Mazda 6 2.5 (2009) – Into the Wild

The Mazda 6 we see here is a North American example. In this case, that means a lot more than the addition of orange ‘sidemarkers’ and a mileage counter. Mazda decided in 2009 that it was time to serve the then quite important American sedan market with a model specifically tailored to that market. The Mazda 6 that was presented to the Americans in that year is therefore considerably longer and wider than the Mazda 6 that was launched elsewhere in the world a few years earlier.

Mazda 6 (North America)

Mazda 6 (Europe)

In length it made a difference of no less than 18 centimeters, with a 6.4 centimeter longer wheelbase and a width increased by 4.4 centimeters. Interestingly, unlike Honda, for example, Mazda did not opt ​​for a completely different design for the US version. This 6 is therefore clearly a Mazda 6 of the second generation, even for Europeans, while secretly almost everything is different. The extra width is expressed in a greater distance between the recognizable headlights, the extra length in a somewhat elongated carriage. Funnily enough, it looks a bit like that of the five-door liftback that was available here, while the American 6 is – of course – a real sedan. The butt is completely different from the European 6. The license plate, which in this case should have been of the small 18.2 type, is placed here between a set of unique rear lights.

Mazda 6 (North America)

Mazda 6 sedan (Europe)

Mazda 6 liftback (Europe)

The American 6 was also slightly different under the skin, mainly thanks to the choice of engines. The 170 hp 2.5 four-cylinder that was in our top model GT-M was the base engine in the US. Above that there was another 3.7-liter V6. This gray 6 is equipped with the 2.5. He came to the Netherlands in 2015 and changed owners again in 2021. The car is not that old yet and looks downright tight, so it can undoubtedly confuse keen car spotters for many years to come.