Mazda 6 facelift (2010) first official pictures

After 5 comes 6, so with the all-new Mazda 5 recently announced, up next is a revised version of the Japanese car company's family saloon. The facelifted Mazda 6, like the 5, will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva motor show in March.

The front and rear lights have been tweaked, and the 6's nose now features a huge, Insignia-aping slash of chrome across the grille. The lower air intake is also bigger, and the fog lights are set within vertical slashes that ape the Mazda 3 and 5. Mazda claims the new looks gives the 6 'more sportiness and a clearer premium identity'.

Under the bonnet there's a choice of six power outputs, three of which (ranging from 127bhp to 178bhp) come from the same 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel. Petrol power comes from the existing 1.8 and 2.5, along with an all-new, direct-injection 2.0-litre. The latter offers more power than the outgoing 2.0, but is cleaner and more efficient - the oil burners are also claimed to offer improved MPG figures and reduced CO2 emissions.

By Ben Pulman