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03/07/2010, 01:07
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Mazda has given its big selling Mazda6 range a midlife makeover for 2010. We have just spent a solid week carrying out a road test review of the Mazda6 station wagon fitted with a turbo-diesel engine. The Australian importer tells us the Mazda6 is the most popular model with private buyers in this country.
Styling changes see the Mazda6 get an even bolder frontal look, with a new interpretation of the five-point grille theme. The headlights and foglights have been rehoused to complement the shape of the new grilles. The headlights on the top line Luxury and Sport are now ‘active’, that is they swivel with movements of the steering to let you see further into bends. At the rear changes are limited to the detailed treatment of taillight design.
Inside, the design of the cabin remains pretty much as before. However, some of the trim fabric and the detailed finish on the dash and centre stack have been revised. These alterations vary significantly from model to model in the Mazda6 range. Indeed, there's more differentiation than ever before; may we suggest a visit to your Mazda dealer to get comprehensive information on the variety of offerings?
Comfort and quietness of the 2010 Mazda6 have both been improved as part of the midlife makeover and the wagon makes a good long distance cruiser.
On hilly, winding roads where we did a fair bit of our test driving, the new Mazda6 turbo-diesel performed well. In fact the steering feel and general handling are almost as good as in German front-drive machines that cost quite a bit more. The cabin is nicely laid out, with plenty of stowage areas for small items. The front seats provide reasonable support and the legroom in them and the rear seats makes this a practical family machine. The load area is well-shaped and the designers haven’t fallen into the trap of creating a ‘boutique’ wagon, instead making the tail fairly close to vertical to provide maximum usefulness.
Most drivers will find their Mazda6 turbo-diesel wagon about six to seven litres per hundred kilometres in country driving on flat roads, as well as on motorways. This consumption will rise to about eight to nine litres per hundred when the car is carrying a load, is used for harder than normal driving or spends a lot of its time in heavy traffic. Transmission options in the new Mazda6 remain as before, with the diesel having a six-speed manual - there's no automatic option with this engine at this stage. The manual has stronger synchromesh on fifth and sixth gear to make for easier changes. The change quality is very good for a front-drive car.
This 2.2-litre Mazda four-cylinder diesel engine is moderately quiet when listened to from the outside, and almost indistinguishable from a petrol unit from the inside. Only when you drive it hard does some diesel noise enter the cabin.
The added torque of the revised engine means it can hold onto gears for longer. And we frequently found ourselves skip shifting the ‘box – going from first to third to fifth being the usual method. Sixth gear can be used from about 1500 upwards without putting any real strain on the engine. There's some turbo lag, but Mazda's engineers have toned this down when compared with the previous version of this turbo-diesel. Pedal response through the accelerator has also been improved.
Mazda has been able to trim prices for the new Mazda6 range due the increase in value of the Australian dollar over the Japanese yen. The turbo-diesel wagon is priced at $36,250, plus on-road costs.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Mazda6 Limited 2.5-litre four-door sedan: $27,310 (manual), $29,310 (automatic)
Mazda6 Classic 2.5-litre four-door sedan: $31,750 (manual), $33,750 (automatic)
Mazda6 Classic 2.5-litre five-door hatch: $32,750 (manual), $34,750 (automatic)
Mazda6 Classic 2.5-litre five-door wagon: $35,050 (automatic)
Mazda6 Diesel 2.2-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $36,250 (manual)
Mazda6 Touring 2.5-litre five-door wagon: $38,120 (automatic)
Mazda6 Luxury 2.5-litre four-door sedan: $40,905 (automatic)
Mazda6 Luxury Sports 2.5-litre five-door hatch: $41,415 (manual), $43,415 (automatic)
Mazda6 Diesel Sports 2.2-litre turbo-diesel five-door hatch: $42,815 (manual)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on Classic wagon, Touring and Luxury; $2000 option on Limited, Classic and Luxury Sports, not offered on diesel models
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
Stability Control: Standard on all models
Traction Control: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Mazda6 Diesel 2.2-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.183 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 16.3:1
Bore/Stroke: 86.0 x 94.0 mm
Maximum Power: 132 kW @ 3500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 400 Nm @ 1830-3000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Not offered with diesel
Final Drive Ratio: 3.095:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4765 mm
Wheelbase: 2725 mm
Width: 1795 mm
Height: 1490 mm
Turning Circle: 11.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1594 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 64 litres
Towing Ability: 550 kg (1500 kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Double wishbone
Rear Suspension: Multi-link
Front Brakes: Ventilated Disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: NA
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Diesel
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 5.9 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km |
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