What we do know is that the powertrains from the 2008 Mazda 6 are both being pitched in favor of bigger, more powerful engines: an MZR 2.5-liter four-cylinder will be the base engine and the CX-9's 3.7-liter V-6 will be an option. The four will be mated either with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, while the V-6 gets only a six-speed automatic; both automatics will, of course, have some sort of manual-shift mode. Mazda has not yet released official horsepower figures for the 2009 Mazda 6 sedan, but since the 2.5-liter four-cylinder is already used in the European-market 6, where it makes about 168 hp, one can assume a similar level of output for the North American version of the car. And the 3.7-liter V-6 makes 273 hp in the CX-9, so that gives us an idea of its potential rating for 6 duty. That's a big bump from the current car's 212-hp, 3.0-liter V-6; let's hope Mazda has taken steps to curb torque steer, always a worry in a front-wheel-drive sedan when the power rating passes the 250-hp mark.
