LA 2008: 2010 Mazda3 shows its smiling face [w/VIDEO]

Mazda has unveiled its 2010 mazda3 sedan here at the LA Auto Show and we managed to snap some nice shots off as it was spinning around on a huge rotating stand. It's a good looking car that mazda says carries on its "family face" with stylish bulges and creases that attract the eyes, and we're really looking forward to seeing the hatchback version as well. Underhood is a newly-enlarged 2.5-liter version of Mazda's MZR inline-four that offers up 167-horsepower and can be mated to either a 6-speed stick or 5-speed auto. As before, a standard 148-horsepower 2.0L four will be available and can be had with either a manual or auto tranny with 5 forward ratios each.
Considering the low price class in which the Mazda3 competes, features like dual-zone automatic climate control, Xenon self-leveling head lamps, push-button start and hands-free Bluetooth are very nice touches, as is the iPod integration and an optional leather interior. Increasingly important these days is fuel mileage, so the 3's low .29 coefficient of drag is an important piece of the overall efficiency puzzle and helps the 2010 Mazda3 hit 33 mpg on the highway with the smaller engine option. See the full press release past the break for all the details and be sure to check out our live shots below.

[ Source: Autoblog (Mazda) ]

• Officially Official: Mazda3 five-door hatchback gets real

Michael Phelps to hock Mazda6 in China

Click above for a high-res gallery of the European-spec Mazda6

When American super swimmer Michael Phelps won eight gold metals and broke seven world records at the 2008 Olympics, he became an instant celebrity. Since the Olympics were held in the land of the Great Wall, Phelps is perhaps an even bigger sensation in China. In fact, Phelps is so big in the Middle Kingdom that he has just scored what is believed to be the largest endorsement deal of any western celebrity, a $1 million deal to pitch the all-new Mazda6. Mazda is spending big bucks on a pitchmanin an effort to capitalize on its recent success in China. The outgoing 6, named Rui Yi in China, experienced a 43 percent sales increase in 2008, outpacing Mazda's already impressive brand-wide increase of 27 percent.
China is currently the world's third largest market, behind only Japan and the United States. The world's most populous nation is expected by many analysts to surpass Japan in this category as soon as this year, and the US could be in the rear view mirror by 2020. Mazda spending big to land an American hero shows goes some way to showing just how important the growing market is for the Japanese automaker.

[ Source: Ad Age ]

First Drive: 2009 Mazda6

The 2009 Mazda6 is an all-new midsize sedan from Mazda that was designed, engineered, developed, and will be manufactured completely on U.S. soil. While the Japanese and European markets have been enjoying the new 6 (Atenza) since late last year, the North American market finally gets to bask in the sleek new bodywork, along with a bigger engine under the hood. Follow the jump to see if the latest product from team "Zoom-Zoom" can compete head-to-head with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: 2009 Mazda6, 2009 mazda6 road test, 2009 mazda6 roadtest, 2009 mazda6 test drive, 2009Mazda6, 2009Mazda6Roadtest, 2009Mazda6TestDrive, featured, First Drive, FirstDrive, Mazda 6, Mazda6 ]

Pics Aplenty: 2009 Mazda6

On the eve of our Mazda6 review, the self-declared Zoom-Zoom brand has offered up 133 images of its newest sedan for our perusal. Want some pretty action shots? There are almost 20 including the one above. What about the folding rear seats? Not only do they give us step-by-step shots of the back seat action (remove mind from gutter), they've also shown us how the pass-through can accommodate both a snowboard and a rug. Ingenious. How about the key? They've got it covered... in triplicate. The starter button? Done. Twice. Obligatory "golf-bag-in-trunk" shot? Check. And while we originally planned to leave out the massive pic of an ABS light set against a totally black background, we thought better of it, just because it was ridiculous.
Enjoy the gallery, and be sure to check out the pricing details and technical tidbits before you come back tomorrow to read our review of the 2009 Mazda6.

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: ]

2009 Mazda6 starting at $19,220

While you'll have to wait another day to get our initial impressions of the 2009 Mazda6, the automaker has released the pricing details on its redesigned mid-level sedan.
The base "i" model starts at $19,220 (including the $670 destination charge) and comes equipped with a 170 hp, 2.5-liter inline-four sending power to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed auto with a manual shift mode. The range-topping SV, Sport, Touring and Grand Touring models will be packing a 272 hp, 3.7-liter V6 and will start off at $24,800 (again, destination charge included).
Mazda hasn't released a comprehensive break down of each model, their corresponding features and specific prices, but you can hit the jump for the official press release.

