Mazda’s all-new 6

The wraps are off Mazda’s all-new 6, and as you can see from this first official picture, it’s going to be a serious rival to the new Ford Mondeo.

The 6 gets a sleek new face to set it apart from the family car crowd. Small headlights complete with neat xenon bulbs give it a piercing stare, while the grille follows that of the 2 supermini – although it’s much more prominent, and is distinguished by a large Mazda badge in the centre.

A ground-hugging spoiler with integrated foglamps finishes off the front end, which clearly has shades of the Mondeo about it. The raised bonnet, which helps the newcomer to comply with pedestrian impact reg­ulations, is particularly reminiscent of Ford’s latest model.

And the similarities continue under the skin. The 6 is based on the same platform as the Mondeo, which means the revised Mazda will be much bigger than its predecessor. As well as more space inside, the manufacturer promises better build quality.

Further improvements to the cabin are set to include the introduction of a chrome finish on the instrument dials and higher-quality materials on the dashboard. Top brass at Mazda say the 6 will deliver driver-focused handling. And while the engines are due to be carried over from the existing range, they will be tuned for more power and lower emissions.

As with the outgoing car, buyers will get a choice of saloon, hatch and est­ate bodies. After debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the 6 will go on sale here early in 2008. Prices will be similar to the current range, starting from around £15,000.