Mazda Says it Will Add Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Drivetrains to Lineup

As the saying goes, if you can't beat them, you might as well join them. Following Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi's 180 degree turn on the embracement of hybrid technologies that came at the New York Auto Show in April, the company's Executive Vice President Philip Spender announced new details on Mazda's future hybrid plans during the Japanese launch event of the 2010 Axela (Mazda3).

"We've started to talk a lot more about it lately, in part because everybody else is," Spender said. "Mazda is responding partly to new government incentives and emissions rules," he added.

Spender revealed that Mazda will not develop a standalone hybrid model but instead the firm will offer gasoline-electric drivetrains as an option on existing models in its portfolio with the first cars expected in the "20-teens".

The Mazda executive did not disclose details on which models would get a hybrid drivetrain option, but we gather that the Mazda3 and Mazda6 as well as the firm's SUV/Crossover models will be among the first in line. And how about Mazda's sportscars like the MX-5 / Miata roadster? Your guess is as good as ours, but feel free to state your thoughts in the comment section below.

Via: Autonews (Sub. Req.)

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Mazda Hikes Mazda5 and Mazda6 Prices in the UK by 2%

Citing the continued weakening of the British Pound against the Euro and rising costs in materials, Mazda UK announced that prices of its Mazda6 and Mazda5 range will be going up by 2 percent in April. This move will raise the prices of Mazda6 cars by an average of £345 and Mazda5 vehicles by £323 starting from April 1st - no, this ain't an April Fool's Day joke...

"Recent rises in some raw materials costs and fluctuations in the Yen/Pound exchange rate mean that we have to increase prices on the Mazda5 and Mazda6 range from 1 April," commented Mark Cameron, Sales & Marketing Director Mazda UK. "We are keeping these rises to just 2 percent, which is much less than the increases introduced by many other brands," he added.

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EuroNCAP's Revised Safety Ratings for Six New Cars Including Mazda6, Avensis and Impreza

The European organization for the assessment of vehicle safety has published the first results under its updated rating system. Up until now, Euro NCAP made three separate ratings available for each vehicle, but with the new system there's an overall rating for every car covering Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Pedestrian Protection and a new area of assessment, Safety Assist which takes into account systems such as electronic stability control (ESC) and seat belt reminders.

Of the six cars tested under the new ratings system, four managed to achieve Euro NCAP's maximum award of five stars: the Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Avensis and Toyota iQ. Citroen's C3 Picasso minivan and the Subaru Impreza were both awarded four stars.

According to Euro NCAP, with the exception of the Subaru Impreza, all the other cars failed to impress on pedestrian protection.

After the announcement of the results, Mitsubishi and Subaru both said that they would change their ESC (electronic stability control) fitment policies for the Lancer and Impreza, as variants of these models without optional ESC were offered in some Euroepan countries.

Euro NCAP's new rating scheme requires all safety equipment, including ESC, to be standard on 85% of volume sales and at least optionally available on every variant.

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New 2009 Mazda6 Receives its first Recall

Approximately 29,000 MY2009 Mazda6 cars are being recalled in the States due to a problem with the outer door handles that may not latch correctly allowing the door to open while the vehicle is in motion. In an official announcement, Mazda said that its U.S. dealers will inspect the 6's door handles and if necessary, repair or replace the handles free of charge. The recall is expected to begin before the end of February. Concerned owners may contact Mazda for more information directly at 1-800-222-5500.

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2009 Mazda6 by Troy Lee Design Bows at SEMA

While we're all patiently waiting to see what's going to happen to the successor of the Mazda6 MazdaSpeed or as it's called in Europe and other markets, the MPS, the Japanese firm decided to join forces with Troy Lee Designs and introduce a beefed-up variant of the latest generation '6' at the SEMA show. The Troy Lee Mazda6 features the usual visual upgrades that you see on most SEMA show vehicles including a custom paint job, peripheral spoilers and larger 18-inch Momo alloy wheels in Hoosier tires.

The SEMA show Mazda6 also gets a set of Eibach springs to improve handling as well as cross-drilled, 6-piston big brake kit by Wilwood Engineering and custom brake fabrication by JD Performance.

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2009 Mazda6 North American Spec Model Image Gallery Update

Thanks to Mazda Canada, we not only have a few more exterior pictures of the North American spec Mazda6 –including a couple of shots of a black colored version, but we also get the chance to check out the interior of the Japanese carmaker’s new mid-size sedan. Unlike the exterior of the N.A. market Mazda6 which has been stretched and features a redesigned rear-end, the cabin bears no visible changes compared to its Euro counterpart (see pics here).

Expected to go on sale in North America in late summer, the Mazda6 will be offered exclusively in 4-door sedan form – no station-wagon version here, and with a choice of two engine options, a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit and a 3.7-liter V6. -Image gallery after the jump

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2009 Mazda6 U.S. Spec Revealed – Larger & More Powerful Than Euro Version

Following on the heels of the European and Japanese spec versions, Mazda has revealed the North American market Mazda6 Sedan that will go on sale in the U.S. in late summer, 2008. Surprisingly, compared to the Euro Mazda6, the North American spec model does not only feature greater engine displacement but it has also grown in dimensions featuring a larger body.

Design-wise and from what we can tell from the initial images released, the US Mazda6 Sedan retains the basic shape of its European counterpart adding a few unique details like the new grille, the aluminum fog-light trim and most importantly, the restyled rear-end which incorporates a small lip spoiler on the trunk. There are no pics of the interior so we'll have to wait and see the differences.

The 2009 Mazda6 will be powered by Mazda’s newly developed 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that’s already available in the European and Japanese spec models along with the CX-9’s 3.7-liter V6 unit (it produces 273Hp in the CX-9). A 6-speed manual and a 5-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode will be available for the 2.5L engine while the V6 will be coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode. –Continued

Other mechanical changes include the suspension which has been tuned to meet tha particular demands of the North American market in terms of handling and comfort.

“This is the most important new vehicle Mazda has launched in a decade,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO, from Denver, where the car was unveiled to Mazda dealers a day earlier at the company’s North American Dealer Meeting. “The midsize sedan segment – where MAZDA6 competes – is a real battleground, with some of the best vehicles in the industry going toe-to-toe for sales. This new MAZDA6 was designed and engineered specifically for the North American market – the third Mazda in a row to be so – and will take on the very best cars from Asia, Europe and the U.S.”

As with its predecessor, the 2009 Mazda6 Mazda6 will be produced at AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, Michigan, a joint venture with partner Ford Motor Company

The 2009 Mazsa6 will be available in North America only as a four-door sedan, and in three trim levels: Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, with varying levels of standard and optional equipment. More information and pictures on the all-new 2009 Mazda6 will be available closer to launch.

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Mazda6 Coupe & Cabriolet: Reality or Pipe Dreaming?

This scan depicting the Mazda6 Coupe and Cabriolet is sourced from a Japanese automotive magazine called “Best Car”. In view of the fact that the pics are nothing more than computer generated renderings that weren’t created by Mazda, there’s no point in making any judgements on the styling.

Now, is the Japanese carmaker is actually in the process of expanding the current range of the new Mazda6 (called Atenza in Japan) with a coupe and cabriolet version? Well, to our knowledge, the answer is no. However, that doesn’t rule out the possibility that Mazda might consider doing so in the very near future.

Via: Autoblog.it

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