2015 Mazda6 Review: A Classier, Affordable Midsizer
What’s hot: Super stylish inside and out, new technical features
What’s not: Petrol engine a little noisy and a little underpowered
X-FACTOR: A classy midsizer made even better, there is a lot of appeal here for buyers who value affordable style and quality
Vehicle style: Medium Sedan/Wagon
Price: $32,540 - $50,920
Engine/trans: 138kW/250Nm (2.5 petrol), 129kW/420Nm (2.2 diesel) | 6spd auto
Fuel consumption l/100km listed Petrol - 6.6, Diesel - 5.4 | tested: Petrol - 8.9
OVERVIEW
Mazda has given its '6' midsizer an update to keep it at the pointy end of the medium segment.
The segment leader is the Toyota Camry - and by a massive margin - but Mazda doesn’t see the Camry as a direct competitor.
Mazda instead views Toyota’s medium offering as something of a locally-built fleet special with pricing to match, whereas its fully-imported 6 sedan and wagon are the carmaker’s flagship models here... and a little classier.
This mid-model update gives the stylish 6 a freshened exterior, along with a host of new interior features and technology.
The timing couldn’t be better from Mazda, with Hyundai’s Sonata set to re-enter the Australian midsized market in less than a fortnight and a new Ford Mondeo close to launching.
The changes also bring the Mazda6 back into contention against the new Subaru Liberty and the likes of Skoda’s improved Octavia.
Mazda’s 2015 6 is available in four variants: Sport, Touring, GT or range-topping Atenza.
A ‘typical’ 6 buyer would choose the Touring variant (45 percent of sales) with a petrol engine (80 percent), while sedan and wagon sales are split 65/35.
With this in mind, TMR drove both the sedan and wagon with the petrol engine to put them to the test.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 4/5
The Mazda6’s interior is a winner in almost every way.
It was a nice place to be in the outgoing model, but is even better now with a fresh new look and the addition of new technologies.
A seven-inch display screen stands horizontally in the centre of the dash, controlled not by touch but by a rotating dial behind the shifter for the six-speed automatic transmission.
The dial placement might have been awkward in the old 6, but the update brings a push-button park-brake in place of the lever from the outgoing model.