The
line of Mazda, that "Zoom-Zoom"
brand from Japan, expands in 2006 with
more sport-tuned vehicles added. Mazda's
MX-5 Miata roadster evolves in a new
design with more power below the hood,
while new Mazda5 emerges as a multi-activity
vehicle with ride traits of a sporty
car but the cabin of a SUV with three
rows of seats for six riders. |
Mazda
RX-8 |
The RX-8 is a high-revving sports car
with perfect weight balance and a high-tech
vehicle packing a modern version of
Felix Wankel's rotary engine. It's a
two-door sports coupe that cleverly
conceals a four-door design with the
practicality of a sedan and two rows
of seats. Heart of RX-8 is its powerful
rotary engine. The twin-rotor plant
generates 238 hp with a six-speed manual
gearbox or 197 hp with the optional
four-speed automatic.
Mazda
loads RX-8 with equipment but clusters
optional items in packages. The Sport
Package includes xenon headlights, foglamps
and a vehicle skid controller; a Touring
Package brings a moonroof and Bose audio
system, while the Grand Touring Package
adds leather seats and heat elements
in front buckets and exterior mirrors. |
Mazda5 |
The new multi-activity vehicle from
Mazda features a wedge-shaped body and
a big cabin with room for six. There's
a broad sliding door on each flank and
a low floor deck for easy entry to rear
quarters, plus a one-touch mechanism
for second-tier seats to move away when
accessing the third row. Powertrain
is Mazda's aluminum 2.3-liter four-cylinder
plant with sequential valve timing (S-VT)
to generate 157 hp. Transmission choices
include a five-speed manual or four-speed
Sport automatic with manual shift mode.
Mazda5
trims out in Sport and Touring editions.
The Sport stocks power controls and
a stereo AM/FM/CD, an anti-lock brake
system (ABS) and side air bags as well
as curtain-style air bags above all
three rows of seats. Mazda5 Touring
adds front foglamps, a rear spoiler,
side skirts, a moonroof in the roof
and a six-disc CD changer in the dashboard. |
Mazda6 |
A new shape for the exterior package
applies to Mazda's sporty mid-size cars
in three variations -- Mazda6 the four-door
sedan, Mazda6 5-Door as a five-door
hatchback and Mazda6 Sport Wagon with
five doors. Power for the series stems
from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine
or a 3.0-liter V6. On four-cylinder
models, Mazda upgrades the optional
automatic transmission from a four-speed
to a five-speed design to enhance fuel
economy ratings. On V6 models, modifications
in the engine improve exhaust emissions
and boost output to 215 hp.
The
sleek package displays styling hints
borrowed from European touring cars.
A spacious cabin shows two front buckets
and a rear bench for three with split
folding seatbacks. Gear on Mazda6i with
the four-pack includes ABS and a traction
control system (TCS). Mazda6s with the
V6 gets side air bags plus curtain-style
air bags. |
MazdaSpeed6 |
Consider this new model the quickest
and most agile sports sedan ever made
by Mazda. It's based on a Mazda6 four-door
sedan but features a turbo-charged and
inter-cooled engine with all-wheel-drive
(AWD) traction plus standard dynamic
stability control (DSC) program. A 2.3-liter
DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition)
turbo four-pack screams with 264 hp
and 280 lb-ft of torque.
The
AWD device divides all of that torque
and routes half to the front wheels
and half to the rear. Styling of the
body varies from Mazda6 with the addition
of unique fascias front and rear, revamped
forward fenders, curvy side sills and
a spoiler on the tail. The cabin earns
bolstered sport buckets, sill scuff
plates with stainless-steel inserts
and aluminum pedals, and a cool Bose
audio system. |
Mazda
Miata |
Mazda's two-seat and open-top roadster
grows in size due to a bumper-to-bumper
re-do for 2006. Styling for the exterior
projects a bold face with prominent
oval air scoop, low shoulders and smooth
body panels wrapping prow and tail.