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: 2009, 2009 mazda6, 2009 mazda6 price, 2009 mazda6 pricing, 2009Mazda6, 2009Mazda6Price, 2009Mazda6Pricing, mazda6 ]

2009 Mazda6 caught in the wild, sort of

Few cars have generated as much traffic for Autoblog lately as the all-new 2009 Mazda6. We have been talking about this car for a long time, sharing pics and renderings, rumors and speculation. While Mazda shared some official pics of the U.S. version recently, we just received some shots of one sitting out in the open that we wanted to share. Submitted by avid Autoblog reader Andre R., these dozen or so shots show a beautiful blue (blue is the new white apparently) sample parked next to a current generation Mazda6. The differences are pretty striking when these two vehicles can be viewed together. The front fascia and wheels are a touch busy, but what a beautiful shape Mazda designers have given the new 6.
Although similar to the Japanese and European-market versions, the USDM car gets the signature bisected grille with foglamps housed in silver pots at the lower corners of the front air dam. As we pointed out when the first official shots were released, the trunk, rear bumper, and exhaust are also different and arguably better looking than the simpler Japanese and Europeans versions. These photos also give us a glimpse of the interior, and we'll reserve judgment on how it functions until we get some seat time. The dash isn't the best we've seen and the seat material looks odd, but it could be the glass giving odd reflections. Thanks for the pics, Andre!

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: 09 Mazda6, 09Mazda6, 2009 mazda6, 2009mazda6, mazda6 ]

Rendered Speculation: 2010 Mazda9

The Mazda 929 from the '90s was a rear-wheel-drive technological marvel that was ultimately unsuccessful because of its hefty price tag and Americans' infatuation with the SUV. Times have changed and big cars are cool again, with just about everybody on the market offering a large sedan. Mazda, however, is an obvious exception. The artists over at CGI Automotive decided to render out a future Mazda9 just for fun, and while it looks a bit awkward, the overall idea is pretty solid.Out front, the blue rendering holds true to the design of the upcoming Mazda6, but Audi-like jewelry has been added to the headlamps and the lower air dams look aggressive and sporty. The bulging wheel arches borrow from the Mazda6 and RX-8, and the roof-line is tapered to give it the four-door coupe look. The one thing that would have to change is the hatchback, which might be OK on smaller Mazdas, but is unattractive for a large flagship sedan. Would we like to see a Mazda9 flagship sedan? Hell yes, the more Zoom Zoom the better. But it would have to be more distinctive and less hatch-like, or it'd suffer the same fate as the 929 of years gone by.

[ Via: Carscoop ]
[ Tag: 4 door coupe, 4DoorCoupe, ford, large sedan, LargeSedan, Mazda6, mazda9, rendering, RX-8 ]

Spy Shots: Mazda2 sedan spotted in Death Valley

Amazing how $4-per-gallon gas can make us sit up and notice formerly innocuous economy cars. In all fairness, cars like the Mazda2 have always shown brightly on our radar. Sporty and stylish with a bargain-basement price tag and a fuel-sipping demeanor that will keep more of those dead presidents in our pockets, it sounds like a perfect fit. When you add in the Zoom-Zoom nature of your typical Mazda, the fun factor just shoots up to 11. We've already discussed this car a bit here at AB, and have even shown you 3- and 5-door hatches we've seen in the metal, but now we are starting to get more glimpses of the sedan version undergoing desert testing. Pictures like these from Fastlane Daily give us hope that this fun little car might finally be greenlighted for sales Stateside. The car might end up being identical to the sedan we saw in China, but all of that camo makes it hard to say for certain. Whatever we end up getting, it will probably be another fun option at the low end of the car market.
Catch the latest version of FLD, co-starring the BMW X1, Nissan GT-R and Cadillac CTS wagon, after the jump.


