Mazda has announced that the 2009 Mazda6 will arrive in dealerships this summer. Mazda has big expectations for the redesigned sports sedan. So just how big of a car is this to the future of Mazda?

"This is the most important new vehicle Mazda has launched in a decade," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO, from Denver, where the car was unveiled to Mazda dealers a day earlier at the company's North American Dealer Meeting. "The midsize sedan segment -- where Mazda6 competes -- is a real battleground, with some of the best vehicles in the industry going toe-to-toe for sales. This new Mazda6 was designed and engineered specifically for the North American market -- the third Mazda in a row to be so -- and will take on the very best cars from Asia, Europe and the U.S."

The car will feature a standard 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine that can be upgraded to a 3.7 liter six-cylinder model. The company also boasts that the interior will be spacious with unique styling and accents. Three models of the new Mazda6 will be available that include Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. Prices have not yet been announced.