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2016 Updates

24K views 58 replies 25 participants last post by  quaquaqua 
#1 ·
Some new insights from Autonews: http://www.autonews.com/article/20140825/OEM04/308259975/mazda-making-big-changes-fast

Looks like the 6 gets a new interior next year, and new sheetmetal the year after. I'm not a fan of the pop-up infotainment unit from the 3, and hope it doesn't uglify the interior design too much.

"Mazda6: The interior of Mazda's midsize sedan will undergo major changes when its re-engineered 2016 model arrives in the first quarter next year. The sedan gets a new center console and a thinner dashboard that sits lower in the cabin -- a change allowed by the use of a thin infotainment screen that will sit atop the dash rather than within it. The overall layout will be similar to the Mazda3's and more upscale than the current Mazda6 interior.


The Mazda Connect infotainment system that debuted on the Mazda3 also will be added for the 2016 model year. The car will get a new front fascia, and LED headlights will be added to some trims, with sheet metal updates coming the following year."

Plus this juicy nugget - The MazdaSpeed 3 is set to arrive in 2016, which means MazdaSpeed versions of the 6 and Miata won't be far behind. The engine is going to be a turbocharged version of the 2.5 that will first appear in the CX-9:

"Mazda3: The Mazda3's next major change is a 2017 model year re-engineering that will give the sedan new sheet metal in the second half of 2016. The new metal will be underpinned by a revamped version of the car's existing Skyactiv platform.

The change is expected to coincide with the return of the Mazdaspeed3 high-performance version to the lineup. Under the hood of the go-fast Mazda3 will be a turbocharged 2.5-liter Skyactiv engine -- also appearing in the redesigned CX-9 launching that year -- that will produce more than 300 hp in the Mazdaspeed3. The usual Mazdaspeed exterior touches -- such as a unique fascia, body kit and bigger wheels with low-profile, high-performance tires -- are expected to differentiate the car from mainstream Mazda3 models.

Mazda also may equip the Mazdaspeed3 with all-wheel drive, making it a worthy competitor to the Subaru WRX STI and filling a void in the fast-compact segment created by the impending cancellation of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution."
 
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#2 ·
Hah..I was about to post this Autonews Mazda refresh yesterday.

If Gen 4 M6 would be not as swanky looking as what the GJ is now...I'll indeed trade in my Touring 6MT for that last issue year, the "perfected" GJ.
 
#3 ·
Gen 3.5 or Gen 4?

Ha-ha...Beat me to it! Yours has more details. Well, we all KNEW the Mz6 would be updated, however what I despise is the fact to CHANGE it so much, and not offer the UPGRADES we "early-adopters" deserve. Oh well, the Gen 3.5 (or will it be the Gen 4) is coming in less than 2 years! Wonder IF it would be worth the trade-up (for the MazdaSpeed 6, most def a No-Brainer)? By then, I would have invested over $2,000 in current upgrades and may hold off others to see what 2016 will bring! :D
 
#4 · (Edited)
I like the sound of LED headlights if they are actual lowbeams and not the DRL deal. As far as new front fascia I feel like they are going to change it to more mazda 3 like front end, which imo does not look as classy as the current 6 (don't mess this up mazda). As for informant system the bigger screen will be very nice, but will no longer be a double din standard it sounds like, instead we will be stuck with a proprietary system.

If the mazdaspeed 3 is as good as it sounds and mazda indeed delivers as promised I will seriously consider trading in my current 6 for the MS3 after a model year or 2 into the cycle.

also Mazda, if you are listening, add a "6s" trim to the refreshed gen 3 6 lineup with a version of the turbo skyactiv-G and you got a winner
 
#5 ·
Jerry, I completely agree with you. Hope the facelift turns out to be an improvement, but that's a tall order given how spectacular the current design is. I wish they'd leave the front fascia alone and make the rear more masculine. A 6S that bumps up the horsepower but falls short of a MazdaSpeed model would suit me fine - the car just needs 20 to 30 more hp to be perfect.

