A sportier version of the second-generation Mazda 6 (known as the Atenza in Japan) will make its debut in October at the Tokyo auto show—but don't get too attached, because it bears little resemblance to the model that will eventually be sold here.
The sedan that serves as the backbone of parent company Ford's mid-size car and crossover lineup (the Ford Fusion, the Mercury Milan, the Lincoln MKZ, the Ford Edge, and the Lincoln MKX all ride on the same CD3 architecture that debuted with the original Mazda 6) is "scheduled for imminent market introduction." That basically means what you see is close to what you will soon get in Japan.
Mazda is launching the new version of its "global" car now, but this bolder and sportier design will not share sheetmetal or dimensions with a new Mazda 6 that is being redesigned and reengineered for North America.
