Overview
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Description
Mazda’s mid-size model arrived for the 2004 model year as the replacement for the long-serving 626 series. The “6” was originally offered as a sedan, but a hatchback was added part way into its second season followed by the Sport Wagon for 2005. The sedan and hatchback came with a 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine or optional 220-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 (standard in the Sport Wagon). A five-speed manual transmission was standard with both powerplants, while four- and five-speed automatics were available on the I4 and V6, respectively. For 2006-’07, the performance-oriented all-wheel-drive Mazdaspeed6 sedan came with a 274-horsepower 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder matched to a six-speed manual transmission. An all-new sedan model replaced the original Mazda6 for the 2009 model year.