Seems like more news outlets are picking up the meme. If a Speed 3 is coming, you can bet a flagship Speed 6 and MPS Miata are also going to be in the works: Rejoice: Mazda3 MPS / MazdaSpeed3 Coming With 2.5-Liter Turbo and 300 HP
 
#6 ·
I know, like others, I will be spending less on "improvements" on my current 6. Don't want to spend thousands and in the end trade it in and spend the same money. My goal is now to pay off the car in 2 years and that way if I do trade in I will have full cash value of my car. The link posted above ^^ also gives me hope that a turbo will be available for us. The article states it will use the same 2.5 liter skyactive but with a turbo added to it. So why wouldn't the turbo be able to be put into the 6 if its the "same" engine?
 
#7 ·
Exactly what I plan to do.. minus trading in. screw it.. cheap to maintain and drive.. driving this car into the dirt. LOL. First time in my life I've accepted a car as A-B transportation.. but whatever, no point beating a dead horse :/

Most likely it will run a different set of heads in combination with different ring gap settings on the pistons. It WILL be the same engine.. much like the 2.3 diesel is the "same" engine the 6 race cars use... MOSTLY unchanged, but some important differences that aren't so easy for the average DIY guy.

There is the argument that because of the valve events have SO much variability they could dial it down to 8:1 dynamic CR and run a turbo on it (I've mentioned this as an option for boosting for us before IIRC), but I would put my money on heads... ring gap would need to be changed regardless.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Agreed. WHy have a super expensive electric phaser with 70 degrees of intake valve adjustability just to run it on one end of the spectrum all the time?

With the turbo the skyactiv formula changes a little bit. The headers are gone. They could keep the piston shape which allows things to be pushed a bit, and maybe they would keep the Atkinson thing going with the turbo, going miller cycle...has anybody done that with a turbo before? Mazda did it with a supercharger on the millennia.

I will also add that having a turbo will bring in all the ecu tuners,due to the larger power improvement potential with adding boost, who will build up a knowledge base of tuning skyactivs (yeah they will definitely blow a few motors), which will possibly help generate a tune for the regular non boost 2.5G as well. Of course 2016 is still a long ways away. Oh well, hopefully OVTuning or Dynotronics can push on through to a decent tune before then.
 
#15 ·
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Unveiled: Live Photos & Video

Well the new mx-5 is out. Not real sure if I like it or not. Kinda looks like a soft top fusion or even one of those scion frs. Pictures I don't think are the best quality so who knows what it really looks like but if the 6 looks like this I will probably pass...unless the interior is really great. Not sure what is going on with the front bumper, the black center piece looks like a tooth gap. Oh well, this is just the prototype.
 
#16 ·
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Unveiled: Live Photos & Video

Well the new mx-5 is out. Not real sure if I like it or not. Kinda looks like a soft top fusion or even one of those scion frs. Pictures I don't think are the best quality so who knows what it really looks like but if the 6 looks like this I will probably pass...unless the interior is really great. Not sure what is going on with the front bumper, the black center piece looks like a tooth gap. Oh well, this is just the prototype.
I agree with you. I don't like the styling, and if the 2016 update goes anywhere in this styling direction, I'm going to pass and get a left over 2015 (my desire for a bit more horsepower be damned).

After knocking it out of the park with the styling of the 6 and 3, Mazda really whiffed it on this one. It looks like crap.

Now this would have been a spectacular reinterpretation of the Miata. They should have just paid this guy and bought his design:

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/content/image/2/0/2016_mazda_mx_5_x_tomi_rendering_01_1-0121.jpg

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/content/image/2/0/2016_mazda_mx_5_x_tomi_rendering_02-0121.jpg
 
#19 · (Edited)
What kind of shit reveal to people in CA Tokyo and Spain doesn't have more than one camera angle? Aside from this Mazda has the worst advertisement! I found out about the Mazda 6 by seeing it parked and made an illegal u-turn to figure out what it was (lol). Only after I researched it did I notice there are actually Mazda commercials for it. They need to fire whoever is in charge of advertisement and get someone from Kia. They got the best auto advertisement out of all car companies. I mean they are so good I almost considered a KIA lol
 
#23 ·
I think the ND will be very good looking in person when you aren't looking eye level at the gaping front grill. The proportions are very italian and very nice.

