More Zoom for Mazda : Automaker to tinker with a steady lineup

U.S. sales of the new Mazda6 should begin early next year.

By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

Mazda's relationship with Ford Motor Co. has its good and bad sides.

It provides access to profitable vehicle lines such as the Escape, which Mazda rebadges as the Tribute. But it also puts Mazda at the mercy of Ford product planners, who might not want to share items such as Ford's new 3.5-liter V-6 engine with the Mazda6 sedan.

Mazda is exploring a couple of new product lines, but expect the automaker to stick with its reliance on a few core products.

Mazda2: Mazda has not ruled out bringing the small car to the United States. Subcompacts appear to be all the rage; and if fuel economy standards rise dramatically, the Mazda2 could be offered as a green city car.

On the other hand, Mazda believes that equipping the Mazda2 with the content Americans want would move the car too close to the Mazda3 in price. And Mazda does not want to push another low-margin car onto its dealers. If the car comes to the United States, it probably won't be until the 2010 model year.

Mazda3: In the spring of 2009, the next-generation Mazda3 will debut as a 2010 model. Mazda will re-engineer the car's existing C1 platform underpinnings.

The engine family will remain the same, but upgrades in power and fuel economy are planned. Most of the changes address consumer concerns over noise, vibration and harshness without removing the dynamic driving experience. The design will feel more integrated, especially with optional sport appearance packages.

Mazda6: The 2008 model year will be abbreviated. The wagon and MazdaSpeed6 will be dropped, leaving just the sedan and five-door hatchback.

In early 2008, the Mazda6 will be redesigned and offered only in sedan form. The 2009 sedan will get slightly longer and wider, using some parts from the existing Mazda6 but also some improvements from its platform stablemate, the Ford Fusion.

The Mazda6 gets a new, larger four-cylinder engine. Also, because Ford does not want to share its 3.5-liter V-6, Mazda will do it one better, using a Hiroshima-sourced 3.7-liter engine that is also in the CX-9. It probably will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

MX-5 Miata: A race package arrives this fall, but racers must wait until mid-2008 for a MazdaSpeed edition. The MazdaSpeed version's 2.3-liter turbo loses some horsepower in packaging the intercooler and larger radiator. A redesign is planned for the 2010 model year when the car must comply with new 2011 rear-offset collision standards.

Kabura: The concept coupe derived from the rear-drive MX-5 platform is on the most-wanted list, but Mazda's U.S. arm needs Europe or Japan to sign on to provide enough volume to make the program viable. Plus, the MX-5 platform is so closely tied to the Miata, the Kabura may need new engineering.

RX-8: For the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine this fall, Mazda is bringing out a special-edition model. American demand is enough to keep the RX-8 in the lineup with a spring 2009 redesign as a 2010 model, and Mazda swears it will not walk away from its rotary engine.

Tribute: Mazda's version of the Ford Escape was restyled and re-engineered this spring as a 2008 model. Mazda will get a hybrid model this year.

CX-5: A Mazda3-derived compact crossover may come in the fall of 2010 as a 2011 model, replacing the Tribute. To avoid its being cross-shopped with the CX-7, it would be a nonturbo four-cylinder only. Look at the Ford Kuga concept from the 2007 Frankfurt show for styling hints. The problem: The Escape/Tribute line is profitable for Ford, so the company would be unenthusiastic about Mazda eliminating the Tribute.

CX-7: No major changes are foreseen.

CX-9: Barely a year into its launch, the CX-9's V-6 engine gets a displacement increase to 3.7 liters, with a big jump in torque. The engine will be sourced from Hiroshima.

B series: Demand for compact pickups is waning, so the Mazda version of the Ford Ranger will lose the 3.0-liter V-6 for the 2008 model year. That leaves just the 2.3-liter four-banger and the 4.0-liter V-6.

The future of the B series is unclear. The Ranger assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn., will close next year, and Ford has not said whether Ranger production will be transferred to another plant.

Mazda5: The compact minivan will get a minor change for the 2008 model year. A five-speed automatic is planned, along with a revised interior and more powerful air conditioning.

If current volume can hit 15,000 units, Mazda will bring in a redesign. But if volume withers, or if North American homologation is a problem, it may be a one-generation vehicle.