Third-generation Mazda Atenza/6 (GJ)

It's 2012, ten years since the first Mazda Atenza (Mazda6) went on sale in 2002. Hard to believe it's ten years since the Atenza broke cover for the world ahead and served as the birth of Mazda's Zoom-Zoom slogan. For the Hiroshima-based carmaker to celebrate the car's 10th year, they have a little present for the Atenza...its regeneration.

2013 Mazda Atenza

Yes, welcome everybody to the all-new, third-generation Mazda Atenza, the fourth chapter of Mazda's SKYACTIV Technology. That's right. This is the fourth Mazda to be fitted with SKYACTIV Technology, a new measure where performance and fuel efficiency together at long last. The first SKYACTIV model was the Demio back in Summer 2011 which introduced the world with its SKYACTIV engine. The second one was the Axela, which revolutionized the world not just with the SKYACTIV engine but also the SKYACTIV-DRIVE dual-clutch transmission. The third SKYACTIV was the CX-5, which I've tackled earlier this year, which the SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine sets a good example. For this new model though...let's find out...

Previous generations of the Mazda Atenza have three body styles; the sedan, the Sport Wagon, and the Sport liftback but for this new model, it's now a much sensible two. Yep, two body styles; Sedan and Wagon. The liftback version, the only one with a manual transmission, was axed although no such reasons told about the discontinuation of the liftback model. Despite mourning about the liftback model's death, the design of the all-new Atenza looks very fascinating. It's as fascinating as a swimming instructor in her racing swimwear. Oops, sorry about that. What I'm saying is that it looks just like the Takeri Concept as seen at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, I mean the new design language, Kodo - Soul In Motion -, really made the Atenza very sexy. Look at the rear view of this new model, it does look like a good-looking version of the new Lexus GS. There's no style for style's sake here but for me, I think this is much more sexier than the Hyundai i40.

2013 Mazda Atenza interior

What makes the all-new 2013MY (US2014) Atenza/6 so unique is the features never before applied on other Mazda models. First up, we're expecting an all-new 2.5L SKYACTIV-G engine (PY-VPR) engine that produces about 188PS of power and 250Nm of torque. A 2.0L SKYACTIV-G engine (PE-VPR) is also offered in both sedan and wagon models as well as the SKYACTIV-DRIVE dual-clutch gearbox but we're not talking about that. What I'm talking about is some new stuff on the third-generation Atenza such as this so listen up, these are new;


2.2L SKYACTIV-D (SH-VPTR) clean diesel engine

Another part of the SKYACTIV-D clean diesel lineup is the SH-VPTR engine. Hmmm...wait a minute, it's about the same 2.2L clean diesel engine from the CX-5 but what differs is that while the SH-VPTS diesel engine we saw on the CX-5 has some blue paneling on it, the new Atenza's SH-VPTR engine doesn't have the blue cover on it. While the CX-5's SH-VPTS engine generates about 175PS of power, the new Atenza's SH-VPTR engine generates about the same power! Whoa there...

Anyway, while the CX-5 trumped the fuel economy ratings with the class-leading 18.6km/L, the new Atenza's SH-VPTR engine trumped a fuel economy of about 20km/L (22.4km/L with the all-new SKYACTIV-MT transmission), making it a class-leading midsize sedan of this magnitude. If I said SKYACTIV-MT, let's move on to the next topic...


SKYACTIV-MT

The all-new Mazda Atenza is the first-ever Mazda to be fitted with this new type of manual transmission. Not all manual transmissions are made to be the same and with this new generation of manual transmission, this is a bit more than that. What to expect on the SKYACTIV-MT is simple, it provides you a light and crisp shift feel like a sportscar thanks to its compact size and reduced weight. This gearbox feels very light and it's much more enjoyable to shift gears freely. It feels like I'm driving a Mazda Roadster of some sort and this new SKYACTIV-MT will change the way manual transmissions behave forever the only Mazda you can enjoy the first-ever SKYACTIV-MT is the all-new Atenza. With the Atenza fitted with the first ever SKYACTIV-MT, the SKYACTIV Technology portfolio is now complete. We now have the complete lineup of SKYACTIV models but the journey doesn't stop there because pretty soon, Mazda will expand the SKYACTIV Technology story even further

i-ACTIVSENSE

The new Atenza sees the introduction of the first-ever i-ACTIVSENSE system. How does it work? Let's see...i-ACTIVSENSE is a series of Mazda's advanced safety technologies designed to aid the driver in recognizing hazards, avoiding collisions, and reducing the severity of accidents when they cannot be avoided. From Radar Cruise Control, Forward Obstruction Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Vehicle Monitoring, High-Beam Control, Adaptive Front-lighting, Smart Brake Support, Smart City Brake Support, and Acceleration Control for AT models, this new i-ACTIVSENSE takes safety to a different level. The More You Know...

i-ELOOP

Heads up, there's a new technology applied on the new Atenza, and here's a new kind of Regenerative Braking System called i-ELOOP. It's a capacitor-based regenerative braking system. Wanna know how it works? Here's an excerpt from one of their press releases;

Mazda's regenerative braking system is unique because it uses a capacitor, which is an electrical component that temporarily stores large volumes of electricity. Compared to batteries, capacitors can be charged and discharged rapidly and are resistant to deterioration through prolonged use. 'i-ELOOP' efficiently converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into electricity as it decelerates, and uses the electricity to power the climate control, audio system and numerous other electrical components.

That is very simple and very clever...I like that...

With everything loaded on it and with tons of firsts for Mazda, the all-new Mazda Atenza is now ready to show who's the boss. Such new technology is what brought Mazda Zoom-Zoom to greater heights. It's now on sale in Japan and coming soon in the rest of the world...Oh, and I almost forgot, the new SKYACTIV-MT is available only on variants carrying the 2.2L SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine.

Welcome to the new age of Zoom-Zoom. Are you ready?

Available Colors: Soul Red Premium Metallic, Blue Reflex Mica, Jet Black Mica, Meteor Grey Mica, Snow Flake White Pearl Mica, Stormy Blue Mica, and Aluminum Metallic.

PRICE LIST:

Sedan
20S - 2,500,000 Yen
25S L Package - 3,000,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Manual - 2,900,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Auto - 3,026,000 Yen
XD L Package - 3,400,000 Yen

Wagon

20S - 2,500,000 Yen
25S L Package - 3,000,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Manual - 2,900,000 Yen
XD 6-speed Auto - 3,026,000 Yen
XD L Package - 3,400,000 Yen

 Photo: Mazda Motor Corporation