LA MOTOR SHOW: 2018 Mazda6 teased

The wraps have (almost) come off the facelifted 2018 Mazda6, which will make its global debut at the 2017 Los Angeles motors show in late November.

Mazda's mid-size passenger sedan and wagon gets a sleek new front-end design, more safety technology and improved powertrain options.

Mazda Australia expects the updated car to arrive in Australia around March 2018, and the big news is the fitment of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that will give the car more teeth.

It's not yet clear what power and torque the new car will have, but range-topping Mazda6 models running the 2.5 turbo are likely to be most potent current-generation Mazda6 ever made, taking the fight to the likes of the Kia Optima GT (180kW) and Subaru Liberty 3.6R (191kW).

Just don't expect the Mazda6 MPS name to return from an earlier generation, when a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine belted out an impressive 190kW/380Nm back in 2005. Even so, the new-era Mazda6 2.5 turbo should get more herbs than the 170kW/420Nm delivered by the same engine in the CX-9.

Mazda says the new turbo-petrol 2.5 will offer "composure and excitement".

The non-turbo 2.5-litre four-cylinder also comes in for a shake-up, bringing cylinder deactivation to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy.

Two teaser images have been revealed by the Japanese car-maker, confirming two things. One, the new front-end design packs more visual punch than Chuck Norris in Delta Force; and two, the interior doesn't.

The new-look front-end incorporates slimline LED driving lights, integrated neatly into a stylised and sportier front bumper.

The headlights have also been resculpted, giving the car a more athletic appearance.

With the updated exterior styling, the Mazda6 family car also has closer visual ties with its stablemates, such as SUVs like the CX-5 and CX-9.

Sonia Singh, senior PR manager at Mazda Australia, told motoring.com.au the new model was very important to the brand because it's the "most comprehensive update since the model was fully redesigned in 2012."

The interior meanwhile looks virtually untouched in a stylistic sense. Mazda says the new Six gets Japanese Sen timber inlays in the top-grade models, providing an upmarket feel. Given it's impossible to see in the photo, we'll reserve judgement until we see it in Los Angeles.

Other upgrades confirmed by the car-maker include enhanced i-Activsense functionality, which will now be standard on all models now. Comprised of various sensors and cameras, it incorporates adaptive (radar) cruise control to brake and accelerate the car automatically and now features a gridlock mode that can stop the car completely then take off again in slow moving traffic.

A 360-degree parking camera will also be added to top-shelf Atenza models.

As this is the third update since the latest Mazda6 was launched in 2012, Mazda Australia will be hoping the new model can provide an uptick in sales, which have dipped 17 per cent this year.

Reflecting the global trend, the medium passenger car segment has been tailing off for years in Australia, where sales are down 10 per cent this year. The Mazda6 has always been popular in this country, however, and remains the second top selling car in the segment after the fleet-heavy Toyota Camry.

"The Mazda6 has a unique and much-loved position with Australian buyers as a quality vehicle that offers great value. We hope Aussie buyers will warm to these aesthetic, technological and engineering updates," said Singh.

An all-new Mazda6 model was teased at the 2017 Tokyo motor show in the form of the Mazda Vision Coupe, but motoring.com.au understands this vehicle won't see the light of day until after the next Mazda3 post-2020.

Nevertheless, the idea of a potent 2.5-litre turbo-petrol Mazda6 wagon will likely have Mazda fans licking their lips. Stay tuned for more details.