The cockpit is larger and wider with
more room for two passengers.
Centerpiece
of MX-5's new design is the stronger
powerplant, a 2.0-liter in-line four-cylinder
with dual cams and variable intake valve
timing. It produces 170 hp and combines
with three different transmission choices
-- a five-speed manual, six-speed manual
or six-speed Sport automatic with shifter
paddles on the steering wheel. The convertible
top works manually with a single latch
handle, although MX-5 adds the option
of a removable hardtop with curvaceous
rear window. A responsive suspension
is familiar with Miata's double wishbone
design deployed in front and a multi-link
kit in back. |
Mazda
Tribute |
Even the sport-utility vehicle from
Mazda is fun to drive. Built on the
chassis of a front-wheel-drive (FWD)
car, Tribute has a tightly tuned suspension
and a forceful engine that set up sporty
driving traits. Tribute first appeared
in Mazda's line of 2001 but last year
it gained a new 2.3-liter four-cylinder
engine worth 153 hp for the base trim,
Tribute i. Tribute s edition continues
in 2006 stocking a 3.0-liter V6 rated
at 200 hp. Safety gear like ABS with
electronic brake force distribution
(EBD) comes with either trim, and a
full-time four-wheel drive (4WD) system
with active torque control coupling
(ATCC) is optional. |
Mazda
MPV |
Mazda's compact-size minivan goes by
the name of MPV, which means Multi-Purpose
Vehicle. It scored a face-lift and fresh
cabin fixtures in 2004 and moves into
Mazda's 2006 line with additional hues
on the color palette like Bronze Metal
and Strato Blue. MPV's cabin contains
two tall bucket seats in front flanking
consoles on floor and ceiling. On the
second row, seats split and slide laterally
to form either a continuous bench for
two or two stand-alone chairs. The third-row
bench, sized for three but more comfortable
for two, folds down and disappears into
a flat floor to increase rear cargo
space. Power sliding rear side doors
are optional on MPV, with side-impact
air bags plus TCS available in a package.
MPV feels enthusiastic because it carries
a 3.0-liter V6 that generates 200 hp. |
Mazda
B-Series Truck |
Compact
trucks from Mazda repeat in 2006 with
three cab configurations and three powertrain
choices. The two-door Regular Cab works
for all B2300 and several B3000 issues,
with a four-door extended CabPlus for
B3000, and CabPlus4 for some B3000 and
all B4000 models with twin rear-hinged
back doors. Top truck B4000 with 4WD
also has a husky six-pack that ripples
with 207 hp. This optional engine caps
Mazda's B-Series truck line and bumps
its trailer-towing ability to 5900 pounds.
Two other powertrains are offered --
B2300 with a 2.3-liter four-in-line
worth 140 hp and B3000 with a 3.0-liter
V6 at 150 hp.
Special
edition Dual Sport carries the raised
suspension of a 4WD truck but retains
rear-wheel-drive (RWD) format. It has
plush equipment like a leather-wrapped
steering wheel and power windows, door
locks and mirrors, and bed liner in
back. |
Mazda3 |
Compact-class cars from Mazda look muscular
in the promise of spirited performance
and dynamic handling traits. They bring
optimal space in a five seat cabin plus
lively throttle action from two different
four-cylinder engines. Mazda3 4-Door
skews as a four-door notchback sedan
with two trims packing a 2.0-liter four-cylinder
plant (Mazda3i) or a 2.3-liter upgrade
(Mazda3s). Mazda3s 5-Door is a five-door
hatchback variation.
For
2006 issues Mazda adds variable valve
timing (VVT) to the 2.0-liter engine
and boosts power to 150 hp. The 2.3-liter
version hits 160 hp and has an optional
new five-speed automatic. Mazda3 5-Door
wears foglamps, low side skirts and
17-inch alloy wheels. All models offer
an optional audio kit rigged for Sirius
satellite radio service. |