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The details of the Lada XRay concept

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Videos, Crossover, Russia

When is the last time you watched five minutes of video on a Lada that didn't involve dual power windows, fires or Fifth Gear? Don't feel bad if the answer is, "What's Russian for 'never'?", but now's a good time to change that. Lada wants the world to know that it's no longer the old Lada, revealing its very brown and rather sleek XRay concept at the Moscow Motor Show, and it didn't stop at taking a mound of photos in order to show it off.

Penned by the brand's Milan-based design team - which is headed by Steve Mattin, an alumnus of Mercedes-Benz and Volvo - the XRay is a sign of both Lada's aspirations and the design language we should eventually see on its production cars. You can get a closer look at it in the two videos below.

Continue reading The details of the Lada XRay concept

The details of the Lada XRay concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lada steps into the present with Xray Concept

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Crossover, Misc. Auto Shows, Russia, Design/Style

We've seen the tactic plenty of times before: an automaker that wants to up its game, so it hires a designer from a brand it seeks to emulate, then releases concepts that make people go "Ooh la la." Lada is the latest, having hired Steve Mattin to be its design head. Mattin is coming off tenures as senior designer at Mercedes-Benz and chief designer at Volvo before emigrating to the Russian side of life (although the company's design bureau is in Milan, Italy).

The new Lada he wants to introduce us to is led by an X-shaped front fascia on the Xray concept just unveiled at the Moscow Motor Show. The frontal treatment is to be the signature face for Lada's coming production models, but the Buck Rogers cockpit probably won't make it to the assembly line.

Lada is obviously proud of its creation, having unleashed a giant gallery of photos taken from just about every possible angle. If they can keep this up and translate it to their production vehicles, well, the Volga might go back to just being a river and not also a punchline.

Lada steps into the present with Xray Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First official Mazda6 wagon pic revealed as plant comes online

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows

Mazda has officially kicked off production of the 2014 Mazda6 at its Hofu No. 2 plant in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture. The car in the photo above is a European-spec Mazda6 wagon, equipped with the automaker's 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline inline-four, and it's the first undisguised look we have at the rakish estate.

The 2014 Mazda6 will be seen for the first time at the Moscow Motor Show in August, and the rest of the world will get their first glimpse at market-specific models during September's Paris Motor Show festivities. The third-generation Mazda6 will go on sale in Europe and Japan before the end of the year, while North American cars will start hitting dealerships sometime in early 2013.

Mazda plans to produce approximately 120,000 units of the Mazda6 annually at Hofu. 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of Mazda6 production there, with the original car (the official 626 replacement) first rolling off the line in 2002.

To review, Mazda will also offer the new mid-sizer with its Skyactiv-D diesel engine in other markets (and possibly the U.S.), and the car will be the first to use the automaker's new i-ELOOP regenerative braking technology. We'll have all the official details later this month.

Continue reading First official Mazda6 wagon pic revealed as plant comes online

First official Mazda6 wagon pic revealed as plant comes online originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More 2014 Mazda6 teasers released

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows

Just hours ago, a high-resolution teaser shot of the 2014 Mazda6 leaked onto the internet, giving us a very clear glimpse of the new sedan's front fascia. Not to be outdone, Mazda has responded by releasing three more high-res images of the new car, which we've learned will officially debut at the 2012 Moscow Auto Show next month.

After looking at the new quartet of images, along with the series of teaser videos - all one, two, three, four of them - there's little to be left to the imagination when it comes to the design of Mazda's rakish new sedan. From what we can see so far, this thing looks mighty handsome. The company's new Kodo design language is certainly flaunting its stuff here, with a more aggressive front fascia and upswept profile line that, like the CX-5, gives the car the impression of being "up on its haunches," as one Mazda representative described it to us once.

Right now, all we know is that Mazda plans to debut its new midsize sedan with a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G gasoline four-cylinder, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The Japanese automaker has also stated that the 2014 Mazda6 will feature the company's new i-ELOOP (short for Intelligent Energy Loop) capacitor-based regenerative braking system that will, according to Mazda, "improve economy by up to 10 percent."

Following the Russian-spec car's debut on August 29, the rest of the world will have to wait until the Paris Motor Show in late September to see exactly what's in store for each individual market. Scroll down for Mazda's official press blast.

Continue reading More 2014 Mazda6 teasers released

More 2014 Mazda6 teasers released originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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