Mazda at the Geneva Motor Show: new Mazda 6 Wagon and two prototypes

In addition to the European debut of the updated Mazda 6 and the Vision Coupé and Kai prototypes, Mazda will present the estate version of its saloon, the new Mazda 6 Wagon, at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

The new Mazda6 saloon was unveiled at the end of 2017 at the Los Angeles Motor Show. Now, the update to the Mazda saloon also reaches the estate body variant, the Mazda6 Wagon, which will debut in March at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

New Mazda 6 2018: more than just a new face

Like the saloon, the Mazda 6 Wagon features changes to its design, equipment and engine range. Externally, it is identified by a redesigned bumper, grille and headlights. The changes are most evident inside, where the dashboard has been redesigned and the seats have also been changed.

As for mechanical updates, the highlight of the 2018 Mazda6 range is the arrival of a 2.5-litre petrol engine equipped with cylinder deactivation technology to improve efficiency. The suspension, steering assistance and insulation have also been revised in order to enhance ride comfort.

The equipment of the 2018 Mazda 6 is complemented by the option of a 360-degree camera offering a bird’s-eye view, a new multimedia system with a higher-resolution screen and a new intelligent active cruise control.

Mazda Vision and Mazda Kai: with a view to the future

The prototypes that Mazda will exhibit in Geneva, the Mazda Vision Coupé and the Mazda Kai, debuted in November at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The Mazda Vision Coupé is a four-door saloon with coupé styling, which looks more like a styling exercise than a possible preview of a production car. That said, some of its design features, both on the exterior and in the minimalist interior, could make it into series production on future models from the brand.

As for the Mazda Kai, measuring 4.42 metres long, 1.85 metres wide and 1.37 metres high with a highly innovative design, many see in this concept car a preview of what could be the successor to the current Mazda3. In any case, the most interesting aspect of this prototype is that it is presented with the revolutionary Skyactiv-X engine, a Mazda technology we will soon see in production cars, which allows a petrol engine to work like a diesel, with compression ignition – that is, without the need for a spark plug – in certain phases.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that this Skyactiv-X engine appears precisely in the Mazda Kai. The plan is for Skyactiv-X technology to hit the road in a production car in 2019… in the future Mazda3.