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Jeddah: In a ceremony held in Jeddah on February 4 , Haji Hussain Alireza & Co. Ltd. (HHA), exclusive distributor for Mazda in Saudi Arabia, introduced the all-new 2009 Mazda6, joined by Mr. Malcolm Gough, Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Overseas Sales and Customer Service; Sheikh Amin Abul Hassan, Chairman of HHA; Mr. Ali Alireza, Executive General Director for HHA; and press and other media representatives.
Developed as an evolution of Mazda’s popular Zoom-Zoom concept, the 2009 Mazda6’s design theme is “Bold & Exquisite”. Its exterior styling expresses a combination of athleticism and delicate grace. Inside, sporty and sophisticated design elements create an environment in which drivers can experience driving pleasure, comfort and a feeling of security.
Through the introduction of this stylish, insightful, and spirited car, which is available in three body styles – sedan, sport hatchback and wagon - Mazda continues to lead the popular CD-class segment.
In his speech, Mr. Ali Alireza, Executive General Director of HHA, emphasized that the strategic plans established by Mazda, which were developed in line with the innovative technologies used in the production of the new Mazdas, are the main factors leading to the rapid rise of Mazda car sales in the Saudi market.
He further noted, “The launch of the second generation of Mazda6 in the Saudi market is a continuation of the ‘Zoom-Zoom’ concept, which began with the launch of the first generation of Mazda6 in 2002. Mazda is committed to its promise to present exciting, innovative products that are equipped with highly-advanced technologies that make driving the new Mazda6 and any other Mazda car an unparalleled driving experience.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Malcolm Gough stressed the importance of the Saudi market for Mazda, and talked about the long-lasting partnership with HHA, which goes back more than 40 years, and said, “The first generation Mazda6 combined unique and attractive styling with exceptional driving performance. Now, the all-new 2009 Mazda6 takes these characteristics a giant step forward, through substantially enhanced environmental and safety performance. With top of class aerodynamics, this Mazda6 features improved high-speed stability, ride quality and quietness, providing enhanced comfort levels worthy of the ultimate high speed long-distance touring car.”
He ended by saying, “The most striking performance has been the increased sales momentum in the GCC market, particularly here in Saudi Arabia, where sales in 2007 were over 10,400 units. This number was the best in 20 years, and I would like to express my gratitude to HHA for the initiatives they have undertaken to make this a reality. We hope you will take the lead in further boosting volume growth in the GCC region.”
Technical information Design
The design theme for the new Mazda6 is “Bold and Exquisite”. The design itself is an evolved Zoom-Zoom form, which cleverly combines the two seemingly contradictory ideas of strength and delicate grace through an expression of Japanese aesthetics. While inheriting the athletic design that was key to the signature Mazda look of the previous model, the new Mazda6 is an even stronger statement of driving dynamism. The designers also worked on a combination of playfulness and dignity to create a new expression of “cool”, aiming at moving the Mazda6 to the top of its class. “It is vitally important that the new Mazda6 confidently embodies a Japanese design identity,” says Mazda’s Head of Design for the all-new Mazda6. “Rather than being derived from traditional sculpted forms, this car stands apart from its rivals by straightforwardly expressing the Japanese aesthetic sense to embody a new and advanced character. And it must still look fresh in 10 years’ time.”
The all-new Mazda6’s design theme, “Bold and Exquisite”, is also embodied in sporty styling that is sure to turn heads. The exterior has a unique character, expressed by the interplay of discreetly following curves and prominent edges from the front end through the fenders, and through the taut curves that lend richness and strength to the rear view. The door panels placed between the sharp top and bottom character lines convey an expression of beauty from simplicity. Then there’s the exquisiteness of detail evident everywhere in the car’s inbuilt quality. Combined, these elements of beauty create an advanced, emotion-pleasing character that could only be found in a Mazda.
As before, there are three body styles: sport hatchback, sedan and station wagon. The ?ve-door hatchback symbolizes the new Mazda6’s sporty and sophisticated nature with a following, coupé-style silhouette and a six side-window cabin design. The sedan plays down its three-box form with its tautly-arched cabin and short, high tail, giving it a fastback look clearly related to that of the hatchback. The station wagon features three-dimensional curves that give volume and tension to the side and rear view to achieve a level of stylish design rare in a station wagon.
