Mazda does well with its Zoom-Zoom branding which works as a consumer guide and production DNA for the companies’ new and evolving vehicles. It’s a motto which has lead to some of the best value performance and handling characteristics for any cars in production today, but it’s not a cache all. As the producer has learned with their 2009 Mazda6, sometimes there’s just no room for zoom-zoom.

Mazda tried to put Zoom-Zoom into their 6’s. Previous iterations of the car have been sleek and tight in both proportions and handling, but have never been particularly successful for the manufacturer. Poor sales to-date have ultimately resulted in a near total redesign for the 2009 model, which says goodbye to zoom-zoom and hello to spacious luxury and a far softer ride.

Though the basic guts of the 2009 Mazda 6 remain the same; who in their right mind would throw out a perfectly good 2.5-liter V6 engine creating 272 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque? The size and luxury of the American 6 has been drastically upped, along with the suspension length. A far smoother ride and significantly roomier interior result in something which might just compete in 2009.

The 2009 Mazda6 isn’t short of fixtures and fittings either. The manufacturer is traditionally rather conservative with their interior features, but the 6 includes a broad array of useful, and not so useful, safety and entertainment systems.