I'm still most shocked it is smaller than before and that they took out 200 lbs. Well see how that fits into north america appetites...
 
#27 ·
I don't really care about the one sided view but it does show a lack of preparation. The mx5 that I test drove, it was a club sport, actually did not impress me that much. The stereo was rather poor and the interior just felt cheap. Yet, the sticker price was 28k and didn't have any of the features we have. I still think the 6 is Mazda ' s best keep secret...can't wait to see more body kits and such for it.
 
#29 ·
ammenities in a sports car... blasphemy. 3K more get's you ammenities in a GT. club sport is about driving experience!! (and if you couldn't get 3-5K off that sticker price don't even look at it, lol.) Buncha heated seat nav needed in my sports car guys are why auto's are hard to find. :p

I'm more interested in what they do to get some zip out of the 2.0. I really did expect the 2.5 and at least it's 184HP for some reason. 184HP and a 2200lbs car? so much win.
 
#32 ·
It is said the base engine would be the 1.5L, 130hp version Sky-G mill, also found in the new Mazda2..(similarly, a 1.8L base engine was available in other markets on the 3rd Gen NC).

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: More Secrets Revealed - Motor Trend

Mazda wasn't kidding when they said they're going back to the NA roots...shorter than the 1st Gen NA, albeit wider and lower. That base engine could be gutless for American consumption, who knows...but I'd bet the USDM model would have the 2.0L. The full reveal of the ND will be at the upcoming Paris Motorshow next month...
 
#38 ·
It is said the base engine would be the 1.5L, 130hp version Sky-G mill, also found in the new Mazda2..(similarly, a 1.8L base engine was available in other markets on the 3rd Gen NC).

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: More Secrets Revealed - Motor Trend

Mazda wasn't kidding when they said they're going back to the NA roots...shorter than the 1st Gen NA, albeit wider and lower. That base engine could be gutless for American consumption, who knows...but I'd bet the USDM model would have the 2.0L. The full reveal of the ND will be at the upcoming Paris Motorshow next month...
The 1.5L in the miata is only for australia. In the US there will only be the bigger 2.0 engine, which we are all anxious to see the specs on when they tune a NA skyactiv for max performance.
 
#37 ·
The sedan gets better hwy than the hatch, so I think the answer is it doesn't have better aero as a hatch it is actually worse, which isn't too hard to believe given the shape.

Also the quoted weights are off. They say it's 54lbs lighter than the auto in the sedan and 40lbs lighter in the hatch...my mazda 6 owners manual says the difference is 64 lbs. Given how much I noticed the difference in back to back test drives I'd say the difference is probably around 60 lbs.

I think it is great news that the mazdaspeed 3 won't be out until likely 2017 since performance mazda buyers will opt for this 3s MTX version increasing potential for greater aftermarket support of the 2.5G and MTX by the existing mazda aftermarket providers, which means more goodies for the Mazda 6 2.5 and MTX.
 
#36 · (Edited)
you and me both.. and I was just debating trading in for a blue '15 GT (has a few things I like better).... I think I'll hold out and see what the '16 has in store.. though at this point. I'm pretty happy with the way the sport is retaining value, LOL. (funny considering my gripes with the car, no? long story)
 
#44 ·
2013 Mazda Shinari Concept At Motor Show HD - YouTube

if the new 6 looks like this, which I highly doubt, I'm trading
if the new 6 looks like that and has a 300HP powerplant I'll sell my soul to get into one as long as the interior quality matches and it's not north of 50K LOL. Interestingly enough.. look at the nose, it's eerily similiar to the ND Miata. That new deep slope... I bet you WILL see that on the new 6
 
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