Paris show: Next Mazda6 teased

MAZDA has kicked off a series of teaser videos in a drip-feed reveal of its next-generation Mazda6 mid-sizer ahead of its public debut at the Paris motor show in September and Australian release in the first quarter of next year.

The first video shows a close-up of the new grille and headlight design, while the second pans across the front wheelarch, ending at the door mirror.

From these fleeting glimpses it is possible to tell the production car’s front end will remain largely faithful to the Takeri concept that was first shown at the 2011 Tokyo show last November, featuring the Japanese firm’s new Kodo design language.

The shape of the headlights, swoop of the front wheelarch crease into the front door panel and location of the bonnet shut line are all close to the concept.

Headlight washers have appeared on the front bumper, the radiator grille appears to be slightly slimmer and, of course, the Takeri’s super-slim door mirrors have been replaced by conventional units for the production version.

Mazda has a recent history of faithfully translating a concept car into production with the development of the Minagi compact SUV concept that debuted at the 2011 Geneva motor show into the CX-5.

Like the CX-5, the third-generation Mazda6 will make full use of Mazda’s fuel-saving SkyActiv technologies, including lightweight construction, efficient petrol and diesel engines with idle-stop system, and specially designed six-speed automatic transmission.

Left: The side mirror of the 2013 Mazda6.

In addition, the Mazda6 will debut a capacitor-based ‘i-ELOOP’ regenerative braking system designed to provide fuel savings during spirited driving as well as stop-start city traffic.

Due to its nature as a global car that replaces both the wide-bodied North American Mazda6 and the smaller version sold in Australia, Japan and Europe, the Mazda6 will grow, but is not likely to be as large as the Takeri, which is 115mm longer and 75mm wider than the current Mazda6, with a 103mm-longer wheelbase.

Test mules driven by GoAuto in Germany almost two years ago were dressed in stretched current-generation Mazda6 bodywork but rode on a 50mm-longer wheelbase, with front and rear tracks widened by 18mm and 25mm respectively.

In addition, the chief designer of the new Mazda6, Akira Tamatani, told GoAuto on the eve of the Takeri concept’s Tokyo reveal that the production car will not be as long as the concept.

Another significant change will be the loss of the hatchback variant that is popular in Australia and Europe, as confirmed to GoAuto when the Takeri concept was unveiled at the Tokyo show eight months ago.

With Mazda’s 2.2-litre low-compression turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission, the new Mazda6 is expected to return fuel consumption of 4.2 litres per 100 kilometres – a whole litre less than the Australian-built, petrol-electric Camry Hybrid.

Despite the imminent arrival of a new model, sales of the current-generation Mazda6 show no signs of slowing, with an increase of 22.8 per cent year-to-date contributing – along with strong sales of the new CX-5 and a 42 per cent boost in CX-9 volume – to overall growth of 19 per cent.