Mazda 6 review (20/02/2013)
Mazda invited me to Portugal to the pan-European launch of their exciting new 6 range. I took the ‘red-eye’ from Cork to Amsterdam and transferred to a Lisbon flight and arrived lunchtime.
Myself, a colleague from Dublin, and Mazda’s Irish PR man headed along a marked route to a hotel 120kms distant for the overnight stay. Three kilometres out of the airport, we were lost.
We turned on the sat. nav. and told it to take us to the destination, just outside Setubal. It did so in shorter order than Mazda intended and so there was no time to drive the car.
That was fine: driving was pencilled in for the next day, following the press briefing and a pleasant dinner with the Japanese engineer in charge of the project.
In the morning, word was filtering back about airport chaos in Northern Europe caused by overnight snow. Schipol was closed. If I wanted to get back to Cork that night, I’d have to change plans. Mazda rescheduled me to fly home via Heathrow.
To make the flight to London, I’d have to leave for the airport immediately — and not drive the car. So I got a ferry from the hotel, at Troia, back to Setubal, and a Mazda driver dashed me to the airport.
A wasted journey, but I tested one of the new cars after I got home. What a pleasant surprise. Recently, there has not been much bad to say about Mazda and their new SkyActiv technologies show it in a very favourable light.
SkyActiv brings together a variety of technologies, making Mazda’s cars more economical and cleaner. This was first showcased in last year’s CX-5 SUV and I was impressed because the car was good in its own right and because it laid down new markers in its segment — frightening the gizzard out of opponents.
Because of the i-ELOOP brake energy regeneration system and Mazda’s lightweight design strategy, which considerably reduces weight, the car is an engineering tour de force. Even so, it is behind the wheel that you fully appreciate how good the Mazda 6 is and how smooth.
Mazda have done comprehensive work in the suppression of NVH — that’s noise, vibration and harshness.
I spoke last week about the new Golf being a ‘car of the year’ contender but the Mazda 6 must be mentioned in the same breath.
Mazda’s refusal to compromise on design moves their family car/repmobile contender into direct competition with the giants in the segment, the Ford Mondeo and the VW Passat.
The results of their determination are not only obvious, but impressive, too. With independent, all-round suspension, a diesel engine that has a uniquely low, 14:1 compression ratio, and dimensions (in the saloon) that outdo even the mighty Skoda Superb (although, strangely, the estate version is shorter than the saloon), this car merits careful consideration by potential buyers. It cannot be easily dismissed by either fleet or individual buyers.
The test car was not the one that will appeal to a majority of buyers, it being the Wagon, fitted with automatic transmission — the saloon in manual form will fit that bill — but that did not diminish the overall experience.
There is 110 kW (148 bhp) on tap from the 2.2 litre turbodiesel and, in the test format, it emitted 129 g/km of CO2, as against 116 for the standard version, but will still only cost you 70 more to tax. There is 380 Nm of torque available and top speed is 204 kph, and the 0-100 kph dash is achieved in 9.8 seconds. The car will return 4.8 l/100 km (which is just over 58 mpg).
Ride and handling are better than many in the class and the grip levels impressive. For those who appreciate a nimble car, the Mazda 6 will not disappoint. I was in the SE Sport, which is the top model here and Mazda has thrown every bit of kit at it. What impressed me most was the design of the cabin, its quality of materials and its comfort.
The dashboard is not the most imaginative, but it is functional and easy to live with, although the communications system, including the sat nav, will take time to fathom.
The space for driver and passengers is decent and the boot space is huge. Neat touches, like the remote lever for lowering the rear seats, only add to the feeling of well-being that this instils in anyone aboard.
Mazda has upped a gear with the new 6 and, just as the CX-5 shook things up in the SUV market last year, I expect this car to do the same in its market segment. It is not as revolutionary as Mazda make it out to be, but it is a genuine step forward by the company and will definitely attract new buyers.
