2017 Mazda 6 Debuts with G-Vectoring Control, More Luxury

Study the photos of the 2017 Mazda 6 sedan—do you notice any differences between it and the subtly refreshed Mazda 6 introduced for 2016? Lest you strain your eyes: The 2017 Mazda 6 doesn’t look any different than before. It’s still the same sleekly attractive sedan we love, only with a laundry list of minor (and mostly unseen) improvements.

G-Unit? No, G-Vectoring (Control)!

Among the only changes Mazda implements for 2017 that affect the 6’s excellent driving dynamics is G-Vectoring Control, an electronic widget that helps the sedan turn into corners with more alacrity. The feature is making its simultaneous debut on the 2017 Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback , and you can read a full rundown of how it works here. In short, G-Vectoring Control makes fine adjustments (reductions) to engine torque to imperceptibly induce load transfer toward the front axle as the steering wheel is turned off-center, improving steering response. It’s a clever and very Mazda-like development, and it appears to work as advertised, being both seamless and helpful.

Another invisible improvement is levied at the Mazda 6’s available i-Activsense batch of active-safety assists for the driver. Thanks to a new camera, the setup now can detect pedestrians (in addition to the cars and large objects it previously watched for) moving into the Mazda’s path at city speeds and, as with the system’s existing collision-warning function, it can automatically hit the brakes to avoid or mitigate a pedestrian impact. Mazda has also tuned i-Activsense to recognize traffic signs—including speed-limit, no-entry, and stop signs—and the automatic emergency-braking function now operates between 9 and 99 mph, up from 90 mph on the top end.

A More Premium Inside Game

The 2017 Mazda 6 may not be changed at all on the outside, but the interior, which received a good deal of attention in the 6’s 2016 refresh, has been given a host of small updates. The new steering wheel, shared with the 2016 CX-9, gains an available heating function; the monochromatic driver-information display in the gauge cluster has been replaced by a full-color TFT screen; and the pop-up head-up display offers greater adjustability and likewise drops its drab monochrome scheme for a full-color readout with a more upscale look. In a bit of obsession with details, Mazda has tied the head-up display’s settings to the driver’s-seat memory function on models so equipped.

Mazda quieted down the 6’s interior in its 2016 update but has further addressed the issue with thicker front-door glass (except in Grand Touring models, which get acoustic-laminated glass). Meanwhile, seals and weather stripping have been optimized to stifle noise. There also is better sound suppression between the door-panel trim and the doors’ inner structure, as well as more noise-reducing material in the headliner.

If that all sounds pretty fancy, hold onto your hats, because a new Premium package offered on the Mazda 6 Grand Touring takes the sedan to new luxurious heights. Customers can choose between black or almond-colored nappa leather seats with titanium-gray piping and stitching, while the interior map lights are swapped for LED units, the outboard rear seats gain heaters, and the metal-look trim is rendered in a “warmer” (read: darker) hue. Mazda even stitches the leather on the steering wheel’s rim using the same Japanese chidori technique it uses on the CX-9’s range-topping Signature trim level. To literally top things off, the headliner and upper trim come in black.

At a time when manufacturers are dropping their manual transmissions, Mazda remains committed to furnishing mid-size-sedan buyers with a three-pedal choice, at least on certain trim levels. The six-speed manual remains standard on the base Sport and the mid-level Touring; as before, the Grand Touring trim has the six-speed automatic as standard (it’s an option on lower-spec models). Every Mazda 6 again is powered by the same 184-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; no V-6 or turbo is offered. We don’t anticipate the car’s fuel economy will change at all, but final EPA estimates, as well as pricing, are expected closer to the 6’s on-sale date next month.

What we can say now is that Mazda’s commitment to continually improving the 6 is admirable, given that industry standard practice is to enhance models every few years and then wait. The current-generation Mazda 6 debuted for the 2014 model year, and it had already seen a mild refresh for 2016, marking the 2017 model’s changes as the third noteworthy refinement to a vehicle we’ve named to our 10Best Cars list two out of the past three years and which we also recently crowned the king of the mid-size class. With Honda’s Accord as good as ever, a slick new Chevrolet Malibu, and the rest of the mid-size competition being generally impressive, Mazda is playing a smart game—even if you can’t immediately spot its moves.