Mazda's new stylistic cloning apparatus, otherwise known as the 'Kodo' design language, has made its mark on its third concept car and there's little doubting that this one hints strongly at the next-generation Mazda6.
The front-end of this Takeri concept strongly resembles the new Mazda CX-5 with its slim headlamps and generously sized five-point grille while the side profile is a more shapely evolution of today's Mazda6. On the downside, it doesn't seem like designers did much to differentiate the rear end from the average modern Korean or Japanese saloon.
Beneath the surface, the Takeri concept is packed with Mazda's 'Skyactiv' technology, which means a lightweight body, chassis and mechanical components and a high-tech 2.2-litre Skyactiv-D turbodiesel engine with a record-breaking compression ratio of 14:1.
This engine, first seen in the CX-5, will almost certainly power the new Mazda6, which is expected to appear in early 2013. In the CX-5, the engine is offered with output levels of 110kW/380Nm and 129kW/420Nm, with the former engine sipping as little as 4.5 litres per 100km on the combined cycle. The CX-5's Skyactiv-G 2-litre direct injection petrol engine, which produces 121kW and 210Nm, is likely to be the base engine in the new 6.
The company has added further innovation to the Takeri concept in the form of Mazda's first regenerative braking system. This technology converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration, stores it in capacitors and then uses it to power the vehicle's electrical equipment - reducing load on the engine and saving fuel.