New MZR 2.5-litre petrol power:
The new top of the line MZR 2.5-liter petrol is derived from the former model’s 2.3-litre version. Though it has a larger bore and stroke, it is engineered with a smaller bore pitch and an unchanged block height, which gives it the same compact size and low weight as the 2.3-litre engine. It produces more maximum power of 125 kW/170 PS (+ 4 PS) at 6,000 rpm, and maximum torque of 226 Nm at 4,000 rpm – about 10 percent (+ 19 Nm) more torque at low- to mid-engine speeds than the 2.3-litre. It features lightweight pistons and fully-floating piston pins, which offsets the increased secondary inertial weight created by a larger bore and stroke. It has a high-rigidity block that reduces noise produced by increased combustion load, and minimized crankshaft vibration with the introduction of a dual-mass damper and a flexible flywheel. These factors contribute to smooth, quiet power development and cultivated driving fun.
The new MZR 2.5-liter petrol engine is highly efficient. It uses sequential-valve timing (S-VT) to adjust the timing of valve opening and closing for optimized operation at all engine speeds. High power and torque are realized by improved flow characteristics in the intake ports. This is achieved by making the diameters larger and optimizing the shapes of the intake manifold and head ports, by optimizing the position and shape of the swirl control valve and by introducing a variable intake system (VIS) which maximizes torque at all engine speeds. Exhaust resistance has also been reduced by optimizing exhaust-gas-scavenging efficiency in the exhaust manifold, which optimizes engine output even further.
Also, the second generation of Mazda6 carries over from the previous model engine the MZR 2.0-litre displacement, which is now more fuel-efficient than before. The MZR 2.0-litre petrol aggregate produces 108 kW/147 PS of maximum power at 6,500 rpm, and maximum torque of 184 Nm at 4,000 rpm. It features electronic throttle control for great drivability, VIS (Variable Induction System) that optimizes the charging effect in the intake manifold according to engine speed by varying the length of the intake passages, and S-VT (Sequential Valve Timing) to ensure power throughout the rev range.
Transmissions
The new Mazda6 retains the outstanding six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmission from the previous model. Shift effort for manual transmissions has been reduced with Mazda6’s newly-positioned shift lever. By placing the shift lever higher and closer to the driver’s seat area, the ergonomics are optimized. The lever assembly’s base plate is more rigid, and hard stoppers have been introduced. A balance between smoothness and stiffness is realized by tuning the control cable and the stoppers, while a newly-optimized counterweight inertia moment makes operating feel precise and light. Shifting at high speeds is also improved by making the 5th and 6th gear synchronizer larger, resulting in 15% percent less shift effort compared to the outgoing model’s manual transmissions.
Interior Design – enhancing the “exclusive experience”
On the inside, designers continued the “bold and exquisite” theme of the exterior. Here the new Mazda6 is sporty and sophisticated, with a completely new look that is carried out with a dramatic improvement in quality, vital to providing an exclusive experience. A sense of sportiness was achieved with an intimate cockpit design that lets the driver experience Mazda6’s enhanced Zoom-Zoom driving fun to the fullest, which contributes to a feeling of being one with the car. In parallel, they created an interior with a wrap-around feel for a feeling of safety and comfort.
The interior ambiance advances from earlier Mazda interiors, with rich curves and light shading that adds an expression of quiet sophistication. The all-new Mazda6 uses a floating-look instrument panel that lends the front of the cabin visual lightness, and contributes to an overall sense of openness and space. The door trim has sharp lines and precisely shaped grooves embedded in curved surfaces for a strong sense of quality.
Sporty look combined with spatial efficiency
When it comes to combining a sporty and emotional exterior design with comfort and roominess, packaging engineers were able to deliver more than customers have come to expect of a C/D-class car. They achieved a forward-upward visibility that is one of the segment’s best, despite the car’s sporty roofline, by moving the contours of the headliner rearward. This gives a feeling of openness, and allows the driver to see traffic lights, for example, without leaning forward. Its longer wheelbase (by 50mm) and increased vehicle length (by 65-70mm) translates into 20mm more rear legroom (from 927mm to 947mm). An increase in overall width (by 15mm) means 9mm more shoulder room (from 1,421mm to 1,430mm) and one of the widest tailgate openings in this segment that ensures ease of use and does not compromise the sporty exterior form.