[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: fastlanedaily, Mazda2, mazda2 sedan, mazda2sedan ]

Rendered Speculation: Mazda6 coupe, convertible

Mazda's 6 is having a tough time finding love in its home market where it goes by the Atenza moniker. 7Tune is reporting that Mazda's going to flip the script and introduce three new variants of the Atenza; a coupe, a convertible, and a high performance version called the Mazdaspeed Atenza for JDM consumption. Mazda looked to the holy-grail BMW 3 series for inspiration, though that car is rear-wheel-drive, and hopes to achieve the same build quality with its Atenza line.
The vehicles in 7Tunes renderings are more conservatively styled than the current 3-Series, though that's hardly a bad thing. We think the renderings are easy on the eyes, with clear RX-8 influences, though all suffer from a basket-handle spoiler tacked on to the trunklid. It's tough to imagine the Mazdaspeed Atenza amounting to anything other than a tasty snack for the monstrous M3, though we're sure the Mazda will comport itself sportily. If any of this conjecture rings true, it's tough to go wrong benchmarking the icon of the segment.

[ Via: 7tune ]
[ Tag: atenza, atenza convertible, atenza coupe, AtenzaConvertible, AtenzaCoupe, jdm mazda, JdmMazda, madza jdm, MadzaJdm, mazda 6, mazda 6 cabriolet, mazda 6 convertible, mazda 6 coupe, Mazda6, Mazda6Cabriolet, Mazda6Convertible, Mazda6Coupe, mazdaspeed, mazdaspeed6, rendering, spy shots, SpyShots ]

Spy Shots: 2010 Mazda3 caught testing in New Mexico

We've been all but assured that the covers will be pulled off the next generation Mazda3 before the end of the year, possibly in Paris, with sales expected to begin in the Spring of 2009. So it was just a matter of time before we started seeing spy shots of the new Mazda3 undergoing testing. Our new friend Chris came upon two heavily-camoed prototypes in northern New Mexico and was kind enough to send them along for our inspection.
Chris points out that while it was difficult to snap photos of the mules at 80 mph, he was able to get several shots that tipped us off to their origin. The central-mounted binnacle on the dash has been a fixture of late-model Mazdas, and the CX-9 leading the parade pretty much confirmed our suspicions.
When the new Mazda3 is finally revealed later this year, expect a similar fascia as that found on the recently redesigned Mazda6, along with a few cues pulled from Mazda's recent run of "Nagare"-inspired concepts. Four- and five-door variants are planned, with engines spanning the range from 1.5- to 2.5-liters.

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: ]

Unhatched: Mazda2 sedan launches in China

There are certain things we may never understand about Eastern cultures. Somewhere down on the list comes the notion that compact hatchbacks look better with diminutive trunks. Take for example this Mazda2 sedan, which the Japanese automaker has prepared especially for the Chinese market. The sedan was unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show, and joined the hatchback variant in China this month with prices equivalent to $12,400 for the base 86-hp 1.3 to $16,500 for the fully-loaded 104-hp 1.5.Like the ironically-named Swift DZire launched by Maruti Suzuki in India, the four-door variant of the Mazda2, albeit considerably less gut-wrenching than the Suzuki, still leaves us scratching our heads. But apparently the Chinese market demands it. Take note, Ford: we don't. So please, if and when you decide to bring us the Mazda2, which has been such a huge success overseas, keep the trunk and give us the hatch. (Come to think of it, same goes for the Fiesta.)

[ Via: Winding Road ]
[ Tag: mazda china, mazda sedan, mazda2, mazda2 sedan, mazda2 sedan china, Mazda2Sedan, Mazda2SedanChina, MazdaChina, MazdaSedan ]

