The big Kizuna - Mazda6 for 2008

It seems like every new Mazda must be launched with a Japanese buzz-word or catch-phrase to frame the car's character. In 2005 it was 'Jinba Ittai' ('rider and horse as one') for the NC platform MX-5.

Now Mazda introduces more Japanese to the English language with 'Kizuna' -- 'emotional connection'. The new word accompanies the new Mazda6, which is officially launched with effect from the Frankfurt motor show (IAA), but pictures of the new car were leaked late last week (more here).

According to Mazda, the guiding principle behind the development of the new car was the 'Zoom-Zoom evolution', which is a tag for a program of functional, environmental, safety and design enhancements.

Come to think of it, maybe the Japanese buzz-words are preferable to the marketing-speak. We like 'tsukurikomi' (in-built quality), although it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

As with the current model, the Mazda6 will be available in three body styles, hatch, sedan and wagon. By styling the sedan to emulate the look of the hatch, Mazda has brought the two body types closer together and avoided the 'conservative' tag that often dogs sedan variants in a range.

Mechanically, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine is a development of the previous 2.3-litre unit and shares the same architecture and family code ('MZR'). The extra capacity comes from both a longer stroke and a wider bore. Torque has been improved to the tune of 10 per cent. Power is 125kW occurring at 6000rpm and peak torque of 226Nm arrives at 4000rpm.

1.8- and 2.0-litre engines are also available, but we're unlikely to see them here. There is also a 2.0-litre turbodiesel, basically the same engine as in the Mazda3 (more here) and that's a pretty strong chance for local release. In the press material for the new Mazda6, there was no mention of the rumoured V6 engine in our report here.

The standard transmission is a six-speed box and the optional automatic is a five-speeder.

At the front, the suspension sub-frame is now mounted to the body at six points in lieu of four for the current car. This is said to improve the new car's steering and NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness).

Steering for the new car is boosted by electric means, not the hydraulic assistance of the current car. Mazda attributes a fuel economy improvement of two per cent to the adoption of the new power steering system alone.

Changes to the rear suspension are intended to reduce lift during braking and improve overall stability and ride comfort. These changes include relocating the front pivot point for the trailing links to a higher position and mounting the dampers in a position that is closer to upright.

For the brakes, Mazda has specified larger front disc rotors and a larger diameter master cylinder. Brake performance is improved and Mazda claims that the brake pedal feel is better too.

Body weight has been reduced, despite enhanced body strength and rigidity. Stronger steels and additional reinforcement at select points of the body result in 30 per cent more torsional rigidity for the hatch. Improvements for wagon and sedan are 25 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively. This reflects the fundamentally stronger starting point for the sedan, which doesn't have a tailgate as the hatch and wagon do.

Where the engineers left off with the bodies' hard points, the designers took over. The new Mazda6 has gained from greater attention to aerodynamics and the sedan and hatch have recorded a drag coefficient of 0.27Cd, with the wagon still achieving 0.28Cd in the wind tunnel.

Being slightly larger than the current model, the new Mazda6 builds on the old car's interior space. Mazda designers have left driver and passenger seated in the same measure of proximity, allowing greater shoulder room from the wider cabin. The driving position has also been adjusted to suit the typical driver better. To achieve this end, Mazda has moved the gear shift lever closer to the driver and adjusted the rake of the steering column.

The driver also benefits from new or improved active safety systems such as ABS, DSC, traction control and brake assist.

Advanced safety and convenience features offered with the Mazda6 for the first time include up to six airbags, adaptive front lighting, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry system, engine stop/start button, sequential mode instrument lighting, front and rear parking sensors, steering wheel hub-mounted switchgear for satellite navigation, audio system, HVAC and information systems.

For European markets, a Bose eight-speaker audio and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity are available as options. These are likely to be available in Australia too, although whether as standard or optional features is not known, at this point.

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