Mazda Gets In the Face Of Accord and Camry with 2018 Mazda6 Turbo

Perennial comparison test winner, Mazda6, will soon be competing with the up-powered Accord and Camry with its own beefy engine.

The 2018 Mazda6 will have the one thing it has lacked for the past two generations - a strong up-powered engine. Although the modern Mazda6 has been a favorite of car magazines and has won many comparison contests, those were always in comparison to the base four-cylinder engine equipped Accords and Camrys. The six-cylinder Accord and Camry cars were simply way more powerful. For 2018, the new Accord gets a gutsy 2.0-liter turbocharged engine we have tested and found to be excellent.

For 2018 Mazda will make a similar move and add the new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine we love in the CX-9 to the options list for the Mazda6 sedan. This engine develops great low-end torque and makes about 250 hp depending on tune and fuel.

In the 4,300 pound CX-9 this engine and its automatic transmission can propel the big CX-9 from 0-60 MPH in about seven seconds. Whan in the new 2018 Mazda6, the power should be good enough for a sub-6-second time. That is where the Accord and 301 hp Camry have been for the better part of a decade.

In addition to the new drivetrain option, Mazda says that the new 2018 Mazda6 will have a more upscale interior and improvements to its already excellent active safety systems. In particular, the adaptive cruise control will bring the car to a standing stop following a vehicle ahead it doing so, and take off again when the car in front moves away.

Torque News will bring you an update when the details have been released in full.

Related: Mazda Looking For Quick Way To Keep Mazda6 Fresh Amid New Camry and Accord