimbleness. However, it still feels a little more dynamic and playful than the Accord and way more than the soft Camry.
 |
| The Mazda6 with the V6 now rockets to 100 km/h in 6.0 seconds. |