2017 Mazda6 debuts with new look, improved dynamics (Photo)

Fresh off a major refresh for the 2016 model year, Mazda is once again updating its midsize Mazda6 sedan. According to a press release from Mazda, the 2017 Mazda6 will feature updated high-tech safety features, a quieter ride, new interior options, and sharper handling.

Exterior

The 2014 redesign and tweaks for 2016 carry over to 2017 with only slightly reshaped side mirrors. Not that there is anything wrong with that: The midsize sedan continues to be a stylish and sporty-looking alternative to its generically designed rivals. A new extra-cost color option is Machine Gray Metallic, first seen as an option on the CX-9.

Interior

The overall design is the same, but materials and features have been upgraded through the trims and the sedan gets a new steering wheel design also first seen on the 2016 CX-9.

The new Grand Touring Premium Package adds Nappa leather seats in black or off-white with contrasting piping, new satin-finish metal trim and heaters for the steering wheel, and outboard rear seats.

The clever Active Driving Display, Mazda’s head-up display using a clear reflective screen that pops up from the top of the dash, has been upgraded to full-color with higher brightness. The optional seat memory now also stores this display’s angle, brightness and content settings. The driver information display in the instrument cluster also now is color, bringing it in line with newer rivals.

Mazda says it has improved the door seals, put thicker glass in the front doors, and added more sound insulation to the headliner, underbody and doors. The Grand Touring trim gets laminated acoustic glass in the front doors.

Under the Hood

The 184-hp, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder SkyActiv-G engine carries over, as do the six-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions. New G-Vectoring Control software enhances chassis performance by using small amounts of engine torque in response to steering wheel input to shift load to the front or rear, increasing grip and stability, improving ride control and limiting understeer. Mazda says this system also helps a driver more easily maintain the intended line in any situation and should improve handling and stability in slippery conditions, such as rain or snow.

Safety

The Mazda6’s already extensive list of active safety technologies in its available i-ActivSense system is bulked up further with new functions for 2017. The 2016 Mazda6 already was an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick Plus, with the top rating of good in the crash tests and a top score of superior for the optional crash prevention technology. For 2017, a new Forward Sensing Camera has been combined with the milliwave radar-based system, adding pedestrian detection to the front collision avoidance system with automatic emergency braking. It also adds a Traffic Sign Recognition system that can identify speed limit, no-entry and stop signs, and alert the driver. Also new is lane keeping assist in addition to lane departure warning.

In Canada, Mazda6 continues to be one of the few midsize sedans offered with an available manual transmission for discerning enthusiasts. All Canadian models are powered by a 184-horsepower, 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G engine.

The 2017 Mazda6 is available in Canada starting in mid August. MSRP¹ is as follows:

Premium paint colour options:

Agencies/Canadajournal

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