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Strolling through the Birmingham Airport car park is not normally an event meant to feed the soul, but in this case it was not too bad. The Mazda 6 sedan and estate lineup made things seem a bit brighter than usual for a grimy multi-storey, thanks in large part to the optional Soul Red Crystal paint that covered most bodywork. Mazdas phalanx was a Maserati Ghibli, and although I can not say that Italian exoticism was overshadowed by the Hiroshima family lounge, the visual gap between the two was perhaps a little too much narrow from the point of view of Modena. has long been the calling card of the Mazda 6, though – a car that still seems to slightly exceed your expectations. It is, by nature, a four-door family car entirely (in some cases, excessively) conventional, but it's a car that looks a little sharper than it is. To strictly speaking.
launched in 2013, which makes it barely old, and yet it is the third time in his life that it has been updated. As for previous efforts, it's a small pinch, which nevertheless has profound repercussions on the car as a whole. It is tempting to suggest that Mazda's constant update policy is a clever plan to maintain a model in which, with declining sedan sales and rising SUV sales, the company does not want to invest in a brand new model, but it may be the cynic in me.
Subtle Changes
Visual changes are most obvious, though subtle. If you're familiar with the 6, you might notice that the grille is new, and visually closer to that of the CX-5 SUV, while the headlights are also new, and the fog lights left the lower bumper for a new home in them, their lower seat taken by an aerodynamic bailer that more effectively channels air over and around the front wheels.
There are minor changes similar to the rear, but you'll notice a bigger difference in the interior, where Mazda lightened the dash (visually at all costs) by extending the fascia in door panels, adjusting the shallower vents, and updating the materials used. At the top of the price list, you'll find models that use Japanese Sen Wood fittings, a semi-digital instrument panel, Nappa leather, heated and ventilated seats and much more – which adds to a cabin that sneaks closer to Audi than Ford
New Features
There are also new seats (a little more comfortable, but still not really sumptuous) and a new head-up display that projects onto the rear window. breeze, instead of a small annoying plastic monocle. The space is generally good, although large pbadengers at the back will find that their knees are brushing the front seat backs. The boot, at 480 liters for the saloon and 552 liters for the very nice real estate model, is adequate rather than exceptional.
niggles? The central infotainment screen, although it's taller at 8.0 inches in width, still uses the aged menu and Mazda's graphic layout, and it's way behind when you're in it. it is software. Similarly, the new indirect vision camera system has a display that looks distinctly lo-fi, compared to the HD outputs of some rivals.
The engines are reported from the outgoing 6, so the 2.2-liter diesel unit is essentially unchanged. The 150hp version, the most popular 6 model, is entirely identical, apart from the fact that it has been tested for the new WLTP economy and emissions standard, which sees its CO2 emissions increase slightly to 117g / km. The higher power version sees a slight increase in grunt, from 175hp to 184hp, with Co2 of 124g / km.
Back petrol in the mix
Let's keep the diesel for a moment, however, do we need to? After all, as a fuel for pbadenger cars, it is losing popularity (though it's still not quite out of place – far from it, in fact) and the essence is back in favor. Clearly, there is a penalty in terms of operating costs. The new 2-liter SkyActiv-G 2.0 petrol engine maintains the same 145 hp and 165 hp horsepower, and has Co2 ratings of 141 g / km, which will cost you € 390 for one year, instead of the € 200 diesel
It's also very, very different from driving. Mazda has, unlike most of its competitors, avoided the downsizing and overfeeding of its engines, so here you have a very 1980s driving experience – a large four-door sedan with an atmospheric 2.0-liter engine . It's pretty cool, as you go.
You have to work hard if you want to get a crack – the answer is pretty low below 3,000 rpm – but once you've boiled it up (and beautifully … The gearbox Six-speed manual weighting is a boon in this sense) it is fast enough and responsive, and much more refined than it was when we tested it last year in the SUV CX-5 (Mazda has provided a lot of extra sound … damping at 6, so the overall refinement is on the top). Stop hooning and slow down a bit, and you can save some quite decent economy figures – Mazda says you'll get 45mpg (6.2-liters per 100 km) and we've seen a little under 40mpg on country roads. So switching from diesel to gasoline will not result in heavy penalties, and it is good to have an engine that is again interesting.
But there is better. There is a new (well, new-is, it's available on the US Mazdas market for a while now) 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. It has 194hp, comes only with a six speed automatic gearbox, and has cylinder deactivation technology so that it can stop half of its cylinders under slight throttle pressures. It's also surprisingly economical – on a smooth highway track, we beat the 42mpg figure claimed by Mazda for the engine, and saw 45mpg. It would probably do even better if Mazda joined the rest of the world and equipped with an eight-speed auto. Unfortunately, it is an engine that does not come to Ireland, but the UK market gets it, so there is hope that it may appear here.
Handling prowess
Fortunately, whatever the engine chosen, the handling remains intact. Mazda has made more changes than expected (the body is slightly stiffer, the steering arms are repositioned, the front dampers have a larger diameter) but the result seems very familiar. The same feeling soft and smooth to the direction, the same sense of precision, the same feeling of liquidity and flow between the corners. It's a really adorable car to drive, and only stumbles if you hit it violently in a bend and if you suddenly rush the wheel to a peak – then you'll have understeer and a sudden steering weight, but keep your answers sweeter
It should be noted that the 6 fake often at the end more expensive of its category, and the new base price of 31 945 € is about 2 000 € more than for a basic Skoda Superb, but the Mazda is generally very well equipped. so there is compensation. We are not yet sure of the final specifications, but Mazda Ireland has told us that items such as radar cruise control, head-up display, satellite navigation, adaptive LED headlights and angle monitoring dead are standard. Other, such as the intelligent speed limiter (which reads road signs), and a 360-degree parking camera "are available on top grades."
You will not care, of course. Like everyone else, you have already decided to buy an SUV and the CX-5 is sitting right in front of the showroom. Do not get me wrong, though. May 6 belong to a segment of the market that fades, but it is one of the most beautiful and most motor cars. Ignore it, and miss it
The Truth: Mazda 6 Tourer 2.0i 165hp Sport Nav +
Price: From € 31,945. Power: 165hp. Couple: 213Nm. 0-100kmh: 9.4 sec. Maximum speed: 214 km / h. Claimed economy: 43.5mpg (6.5 liters / 100km). CO2 emissions: 148g / km. Motor tax: 390 €. Verdict: Abandoned the family sedan market for an SUV? The 6 could be good enough to tempt you back. Our note: 4/5
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