The new
Mazda6
is such a seductively smooth machine that it could encourage a tattooed
thug to sing along with Sade: “No need to ask, he’s a smooth operator…
Smooth Operatoor.” And when that bare-knuckle bouncer opens up his
tonsils while driving home in the pre-dawn light after a satisfyingly
bloody night taking care of the club, there’ll be little to drown out
his horribly missed notes and chainsaw-like tones.
For this car purrs as sweetly as the torch singer himself, at noise
levels that would make a luxury brand proud. Turns out Mazda didn’t need
the ill-fated Xedos/Eunos ‘premium’ line-up in the ‘90s to match up to
the likes of Lexus in terms of refinement. The latest Mazda6 takes care
of that.
At the risk of offending quite a few devotees of Malaysia’s present
crop of quasi-luxurious large cars, allow me to pause and shout a
“Hallelujah, it’s about bloody time!” at this point. Big D-segment cars
have always offered comfort, interior space and decent style factor, but
they’ve never before delivered these must-have class values with so
much decorum.
The Mazda6 is the equivalent of a Neil Patrick Harris happily
discussing the joys of fidelity and the meaning of life with the
director in between takes, and doing so in the soothing tones of a
seasoned newsreader, with not a hint of a cuss or stale cigarette smoke
on his breath. It really is that couth.
It is the Mazda6’s fine drive that really makes its presence known
when you drive one for the first time. But it’s the distinctive look of
this fine-cut moving sculpture that creates the first impression.
Instead of the chunkiness expected of a large D-segment car, this one
offers visual finesse.
And when you see the car in natural light, there is no mistaking it
for that of any other make. It’s proudly Japanese; very distinctively
Mazda. Taking heavy cues from the recent
CX-5
SUV while not straying too far away from the stunning Takeri concept,
the Mazda6 is a wild, yet attractive compilation of complex curves and
prominent lines that exudes class and demands presence. There are hints
of the
Sonata at the back, though that is more of a compliment for the Hyundai rather than a styling complaint.
The overall look won’t be to all tastes, but those present at the
press drive gave it their full approval – and even the single dissenter
had to applaud Mazda for going into emotive design territory where the
likes of
Camry and Accord currently fear to tread.
Inside, the Mazda6 looks and feels almost identical to the CX-5. Much
of the switchgears are carried over and the overall shape and structure
of the dashboard is a dead ringer to the SUV’s. That’s not such a bad
thing quality-wise, though silently you’d wish for a more adventurous
cabin to match the bold exterior. It’s packed full of kit (complete
equipment list below) and the space available in the lavish cabin is par
for the course in this vehicle class.
The CX-5 connection is not only skin deep, as the majority of the
running gear is shared between the two models. The base 2.0 litre engine
is identical to the one fitted in the SUV, as is the 6-speed automatic
SkyActiv-Drive transmission. Power is rated at 151 bhp at 6,000 rpm, with peak torque of 200 Nm generated at a heady 4,000 rpm.
Moving up to the range-topping 2.5 litre variant gives you class
leading 183 bhp and 250 Nm of torque at 5,700 rpm and 3,250 rpm
respectively. That’s all mightily impressive, especially when you
consider that Mazda engineers have had to effectively detune the engines
to suit our fuel quality.
That said, the difference in engine outputs between Malaysia-borne
cars and the equivalent European models are minimal. The 2.0 litre
engine in fact gains 3 bhp over its European-spec cousin, though losing
10 Nm in the process. The larger and more advanced 2.5 litre SkyActiv-G
engine sees a more significant drop in outputs, as compared to the
quoted 190 bhp and 256 Nm of torque enjoyed elsewhere.
The relatively high rpm of the engines’ power peak gives real insight
into the drivability of the Mazda6. Moving off from a standstill, the 6
appears to suffer from low-rev lethargy; much like the
CX-5.
It sure feels like it could use more low-end torque, and that applies
to both engine variants. The 2.5 litre engine doesn’t feel particularly
any stronger than the smaller motor. Not at low revs at least.
But, the ‘feel’ here is just an illusion to your senses. The Mazda6,
in either guise, offers more than respectable performance. When called
upon, that is.
You see, the SkyActiv-Drive gearbox is heavily tuned to promote fuel
efficiency over performance. With long gears and pre-programmed
fuel-friendly shift pattern, the drivetrain is designed to offer just
enough accelerative force to get you going as efficiently as possible.
Nothing more and nothing less. That’s why both the 2.0 and 2.5 litre
variants feel more or less identical when driven sedately.
At a cruise, the gearbox would hug the top gear as soon as it can and
would continue doing so for as long as it’s physically possible. It
would so hesitantly drop a gear or two to accelerate smoothly yet
positively, again adding to the illusion that it’s underpowered.
When questioned, a top Mazda brass directly involved in the 6’s
powertrain development admitted as much, that he himself would have
preferred a more reactive and shorter gears to enhance the perceived
performance. Yet, Mazda’s company-wide uncompromising pursuit of
efficiency dictated otherwise.
