Since the official debut of the Mazda6 back in 2012, Mazda has finally given the ageing model a much-needed refresher. Fresh off the stage at the 2017 LA Auto Show, the Mazda6 boasts a much more refined cabin and a new 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
Mazda has employed a “Mature Elegance” approach, further elevating the maturity of the well-accepted Kodo Design. Upfront, you get a new mesh front grille as well as new LED headlamp design similar to the all-new CX-5. The front lower bumper gets an additional chrome strip, giving it a more upmarket feel. The rest of the car remains largely untouched save for new alloy wheel designs and lightly restyled taillamps.
The interior gets the most attention in this facelift exercise. A new Japanese Sen Wood trim replaces the old gunmetal appearance, giving the cabin a much more premium look and feel. Other than that, the cabin remains identical to the pre-facelift model.
New to the Mazda6 powertrain line up is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder SkyActiv-G turbo engine pushing out 250 hp and 420 Nm of torque – the same unit found in the CX-9. The new SkyActiv-G turbo also features cylinder deactivation technology for greater fuel savings. The new engine can be mated to either a six-speed automatic or manual transmission.
The facelifted Mazda6 also gets updated i-ActivSense safety technologies that adds the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) and a 360-degree camera.
Locally, Bermaz Motors have just refreshed the Mazda6 with G-Vectoring Control for both its petrol and diesel variants. Given the pace that they are progressing, we can expect the facelifted Mazda6 to quietly roll into showrooms come 2018.
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