After Nissan's ultraslow reveal of its 2013 Altima, in which darkened close-ups of the sedan appeared each week on YouTube, Mazda is doing the same thing -- and has us hooked. You should be, too, as the 2014 Mazda6 promises to be a very good-looking and efficient midsize car.

The new 6 is based on the final Takeri concept shown at the New York Auto Show in April, with its slimmed, razorlike headlamps, wide half-moon grill and muscular proportions. Many of that concept's design cues will be incorporated into the final production version.

As for the powertrain, expect the 6 to include the full suite of Mazda's Skyactiv engines and powertrains that debuted on the Mazda3 compact and CX-5 crossover -- very possibly including a new 2.2-liter diesel engine that Mazda will race in the upcoming Grand-Am GX series. The 2.0-liter 4-cylinder from the 3 should make it to the 6, and we'd expect the 6's lower weight to help it at least match the new Altima's impressive 38 mpg highway. Edmunds reports a V6 will no longer be available.

The new 6 will go on sale in early 2013 -- and it needs to be a hit. Mazda has suffered four years of losses and began cutting its North American staff earlier this year. Have a look at Mazda's murky videos to see if you find anything on the new 6 that we can't. Or, you can just be more patient than we are and wait a few more months for the full reveal.

[Source: Mazda.]