Mazda launches Atenza facelift in Japan

Less than three years into its life cycle, the Mazda Atenza (known as Mazda6 to anyone outside Japan) has just been facelifted for its domestic market. In a worldwide press release, Mazda announced that the facelifted Atenza is immediately available for bookings in showrooms throughout Japan, with three body shell options – Sedan, Sport (5-door hatch), and Sport Wagon.

Mazda Atenza facelift.

Altogether, a total of 12 variants are available in various combinations of two engine options, three transmissions and two drivetrain layouts. For a start, the 2.0-litre engine, fitted in the Sedan and Sport Wagon, is now fed by direct injection, delivering not only improved outputs from the existing engine but also reduced consumption and emissions which qualify it for a 50% tax reduction under the Japanese government’s eco-car incentive programme.

2.0-litre variants now get direct injection

The 2.5-litre engine, though carried over unchanged, does not lose out in terms of its green credentials either. Emission levels of the entire range of the Atenza facelift are certified to be an impressive 75% below the Japanese Government’s 2005 exhaust emissions standard, qualifying them all for the designation of Super-Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (SU-LEV).

Helping the Atenza in achieving the emission figures is Mazda’s single-nanocatalyst exhaust purification which is said to reduce precious metal usage by 70%. Auto versions also get an eco-lamp on the dash to encourage a more eco-friendly style of driving.

Though the Atenza is offered with front wheel drive as standard, each of the three body style offers the option of one four-wheel drive variant powered by the 2.5-litre engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The front wheel drive variants all come with 5-speed automatic transmission as standard, though the Sport 25Z variant offers the choice of a 6-speed manual equipped with Hill Launch Assist.

Chassis updates claimed by Mazda include revised settings for the power steering and suspension for improved high speed handling and straight-line stability. The 4WD variants get Mazda’s Active Torque Control Coupling 4WD System which ‘optimally distributes torque between the front and rear axles’ to suit driving conditions and road surface.

Atenza Sedan

Atenza Sport

Atenza Sport Wagon

Interior

KON