Mazda has announced that the next-generation Mazda 6 mid-size sedan will go on sale in 2013 as a 2014 model and will make its debut at the Paris auto show in the fall. If you’re wondering why Mazda chose to break the news at the New York show, it’s probably because the next 6’s design inspiration—the Takeri concept—is making its American auto show debut there. Besides borrowing the Takeri’s look, the new 6 will have the “full suite” of Skyactiv fuel-economy-boosting technologies built in from the get-go, just like the 2013 CX-5 crossover.
Mazda says the new 6 will get a Skyactiv engine and a choice of six-speed manual or automatic Skyactiv transmissions. We presume the term “full suite” also means the 6’s body structure will be stripped of as much weight as possible while retaining stiffness. (The CX-5’s Skyactiv structure is stiff and fairly light due to the extensive use of high-strength steel, resulting in one of the lowest curb weights in the compact-crossover segment.) Mazda didn’t say whether a Skyactiv-D diesel engine would make its way into the next 6, but it’s a possibility. After all, we still expect the oil-burner to make it to the U.S. under the hood of a CX-5 sometime this year.
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