Mazda has chosen the Moscow motor show at the end of August for the world debut of its new 6 saloon. It had been expected to be unveiled at the Paris show a month later but that is now likely to see the estate version of the car take its bow.
Mazda’s move appears to have been prompted by a Russian website obtaining photos of the production car which the automaker previously had only ‘teased’.
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The decision to unveil the car at Moscow underlies the importance of a resurgent Russian market to car makers. Mazda signed an agreement with [Ford partner] Sollers earlier this year to assemble cars in Russia’s far east.
The new 6 is the second model after the CX-5 crossover in Mazda’s new generation of products which incorporate the full range of low emisson, fuel efficient Skyactive technologies. It will also be the first model equipped with the company’s new brake energy regeneration, i-ELOOP.
Mazda has previously said that it is adopting a ‘building block’ strategy to introducing new technology, taking a step-by-step approach to improve fuel economy. The company describes i-ELOOP as stage two of this strategy.
The car that will be unveiled in Moscow will be ‘Russian-specification’ with a direct-injection 2.0-litre petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