It’s only when you ask more from the engine through your heavy right
foot that the gearbox opens up to unleash all the available power. Here,
there’s no hiding the fact that the larger engine is in fact
significantly more powerful. Mid-range thrust is commendable on both
engines, though again it’s the 2.5 litre that stands out more, eeking
out more of a smile on your face.
Out goes the ‘underpowered’ illusion, replaced by a solid awe of
speed. That the Mazda6 will out accelerate all of its Japanese and
Korean rivals is a no-brainer, given its class-leading outputs and lower
weight (more on this later). The way it does so, however, is mighty
impressive.
This is a car capable of smooth and effortless overtaking
performance, yet one that also possesses a cone of silence. While the
Mazda engineers have managed to extract more power and torque while
keeping to its economical approach, the new car’s refinement is simply
astounding.
The
SkyActiv-G
engines never utters anything more than the most endearing and cultured
snarl, even under full throttle tests. And even the 2.5 litre variant
with its rubber-band 225/45 R19 tyres offer no more than a hushed,
near-silent drive while comfort levels are kept wonderfully elevated.
High speed cruisers would love this car, eating highway miles without
eating into their physical energy.
Fuel consumption continues to be Mazda’s forte. The CX-5 might have
performed well in my earlier tests, and is by far and away the most
economical SUV in its class, but my anecdotal road-test evidence
suggests the new Mazda6 will do even better. Cruising at mean traffic
speeds on the open road can result in consumption falling to a small
car-like 13 km per litre. And that’s on a barely run in car with less
than 1,000 km on the clock.
Mazda claims class-leading 17.4 and 15.6 km per litre fuel
consumption figures for the 2.0 and 2.5 litre models respectively,
measured in the Japanese-standard JC08 Mode Test Cycle – currently the
best figure of all comparable Japanese sedans.
You can thank Mazda’s raft of
SkyActiv
technology, encompassing the engine, transmission, chassis and body
ancillaries for the headlining figures. Designed from the ground up with
absolute efficiency in mind, the Mazda6 is said to be up to 30% lighter
than a conventional vehicle of the same capability and size. 30%.
That’s a saving of over 400 kg!
Aside from effective acceleration, stopping and fuel use, the
Mazda6’s dynamic ability is the main contributor of its additional
substance, with big dividends in terms of steering precision and ride
quality. There’s a distinct solidity and sophistication about the outer
borders of the performance envelope of the 6’s chassis that is rare for a
large Japanese car.
The Mazda somehow combines compliant long-travel suspension with
tenacious grip levels. The steering wheel exhibits sharper turn-in
quality than its flex-ier rivals, and delivers a greater sensation of
front-tyre traction. The Mazda6’s cornering ability is inevitably
defined by understeer, which is only to be expected in a big
front-driven car.
The big surprise is the cornering speed this supple-suspended car can
achieve before the push threatens to nudge the nose wide, and the
manner in which the finely calibrated traction control system (standard
across the range) jumps into action to keep the car on track. With a
squeal of protest from the front tyres, the Mazda6 simply carries on
railing round the bend.
Turn the traction control off, and the results will be a slower drive
off the corner as the pilot needs to ease the throttle to quell the
understeer. The lift produces sudden weight transfer, yet the 6’s
tied-down rear end acts like a storm anchor to steady the ship, and
keeps the driver’s heart rate below the redline.
Representing a lustrum of progress over the previous Mazda6, the new
car makes the packaging of six airbags and a bevy of active and passive
safety systems across the range. Other notable standard equipment
includes leather seats, multimedia system with Bluetooth connectivity,
Tribos surface protective system (paint, alloys, glass, interior
upholstery), powered front seats, push start button, auto headlights and
wipers, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, and Mazda i-stop
(automatic engine start/stop function said to improve fuel economy by
5%).
The range-topping 2.5 litre model adds auto-levelling bi-xenon lights
with DRL, 19-inch wheels over the standard 17s, steering wheel mounted
paddle shifters, sunroof, integrated TomTom satellite navigation,
11-speaker Bose premium sound system, keyless entry, and the clever
i-ELOOP regenerative braking system.
Not listed on the official spec sheet but present and tested on the
2.5 litre models are the comprehensive i-ACTIVSENSE active safety
features. Among others, this includes the Smart City Brake Support,
which brakes the car automatically to prevent or limit the damage of
low-speed impacts between 4 and 30 km/h.
As reported
earlier,
estimated prices have been officially released by Bermaz, pegging the
2.0 litre SkyActiv model at RM159,440.20 and the 2.5 litre SkyActiv
sedan and Touring (not present at the press event) at RM187,659.30 and
RM191,763.30 respectively (all prices on the road, with insurance).
The final pricing will determine the Mazda6’s impact on the Malaysian
market, but we’ve been tipped to expect no real surprises at the car’s
official debut in March. The new model is a far better car than the
model it replaces, and first impressions suggest that it has what it
takes to redefine the value that has made Japanese large sedans so
popular in this country.
This complete and competent big car could not have come at a better
time for Mazda and Bermaz. But with so much of a car company’s position
being the result of perceived thinking, don’t just take my word for it.
Experience it for yourself and post your comments here.
