The Mazda6 grew up in several ways with the transition into its newest incarnation. Literally, in terms of its size, as the 6 now could almost technically belong in the large car segment, but it has also grown up massively in terms of refinement, quality and sheer gorgeous road presence.
But is that enough? We take a top-end Mazda6 Limited for a week to find out.
Outside
Likes: Sensational looker, particularly from the front. Swoopy side lines are particularly sexy. Definitely suits the bigger wheels of the up-spec models.
Dislikes: Rear end nice, but looks very much like a Hyundai…
Inside
Likes: Beautifully laid out cabin, with supportive, if slightly firm, seats. Excellent sound from stereo. Contact points are all made from very high quality materials.
Dislikes: Lacks the exciting, modern design lavished on the exterior and is very conventional. Stereo takes forever to load a large iPod, then tends to repeat the same songs a lot when on shuffle. From the middle of the dash down there is quite a lot of hard plastics.
Under the bonnet
Likes: 129kW/420Nm engine is wonderfully muscular and particularly torquey. Six-speed transmission work faultlessly with engine. Remarkably frugal, even after hard driving. Engine takes on a pleasingly guttural edge under acceleration.
Dislikes: Engine surprisingly noisy at idle and low speeds, particularly when cold. Auto start/stop system rough, again particularly when engine cold. Big torque easily overcomes tyre grip in wet.
On the road
Likes: Magnificent poise and delicacy to chassis makes throwing it around a delight. Razor-sharp turn in and beautifully weighted steering. Remarkable grip from the front, even in the wet. When torque does eventually overwhelm the front tyres, it is utterly predictable and controllable, and even the stability control doesn’t intervene too much.
Dislikes: Ride can get fussy over imperfections in road.
Verdict
The Mazda6 is a funny beast. Get past all the launch hype and its gorgeous looks and you are actually left with a vehicle that offers little – on paper – to make it stand out that far from its obvious competitors.
Sure, it does everything well and is a big improvement over its very good predecessor, but the same can be said of its competitors.
But then you drive it again and suddenly remember exactly why it excited you so much in the first place.
It may have a firmer ride than its mid-size family/company car brethren, but it also offers sports car-like dynamics as a trade off. Essentially the Mazda6 is the sports car of the office carpark.
Especially when paired up to the muscular 2.2-litre diesel engine that, while definitely a diesel in an aural sense, is a big torquey powerhouse in every other sense.
Tossing the delightfully sharp front end into a corner and then riding the huge wave of torque on the way out is a an addictive activity in the Mazda6 diesel, and one you will never, ever tire of.
Price: $60,795
Engine: 2.2-litre inline four-cylinder diesel
Power/torque: 129kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
0-100km/h: n/a
Fuel consumption: 5.4L/100km
CO2 emissions: n/a
