Mazda6 models
Two more four-door versions of the Mazda6 will soon be available in Canada -- a hatchback called the 5-Door and a station wagon called the Sport Wagon.
According to Jim Sailer, the Mazda6 vehicle line manager, ''We've created the Sport Wagon and 5-Door to reinvigorate the Mazda6 line and provide that same exceptional driving experience to those who simply require more than a sedan can offer.''
Sailer says the Sport Wagon ''appeals to the driver who needs room for gear or children but simply cannot give up the driving dynamics of a true, authentic sports sedan,'' while the 5-Door ''distinguishes itself by looking more like a four-door sport coupe than a hatchback.''
In the past, says Sailer, hatchbacks ''carried a negative stigma and were often considered only by consumers who desired utility and economy, usually at the expense of style and driving dynamics.''
In Sailer's view, Mazda6 5-Door ''shatters that notion by incorporating flair and sporty driving characteristics into a vehicle that offers ample utility to those who need it.''
In exterior style, the Wagon and 5-Door differ from the sedan only from the B-pillar back.
The key element of both new models is of course extra storage space.
In the 5-Door, that means 50 percent more room than the sedan with the rear seats up, and 150 percent more with the rear seats down. There are also cargo tie-downs and two compartments in the side panels.
There is of course even more space in the back of the Sport Wagon, but not a whole lot more than there is in the 5-Door. Still, Sailer maintains that space with the rear seats folded is in the same league as some SUVs.
The 5-Door, like the sedan, will come with either the 2.3-liter I-4 or the 3-litre V6, both of which are attached to a five-speed manual or can be had with optional automatics -- a four-speed with the I4 or a five-speed with the V6.
All Sport Wagons come with the 3-litre V6 and a five-speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed automatic with manual shift mode available.
Sailer says ''no sport suspension option is needed here because every Mazda6 is tuned for sharp reflexes and maximum road holding.''