MAZDA has slimmed down its flagship Xedos 9 range to a single, 2.3-litre supercharged version. The previous engine was a 2.5-litre V6. With the Miller supercharger unit, the new Xedos 9 accelerates from 0-62 mph in 9.5 seconds, and is capable of a top speed of 143mph.

Fuel consumption is 20.2mpg on the urban cycle, 36.7 on the extra-urban cycle, and a combined cycle of 28.2mpg. The £28,650 luxury cruiser features climate-controlled air conditioning, cruise control, RDS stereo with six-disc CD autochanger and leather seats as standard. Safety features include twin front airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, and ABS, while the car is anchored to the road with Dunlop 225/45 R 17 tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels.