Pricing for the all new 2009 Mazda6 has leaked online over at Mazda6club.com. The 2009 Mazda6 will arrive in showrooms later this summer with a base price of under $20,000 for the entry level model.

Starting at $19,850, the entry level Mazda6 i SV will be powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that produces 170-hp. The Mazda6 i Sport and i Touring will be powered by the same engine but will have some extra options such as remote keyless entry and leather-trimmed steering wheel with a price tag of $21,250 and $22,750 respectively. The Grand i Touring model starts at $25,850.

The 2009 Mazda6 s Sport will be powered by a 3.7 liter V6 producing a total of 272-hp and will carry an MSRP of $25,150. The Mazda6 s Touring will start at $26,150. The top-of-the-line Mazda6 s Grand Touring will start at $29,150.

Click through for the list of options.

2009 Mazda6:

Continue reading…

Kelley Blue Book has announced its picks for the Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000. To make the list, the editors at KBB.com thought like consumers, picking cars that they felt were safe, good in fuel-economy, interior size, comfort, technology and fun-to-drive.

Now remember just because a vehicle is listed first doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the cheapest or the coolest on the list. All cars on the list are considered cool and are under $18,000. They are just listed in alphabetical order.

All the cars on the list were chosen using Kelly Blue Book’s New Car Blue Book Value which reflects real transaction prices and provide a useful comparison to the MSRP of the car.

Let us know what you would buy in the comments section below.

Click through for press release and the list.

Continue reading…

We’ve heard Mazda was considering it before and we now have confirmation from AutoExpress. Work on the Mazda2 MPS (Mazdaspeed in the U.S.) is almost complete. Using the new three-door Mazda2 hatchback as the basis, power is expected to come from a turbocharged version of the 1.5 liter engine producing up to 230-hp.

AutoExpress also tells us that an MPS version of the new Mazda6 is also on the way and it will definitely be a head-turner with body enhancements such as new spoilers, larger intakes and lowered side skirts. Rumor has it that Mazda will use a turbocharged version of the new 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine producing up to 280-hp.

Continue reading…

Mazda today unveiled the all-new redesigned Mazda6 for the U.S. market which is set to go on sale later this summer.  Mazda says that following the CX-7 and the CX-9, the 2009 North American Mazda6 is the third model that was designed and engineered specifically to meet the needs of our North American customers.

No horsepower ratings have been released as of yet, but we’re going to estimate them for you. The base entry level model will be powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine from the JDM market and should produce around 175-hp. The range-topper 3.7 liter V6 is the same engine from the 2008 CX-9 so we’re guessing an output of 265-hp.  Mazda will offer a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic for the 4-clyinder while the V6 model gets a six-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode.

Pricing and details will be announced closer to launch but don’t expect them to change from the current model’s $19,625 tag.

Click through for more images and the press release.

2009 Mazda6:

Continue reading…

Mazda Australia today revealed the new Mazda3 MPS rally car ahead of its debut at Targa Tasmania. Professional rally car drivers Rick Bates and Alister McRae will participate in Mazda’s eighth appearance at the Targa campaign held from April 15-20.

The front-wheel-drive Mazda3 MPS rally car will be powered by a 2.3 liter direct injection turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 255-hp.

The two drivers will compete in the 2WD Showroom competition for which rules say that the rally cars must be mostly standard, meaning that drivers will compete in cars featuring audio systems, electric windows and carpets and upholstery intact.

Mazda3 MPS Targa Tasmania (AU):

Continue reading…

If you ask us, we think its both cars are from different size categories for a comparison. Nonetheless, here is the first TV review of the 2008 Mazda 6 that should be headed to the U.S. very soon.

Out of curiosity, let us know in the comments section below which car you would pick out of the two.

Click through for the video.

Continue reading…

Mazda has unveiled the new Mazda2 three-door hatchback to the European market today at the Geneva Motor Show. Building on the five-door hatchback the new compact Mazda2 three-door hatchback has a rising belt line and wedge shape giving a more sporty and fun-to-drive character.

Power comes from the same gasoline line-up as the five door including a 1.3 liter with two output derivatives; a Standard Power version producing 75hp and a High Power version producing 86hp. Both variants get combined fuel-economy of 45mpg. The range-topper in the gasoline lineup is a 1.5 liter the produces 103hp with a fuel-economy of 40mpg. The Mazda 2 three-door is also available with a 1.4 liter common-rail turbo diesel that produces 68hp and has a fuel-consumption of 55mpg.

The Mazda2 three-door hatchback will go on sale later this year with pricing to be announced closer to launch. Mazda is supposedly considering the Mazda2 for the U.S. market, although it is not clear which variant will come to the stateside.

Mazda2 Three-Door Hatchback Gallery:

Continue reading…

We’ve always been disappointed with reports of Mazda not bringing the Mazda2 to the stateside. But now, a few words by Mazda’s North American president, Jim O’Sullivan, Mazda may be considering the Mazda2 for the North American market along with plans of selling diesel engines in the U.S. market for the first time.

“We’re not ready to make the announcement but obviously we sell diesels in Europe,” O’Sullivan said during a lunch with reporters in Detroit. “The Mazda 2 is extremely successful in Europe and Asia. We’re continuing to watch that space in North America.”

Continue reading…

Word on the street is that the U.S. could be getting a Mazda MX-5 coupe variant in the near future. The fixed-roof MX-5 was previously available in Japan and due to a lower price point than the convertible, the MX-5 coupe could be a good addition to Mazda’s U.S. lineup.

While Mazda is pretty quiet about the matter, rumor has it that the coupe MX-5 could arrive in U.S. showrooms as early as 2010 along with a facelift to the model.

Continue reading…

Consumer Reports has named its Top Picks list for 2008 and for the first time a Korean automaker (Hyundai) has made it onto the list. Also for the first time since 2005, since a U.S. model made the list.

Hyundai made it on the list for two categories including the small sedan and midsized SUV with the Hyundai Elantra SE and the Hyundai Santa Fe. Chevrolet took the top choice for the pickup truck category with its new redesigned Silverado. The Toyota Prius remains the Top Pick in the green car category for the fifth year in a row while the Lexus LS 460L took the best luxury sedan.

Honda Accord took the Top Pick in family sedans over the Nissan Altima since starting this year, automakers must provide critical safety features, electronic stability control, either as standard or as a readily available option. So while the Altima scored higher in CR’s testing over the Accord, it lost the Top Pick since it offers ESC as a pricey option on the V6.

Click through for the list.

Continue reading…

Mazda’s CEO Jim O’Sullivan said that the company will show the new redesigned Mazda6 in April at dealer meetings in Denver. Mazda will also show other products at the meeting but said that hybrids and alternative-fuel cars are not on the agenda as of yet.

Mazda also said today that it will boost its marketing budget. Rob Strasberg, who is responsible for the MINI launch and the Volkswagen ‘Unpimp Your Auto’ and ‘Safety’ campaigns, will join Mazda’s agency Doner Advertising as chief creative officer.  Strasberg comes from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, where he was creative director.

“Rob is coming in at a good time because the brand has made headway and is poised to make a move,” said Tim Blett president of Doner’s automotive division.

Click through to see on of Rob Strasberg’s creations.

Continue reading…

Supposedly the car that we’ve all come to known as the next-generation Mazda 6, or the new Atenza in Japan, does not hint at what the 2009 Mazda 6 will look in the U.S.

“The Mazda 6 will be designed and engineered for the U.S.” Jeremy Barnes, Mazda North American Operations spokesman, told Inside Line. “It will be on sale later this year as an ‘09 model.” He said that the Atenza, which was unveiled in Japan on Tuesday, “doesn’t hint at what we’ll get in the U.S.”

Continue reading…

Okay, maybe not beg, but at least satisfied if circumstances put you in such a position to own a minivan. Today’s automakers are looking to add technology and luxury features to retain minivan owners and maybe, just maybe, lure in those who run after SUVs or Crossover.

Take the Honda Odyssey Touring for example. In there you’ll find a satellite navigation system that operates with voice recognition responding to over 630 commands, a full-color rear view backup camera, a DVD entertainment package system and, of course, leather seating.

According to Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of a market research firm covering the auto industry, while “the minivan market is not dead, sales have slowed, the market has matured, and there’s some shrinkage.”

Still, she says, “it is really the best space for hauling people and stuff.”

Click through for the list of 9 Minivans You’ll Beg to Drive.

Continue reading…