Don’t blink, or you might just miss the first teaser for the next-generation Mazda6. Mazda has released a 21-second spot designed to give the world a glimpse of the company’s new sedan. From the look of things, the Mazda6 will borrow heavily from the Takeri Concept Car we saw debut at the Tokyo Motor Show last year. While details remain scarce about the upcoming model, rumor has it the four-door may bow with nothing but four-cylinder engines under the hood. Automakers like Chevrolet, Hyundai and Kia have already embraced that move for their family sedans, resulting in lighter, more efficient platforms.
Whether or not Mazda does eschew a traditional V6 engine engine for a four-pot, odds are buyers will find a Skyactiv mill behind the headlights. That means direct injection will make a showing on the car for the first time in the model’s history. Currently, the most powerful Skyactiv four-cylinder in the Mazda stable tops out at 155 horsepower, which would be low for an entry-level model in this segment. We expect a more powerful tune of the 2.0-liter Skyactiv engine in the Mazda3 to be the base powerplant, but we imagine the technology will need to be mated with either a larger-displacement block or forced induction if Mazda intends to stay competitive with other automakers’ higher-power engine options.
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