Review
This rapid range introduction will see an all-new car with three body styles and new petrol and diesel engines going on sale within five months.
Initial sales of the Mazda6 are also exceeding expectations with the company selling twice as many saloons during July as it expected.
Mazda has also increased its forecast for Mazda6 sales for the remainder of the year, increasing from 4,500 to 6,000.
And while the expected diesel share for the first full year had been 27%, this has now been revised to 'up to 40%', explained by recent changes to benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rules for company cars that favour low-emission vehicles.
The diesel engine in question is an all-new 2.0-litre unit with second generation common rail and a choice of two power outputs, 119bhp or 134bhp.
There is a degree of cross-over with the medium specification trim levels, although the 119bhp unit sits at the lower end of the price range, with the 134bhp version not offered in entry-level trim.
Both diesel variants are available in estate guise, but only the 2.0-litre petrol engine is offered as an alternative, before the introduction of the four-wheel drive Sport4.
Although on paper the emissions seem higher than average, prohibitively high BIK tax bills are offset by low list prices – as found in petrol versions of the Mazda6 – to ensure they remain competitive.
Mazda says the engines 'combine the classic strengths of a diesel engine (low fuel consumption, high torque at low engine speeds) with characteristics normally associated with petrol engines (lively driving performance, driving comfort, operating smoothness, low emissions)'.
In isolation, there is no problem with these statements. However, when you start comparing the engines with those from rival manufacturers then the fuel economy and emissions claims look less attractive.
While the diesels are significantly better than petrol versions of the Mazda6 in emission terms, they fall short of diesel cars such as the Renault Laguna, Ford Mondeo, Citroen C5, Peugeot 406 and Volkswagen Passat which deliver carbon dioxide emissions in the 150 - 170g/km range and fuel consumption closer to 50mpg than 40mpg.
If it comes down to driver preference, there are some who will be prepared to pay higher BIK tax for the extra dynamic ability of the Mazda over many of its rivals, but I expected better.
Meanwhile, the estate model is expected to take a modest 17% of all sales. About 70% of sales of the Mazda6 are expected to be to fleets.
The estates have the innovative 'Karikuri' folding rear seats which when pushed forward present a completely flat loading area. This is achieved by a mechanism simultaneously bringing the rear seat cushions forward and lower as the backs are folded, without the need to remove the rear head restraints.
Driving impressions
The estate is just as capable dynamically as the saloons and hatchbacks, and the diesels will have a performance bias – the entry-level diesel has up to a 20bhp advantage over other upper-medium diesels.
While the Mazda6 estate appears a little less spacious than the more practical looking load-luggers in the sector, such as the Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat and Citroen C5, figures show that more than 1,700 litres of luggage space is up for grabs with the rear seats folded.
The Mazda6 has a unique rear suspension system which gives a clutter-free loading area, and the car's wide stance means there is a decent width between the wheel arches. When driving the estate there is nothing to suggest you are travelling with extra weight or reduced body stiffness.
The steering is just as crisp as the other variants and the handling is remarkably roll free. The sharp handling characteristics are not at the expense of an uncomfortable ride as the car suppresses all but the worst surface imperfections on the road.
It could be down to improved aerodynamics, but the estate has marginally better fuel consumption and emission figures than the saloon and hatchback models.
Performance figures for the diesel look good on paper and this was echoed when they were put to the test on the road. However, if anyone imagined that, like the petrol variants, brisk performance is achieved through short gearing, then they are wrong. The Mazda6 diesel is remarkably long legged and cruised at barely 2,500rpm at 80mph on the autobahns around Frankfurt.
Both power variants share the same peak torque figure of 229lb-ft at 2,000rpm, but the 134bhp version has a flatter torque curve, meaning maximum pulling power is available for longer.
Noise is well insulated at lower speeds, although the typical diesel 'knocking' makes itself heard upwards of about 3,000rpm. These factors also put me in a dilemma over whether to recommend the diesels. Of course, fuel economy and emissions are improved over petrol versions.
However, these are second-generation common rail units, yet their fuel consumption and emissions are higher than the class average. This is not because of particularly short gear ratios, but some other factor which has eluded Mazda's engineers.
Driving verdict
THE Mazda6 estate is an attractive and practical carrier which has sparkling dynamic ability. Mazda's new diesel engines offer much in the way of performance, but are off the mark in terms of fuel consumption and emissions. However, no other diesel in this class offers the driving dynamics of the Mazda6.
| Mazda6 estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | 2.0 | 2.0d | 2.0d |
| Engine (cc): | 1,999 | 1,998 | 1,998 |
| Max power (bhp/rpm): | 139/6,000 | 119/3,500 | 134/3,500 |
| Max torque (lb-ft/rpm): | 134/4,100 | 229/2,000 | 229/2,000 |
| Max speed (mph): | 126 (118) | 121 | 122 |
| 0-62mph (sec): | 9.9 (12.0) | 11.1 | 10.7 |
| Fuel consumption (mpg): | 33.4 (31.6) | 43.0 | 44.6 |
| CO2 emissions (g/km): | 203 (215) | 182 | 176 |
| Mazda6 diesel | ||
|---|---|---|
| Model | 2.0d | 2.0d |
| Engine (cc): | 1,998 | 1,998 |
| Max power (bhp/rpm): | 119/3,500 | 134/3,500 |
| Max torque (lb-ft/rpm): | 229/2,000 | 229/2,000 |
| Max speed (mph): | 122 (123) | 123 (124) |
| 0-62mph (sec): | 11.0 (10.9) | 10.6 (10.5) |
| Fuel consumption (mpg): | 43.7 | 43.7 |
| CO2 emissions (g/km): | 179 | 179 |
| Transmission: | 5-sp man | |
| Fuel tank capacity (l/gal): | 64/14 | |
| Service intervals (miles): | 9,000 | |
| On sale: | Now | |
| Prices (OTR): | £14,595 - £18,595 | |
| * Saloon models in brackets | ||