Mazda unveils 2009 Mazda6 for North America

Mazda has released the first photos and initial details on the new 2009 Mazda6. Designed specifically for North America, the car shares many cues with the Japanese and European-market cars that hit the scene over the last year. The car Americans and Canadians will drive is, in fact, bigger than its overseas counterparts. Visually, the front and rear fascias differ from the Japanese and European models as well. The USDM car gets a bisected grille and has its foglamps pushed out to the corners below the bumper. As we'd seen in spy photos, the car gets a completely different trunk, rear bumper, and exhaust treatment that's more appealing than the plainer setup Japanese and Europeans get.
Since Mazda released only exterior shots, we'll have to wait to see what the passenger accomodations look like. Base power comes from the same 2.5L four-cylinder base engine used in the Japan/Euro car, mated to either a 6-speed stick or 5-speed auto. The step-up 3.7L V6 is the same one you'll find under the hood of the CX-9. It's only transmission option is a six-speed auto with a manumatic sport shift feature. Horsepower and torque numbers for the USDM car haven't been released yet, but figure on seeing something in the neighborhood of 170 hp/166 lb-ft from the four. The six produces 273 horses and 270 lb-ft in CX-9 trim, so we'd expect something along those lines. Mazda's press release is pasted after the jump, in which you'll find no mention of either a wagon or 5-door hatchback variant. The '09 Mazda6 arrives as a sedan only, and it'll land in your local dealer showrooms later this summer.

[ Via: Autoblog (Mazda) ]
[ Tag: 2009 Mazda6, 2009Mazda6, breaking, mazda, mazda6, mazda6 sedan, Mazda6Sedan, north america mazda6, NorthAmericaMazda6, usdm mazda6, UsdmMazda6 ]

Mazda2 MPS and 280 hp Mazda6 MPS on their way

The Mazda Performance Series, or MPS, is what we've come to know in the U.S. as "Mazdaspeed." It's quickly becoming one of the defining characteristics of modern-day Mazdas, and with the releases of the new Mazda6 and its baby brother, the Mazda2, we've been anxiously awaiting Mazdaspeed's tweaked versions of both vehicles.
In addition to getting the scoop on the new Evo MR and STI Spec C, AutoExpress has got the goods on Mazda's two new hot offerings. A concept version of the Mazda6 MPS will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October, complete with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four, sending 280 hp to all four wheels, and sprinting to 60 in six seconds. Naturally, the Mazda6 MPS (or Mazdaspeed6 when it makes the trek to U.S. shores) will be sporting an aggressive front clip, spoiler, side skirts, bigger wheels, a stiffer suspension and upgraded brakes when it goes on sale in 2010.
Less information is available about the Mazda2 MPS, but expect a turbo'd 1.5-liter mill sending around 170 hp to the front wheels, a sport-tuned suspension and some exterior and interior tweaks to bring it up to Mazda Performance standards. If and when the Mazda2 makes it to the States, we'd expect the Mazdaspeed2 version to follow shortly thereafter.

[ Via: AutoExpress ]
[ Tag: mazda, mazda2, mazda2 mps, Mazda2Mps, mazda6, mazda6 mps, Mazda6Mps, mazdaspeed, mazdaspeed2, mazdaspeed6, mps, paris, paris motor show, ParisMotorShow ]

Mazda survey reveals pricing and packages for Mazda6

Mazda recently sent out a survey request to potential customers, the purpose of which was to allow these survey takers to build a 2009 Mazda6 with whatever options, packages and colors they wanted so that the automaker could gauge which will be most popular when the car goes on sale. Unfortunately, Mazda was smart and the survey can only be taken once, but one person recorded all the information he saw and posted it on the Mazda6club.com forum. His notes after the jump give us an idea of what trim levels, options and pricing will be available when the car does go on sale, though none of it is written in stone.
It appears that the 2009 Mazda6 will be available in two basic versions: the Mazda6 i that comes with a 170-hp 2.5L four-cylinder with VVT and the more powerful Mazda6 s that's motivated by a 272-hp 3.7L V6. The Mazda6 i will be offered in SV, Sport, Touring and Grand Touring models, while the Mazda6 s will be available as Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. As far as pricing goes, the Mazda6 i SV kicks things off with a base price of $19,850 while the Mazda6 s Grand Touring tops the range with a base price of $29,150. That's quite a large range that should satisfy the wants and needs of most buyers, and features like Xenon headlamps, Bluetooth, a Blind Spot Monitoring system, rain-sensing wipers and wheels up to 18-inches in diameter should position the new Zoom-Zoom sedan well against its mid-size family sedan competition.
Check out all the packages, standard features and pricing info after the jump, but remember they may not be the same when the car officially goes on sale. Thanks for the tip, Joel!

[ Via: Mazda6club.com ]
[ Tag: 2009 mazda6, 2009Mazda6, mazda6, mazda6 features, mazda6 options, mazda6 pricing, Mazda6Features, Mazda6Options, Mazda6Pricing ]