2017 Mazda3, Mazda6 Announced for US With Minor Tweaks

Mazda has revealed the U.S.-spec Mazda3 and Mazda6, both of which receive some small tweaks for 2017.

From the exterior the changes to the Mazda3 are very subtle, with a new front grille, relocated badges, LED headlights, new bumper and new 18-inch wheels being the most notable revisions. Two new colors will also now be available in the U.S.: Machine Gray Metallic and Eternal Blue Mica. For the Mazda6, the exterior stays the same, aside from the addition of Machine Gray Metallic.

Moving inside, both cars adopt a new heated steering wheel which was introduced on the CX-9, while the Mazda3 gets a new electronic parking brake feature. Overall design is also tweaked here and there, but the visual changes are minimal. In both cars the Active Driving Display has been made easier to read thanks to a full color display with more contrast. In the Mazda 3, two interior colors are offered, black or parchment leather, while the Mazda6 adds a new luxury trim which brings along Nappa leather, contrast color piping, titanium finish and more.

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When it comes to the drive of both vehicle, each adds Mazda’s new G-Vectoring Control, which uses the engine to help decrease unnecessary driver input while cornering. Overall, Mazda says that the cars have been tuned to offer better handling, while at the same time, NVH has been improved thanks to new dampers and noise-cancelling glass.

Finally, safety has also been improved for both cars, which offer Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE suite of technologies which include blind spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, smart brake support and more. For 2017, the Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) has been given a new camera, helping it to see pedestrians while the car is moving at a higher rate of speed. Traffic sign recognition has also been added to these cars, giving them the ability to read signs and alert the driver of their significance.

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