Next Mazda6 will come with four-cylinder only

Beneath the beautiful and unfeasibly long looking hood of the Mazda Takeri model lays abundance of real estate. By our judgment there's space for any number of powerplants, from a high-revving rotary to a twin-turbo V6. However, when Mazda launches the new 2014 Mazda6, which will ape the looks of the Takeri show car, it will only have a small four-cylinder.

So that's being a bit cruel, as in spite of the statement demise of a V6 engine choice for the Mazda6, at least it will be getting a Skyactiv four-banger, according to the report. Skyactiv is, of course, Mazda speak for its set of technologies that contains its next-generation powertrain with straight injection and a fancy new automatic transmission design, a mixture we liked a great deal when we exampled it in the CX-5 crossover.

With Hyundai, Kia, and Chevrolet having derelict their V6's in support of an all-four-cylinder listings for their midsize sedans, we're not amazed to see Mazda follow route. We do, however, wonder how the beleaguered Japanese brand aims to compete when it comes to presentation.

With 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque, the 2.0-liter Skyactiv four in Mazda's new crossover isn't particularly influential, so we hope we might see a little bigger displacement edition with a few more ponies for the bigger sedan. Mazda has promised a diesel for North America, though it hasn't particulate which vehicle it will appear in. The car manufacturer has committed to organizing a stellar 2.2-liter turbodiesel four making 173 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque for the CX-5, at least in Europe. Now that might be just the label to make a top-trim Mazda6 get up and go.