2009 Mazda6 First Drive

True strength comes from knowing your own weaknesses. While that introspective insight can cause short-term pain, it really fine-tunes the focus when you need to fix what's broken. Our first encounter with the all-new 2009 Mazda6 made it clear that plenty of high-level corporate soul searching had been part of its comprehensive development brief. After soldiering on bravely since mid-2002 with a car that, by its own admission, lacked the size, power, and perceived quality of its prime competitors in the midsize arena, Mazda is set to launch a replacement with serious field-leveling potential. If production versions match the promise of the prototypes we drove, this engaging four-door could well move to the head of its class, in spirit if not in absolute sales numbers.

While the rest of the world got its Gen II Mazda6 family for 2008, our unique sedan-only incarnation had to wait a season. Styled, scaled and spec'd to please U.S. loyalists and attract new buyers from all corners of the "C/D-sedan" segment, the North American variant exceeds the world-car platform in every key dimension, shares barely 10 percent of its components, and has no common sheetmetal or glass. Four-cylinder (Mazda6i) and V-6 (Mazda6s) choices carry, but new powerplants add substantial punch. Most important, it embodies a level of overall sophistication its predecessor never managed to approach.

Bold new bodywork sets the stage for this Mazda's grand entrance, melding contour and edge into a far more compelling presence than the outgoing iteration. Its stylized grille is flanked by jewel-like projector-beam headlamps that flow into fenders with prominent RX-8/CX-9-style flares. Faster front/rear glass coupled with a 4.5-inch wheelbase stretch and 6.1 inches more length give it a sleeker profile, while expanded width and track dimensions impart a more aggressive stance. Beyond tighter body panel gaps, numerous aero cleanups have helped trim the 2009's drag coefficient by 10 percent.

Beneath that high-profile sheetmetal is a far stronger unit body that boasts nearly four times as much high-strength steel, adds 17 percent more torsional rigidity, and ups bending stiffness by 39 percent. A redesigned control-arm front/multilink rear suspension package matches new components with revamped geometry and mounts everything to beefier but far better-isolated subframes. The power steering and ABS brake systems also were tweaked to improve feel and response.

Inside, a more upscale look is complemented by a segment-critical six-percent increase in total cabin volume. A "cockpit" motif carries over up front, but there's a more inviting balance of textured plastic to soft-touch surfaces, tastefully accented by bright and matte metallic trim. The dash and center stack show a clear Mazda imprint, with conventional analog gauges replaced by electroluminescent units in the two top trim grades. Well-formed front buckets get softer cushions, but the Mazda6's expanded aft quarters are the real revelation here. Stretching the wheelbase and repositioning the hip point of its 60/40-split folding rear seat yield head and legroom that permits two full-size-adults-or three in a pinch-to travel in real comfort. Cargo capacity also steps up by 10 percent, to a class-leading 16.6 cubic feet.

Anchoring the model hierarchy is the four-cylinder-only Mazda6i SV that includes standards like power windows/lock/mirrors, air conditioning, tilt/telescoping steering column with multifunction steering wheel, and AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio. Sport versions add items like cruise control and keyless remote; Tourings bring a power driver's seat, trip computer, and pushbutton start, while Grand Tourings get full leather trim, dual-zone A/C, and dual power/heated buckets as well as Xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Options are limited, but include a navigation system and a Bose audio/moonroof group for the two top trim levels and a Convenience Package that adds GT-like upgrades to the Touring.

Where displacement and output relegated the Gen I Mazda6 to class-lagger status, the 2009 iteration kicks its zoom-zoom index into overdrive with a pair of bigger, more potent motivators. Mazda6i variants use a new 2.5-liter DOHC four spawned from Mazda's existing 2.3-liter MRZ engine family. Equally smooth and free-revving, this comprehensive redesign shares little beyond block architecture with the 2.3, but it does bump pony count from 156 to 170 and increases peak torque from 154 to 167 pound-feet (slightly less in PZEV emissions trim). It's also more fuel efficient, whether matched with the six-speed manual transmission or optional five-speed automatic with SportShift. Mazda6s models are fitted with a 3.7-liter twin-cam V-6 shared with the CX-9. Its 272 horses and 269 pound-feet of torque dwarf the 212/197 output stats of the old 3.0-liter. Backing this bigger six is a SportShifted six-speed automatic transmission fitted with Active Adaptive Shift control from the RX-8 that automatically selects the optimum gear for making quick corner exits.

Our seat time was confined to freeway cruising and modestly aggressive flogging in four-cylinder Touring and V-6 Grand Touring models, but the takeaway was clear: Smoothness and quietness-as well as basic vehicle dynamics-have been elevated to an entirely different plane. Power to weight is improved with both engines, although the relative difference is far greater in the V-6 and should drop 0-to-60 mph times for "s" models into the sixes. While lacking that level of straight-line enthusiasm, the new four is impressive in its own right, even matched with the autoshifter. As in the past, that combo should dominate the Mazda6 mix, in either Sport or Touring guise.

Suspension tuning and wheel/tire fitment vary with engine/trim spec, but the new chassis setups and standard stability/traction control helps keep the Mazda6's bespoke Michelin M+S rubber more confidently planted across the lineup. With its noticeably tauter character and standard 235/45WR18 tires, the V-6 Grand Touring trades a bit of compliance for better grip and less body roll than the Mazda6s Touring shod with its 215/55VR17 alternatives. However, enhancements to the steering and brake systems put an enthusiast-grade edge on both, while a 3.2-foot reduction in turning circle makes it easier to negotiate twisty two-lanes as well as crowded parking lots.

With pricing starting in the $20,000-$29,000 range, Mazda marketing types feel confident the new Mazda6 will appeal to a broader and even more upscale buyer base when sales begin in August. A key part of their goal to push North American volumes into the six-figure zone involves winning converts from the ranks of Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and Chevy Malibu owners. While success in that undertaking won't be easy, we suspect Mazda's reincarnated road warrior will more than hold its own in any future head-to-head confrontations.