Mazda 6 2013 Review

Forget all the Mazda mumbo jumbo about Shinari, Takeri and Kodo style. What you need to know is the new Mazda 6 is one handsome devil of a car, arguably the best looking mainstream car at the recent Paris motor show.

That’s a huge call but justifiable when you discount dream cars like the F-Type Jag, McLaren P1 and other ultra-expensive machines no mere mortal can buy. As an affordable four-door sedan or wagon the sexy 6 has been in gestation for about two and a half years and is the first passenger car in the Mazda line-up to feature a full suite of SkyActiv fuel saving technology.

It also ushers in a 2.5-litre petrol SkyActiv four-pot engine as well as some really clever electronic technology clumsily named i-Eloop. We reckon Mazda6 could easily become the segment benchmark, for a while at least.

VALUE

Though no pricing was forthcoming at the heads-up presentation and drive taste we attended this week in Paris, Mazda would be foolish to overcall the card on this one. We would think it will start in the low $30 grand bracket and rise to the high $40 grand mark.

Three models will be available possibly mirroring the current Touring entry level, Sport mid-level and Luxury top level grades. No manual will be offered here despite being available overseas. All Aussie spec’ Mazda6s will have a six-speed auto with lock up on all gears and higher grade cars sporting paddle shift.

Equipment levels will be generous with all variants featuring Bluetooth connectivity, multi-info display screen, 60:40 split fold rear seats, 17-19-inch alloys, climate control, steering wheel controls and a human machine interface system. Leather, Bose audio and all the trimmings will be available higher up the scale.

TECHNOLOGY

The i-Eloop system is essentially a capacitor to store electric energy harvested from deceleration and braking for restarting the engine using the i-Stop system and to power electric ancillaries when the engine is shut down momentarily.

Two engines will be offered; a 2.2-litre turbo diesel with 129kW/420Nm output and a 2.5-litre four cylinder naturally aspirated four cylinder petrol with 141kW/256Nm. The diesel is one of very few with variable valve lift to optimise efficiency. It also has twin turbos, a small and a larger one working sequentially. Idle stop/start called i-Stop is standard on all cars.

DESIGN

They’ve been refining this coupe-style car for a couple of years and taunting us with a number of “concepts’’ but the wait was worth it. New 6 is a big medium car due in part to Mazda’s desire to attract American buyers. It has been designed to look like a predatory beast ready to pounce with muscular haunches and shoulders represented in the pronounced front and rear guards and sleek style lines along each side.

The front and rear show a strong stance with an earnest, purposeful look as modern as tomorrow owing nothing to anything else currently available. It looks striking in the metal, particularly in the newly developed metallic red signature colour. Inside matches the exterior for design excitement and features a premium look, cockpit style driver’s area, soft touch panels throughout and new fascia materials including buffed chrome highlights. The sedan has a longer wheelbase than the wagon but both offer generous interior room particularly in the critical rear legroom area.

SAFETY

It’s a five star car with a range of primary and secondary safety features for injury mitigation and also collision avoidance. Pedestrian safety is addressed in the design of the front end. Radar cruise control is available together with forward obstruction warning, lane assist, rear vehicle warning, high beam assist, smart brake and smart city brake which stops the car if the driver fails to apply the brakes with an obstacle in front.

DRIVING

We were able to take both engine variants for a decent spin in the French countryside, crawling through villages and on the motorways at very high speed. Our initial favouritism of the punchy diesel waned after a stint in the 2.5 petrol which has an exhaust note enhancing system that even utilises the Bose audio system on high end variants.

The diesel has super strong throttle roll-on as you’d expect from 420Nm and is surprisingly smooth and quiet thanks in part to a balance shaft inside the engine block, also in the 2.5. But the smooth petrol sprints away at higher revs with a stirring snarl from the exhaust. It has impressive acceleration too aided by slightly less weight and even blips the throttle on down changes when using the paddle shift.

The Euro spec’ cars we drove offered sporty dynamics and a firmish, well controlled ride with responsive electric steering and strong brakes. The set up was a good compromise for a car destined as a family sedan or wagon and all that entails. Fuel economy can drop into the high 4.0s in the diesel and into the high 7.0s for the petrol especially with all the SkyActiv technology in play.

VERDICT

Oo la la... we like it. Stunning looks, bigger than you think, premium interior, impressive power train choices. Bit of tyre noise on the bigger wheel models and  don’t know what the spare will be but this
car is something special. Due early next year.

Mazda6

Models: Not finalised, three variants, two engines
Price: From low to mid $30,000 mark
Safety: Comprehensive active and passive, primary and secondary safety systems either standard or optional.
Crash rating: Five Star
Engines: 2.2-litre twin turbo diesel with variable valve lift delivering 129kW/420Nm, 2.5-litre twin cam variable valve timing direct injection petrol four cylinder with 141kW/256Nm output.
Transmission: Six speed fluid auto. Paddle shift some models
Weight: Between 1375kg-1430kg