This week we look at Mazda's new CamCord fighter the all-new 2014 Mazda6. Can Mazda pull off a solid mid-sized sedan after their divorce from the Blue Oval? Join us as we find out. We got our hands on the 2.5L iGrand Touring version. Since iLoop had not been released officially yet be sure to check back when we get our hands on that extremely mild hybrid system.
2014 brings Mazda's new corporate grille to the Mazda6, and I have to say, it's a beautiful schnoz. I was a little worried the gaping maw would be too large in person, (in pictures it looks enormous) but up-close-and-personal it has to be the second most attractive front end after the Fusion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but during the week I was unable to find anyone who disagreed with me. So my opinion reigns supreme. I'm worried however, the proportions look perfect on the Mazda6, so what will the Mazda3 be like? Why am I worried? Because if you park the Mazda6 next to a CX-9 or CX-5, the crossovers look more cartoonish than if they park alone. Just like your girlfriend seems pretty until you park her next to Megan Fox. Although the 2014 model looks longer than the outgoing Mazda6, overall length has been cut by about two inches. Adding "visual length" as well as much-needed rear seat room, the wheelbase has been stretched by two inches to 111.4.
Mazda's nose may be a notch below the Ford in my style-guide, but out back it's a different story. I find the Fusion's rump to be a little awkward. It's almost as if Ford ran out of time and "hurried" the back end of their family hauler. Not so with the Mazda6 which has a finished look from the "raised eyebrow" tail lamps to the twin chrome exhausts. Thanks to the best butt in the business, I call the Ford v. Mazda beauty contest a tie. How about the Koreans? I never warmed to the Sonata, but the Optima is aggressive and attractive, just not as emotional as the Mazda6. Thanks to the low sales volume, the Mazda is also a step outside the ordinary, something that attracts me.
Something that has confused reporters in the past is Mazda's new transmission. Some describe it as a hybrid between a dual clutch and a traditional automatic, some have even suggested that it can "disable" the torque converter. In addition to the 6-speed manual transmission you can opt for the SkyActiv branded traditional automatic transaxle. Traditional? What about the fancy clutches? Here's what Mazda did.
Lock-up torque converters are nothing new, having been introduced in 1949, but in our age of efficiency companies are using them more aggressively. By locking the impeller and turbine (input and output) of the torque converter, you increase efficiency by cutting most of the impelling losses in the torque converter (there are still some because it's still spinning, but it's greatly reduced). Old transmissions only did this in their final gear and relatively infrequently. Modern automatics like GM/Ford's 6-speed transaxle spend about half their time in lock-up and will engage the locking "clutch" in most gears. Mazda's new slushbox is programmed with an aggressive lockup agenda and will lock in every gear. In addition, it spends more time in lockup (80% or more) than a competitive unit on the same driving cycle. The result is a more connected 1:1 relationship between the engine and wheels than you find in a CamFusCord.
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25 июл 2013
