New Mazda6 holds its head up high

ROAD TEST:

Mazda6 2.5 Dynamic AT

When the original Mazda6 swooped onto the scene more than a decade ago, it was going to be a game-changer for the Japanese carmaker.

Insiders said that it had the spirit of an Alfa Romeo and that it was exciting enough to banish any lingering remnants of the Mazda 626's dreary soul. Conceived at the dawn of the 'Zoom Zoom' era, it was a great car in its own right but then when it came time to replace it, Mazda took a more conservative direction with the second generation.

We hardly even noticed when this large Mazda faded from the local scene during Ford and Mazda's drawn out divorce process that was delayed on the our front, but now that Mazda has finally dropped anchor as a completely independent entity on our shores, the Mazda6 has made a return, in third-generation form, and it's quite a sight to behold.

HEY, GOOD LOOKING

Stylists often try to lay on the sporty persona but just end up on the ugly and fussy side of the design scale, while others aim for a kind of classy cohesiveness but only succeed in putting onlookers to sleep. The new Mazda6, on the other hand, seems to have found this tantalising balance between athletic and elegant. There's a word for it: gorgeous. Mazda will throw a whole lot of 'Kodo - Soul of Motion' design language jargon at you, but who really cares - the proportions come together to make it look 'just right'. In my eyes at least. Feel free to disagree.

That, and the really tastefully designed interior belonging to its smaller Mazda3 sibling, had set me up to expect a similar blue sky effect inside the big Mazda. Instead, it looks a bit dated, even verging on bland, although there's no faulting the build quality. Whereas you get a modern-looking touch-screen in the Mazda3, hovering neatly above the dashboard, the screen in the Mazda6 looks like it's been carved into that bulky dash as an afterthought and even the instruments in front of the driver look a bit last-decade.

Thankfully, much of this will be addressed in the facelift that's due later this year (check it out HERE ). Yes, it might seem 'new' to us, but this 6 has been around abroad since 2012 so if you buy one now you will soon be saddled with an older model.

Given this sedan's generous dimensions, its 4865mm length making it a lot closer in size to a BMW 5 Series than a 3 Series, the Mazda6 treats its occupants to barn-like legroom.

On the subject of comfort, it also impresses with a lengthy array of standard creature comforts, such as leather seat trim, cruise control, keyless go, dual zone automatic climate control and even a sunroof on the mid-spec Dynamic model that's under the microscope here. The flagship Individual steps hedonistically further with a whole glut of gadgets that you only ever expected to find on an options list, in this neck of the woods at least. Find an extra R26 500 and you have lane departure warning, blind spot assist, high-beam control, electric seat adjustment and many other brag-abouts and save-my-skins.

WHERE’S THE TURBO?

Yet while it plays the luxury fiddle like a distinguished performer, the Mazda6 doesn't really have much of a road performance melody to play. The most powerful engine you can have is a normally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, which feels a touch out of its depth among the modern turbo-charged crowd - particularly at altitude.

On the other hand, it is quite modern for what it is, embracing Mazda's efficiency-enhancing 'Skyactiv' philosophy that extends all the way from engine tech to lightweight structural design. In addition to a rather high compression ratio of 13:1, the long-stroke engine's economy cause is also aided by an idle-stop system and by Mazda's i-Eloop regenerative braking system that lightens the load on the alternator.

The performance it provides is not what you'd call sprightly, but it is comfortably adequate and it'll eat up those highway miles without much fret. The six-speed automatic gearbox also plays its part by dishing up smooth, seamless shifts.

Mazda is rather optimistic with its 6.6 l/100km average consumption claim; don't expect it to dip below the 8 l/100km mark very often in the real world. Yet if you're looking for smooth turbodiesel punch and economy, Mazda will sell you a 129kW/420Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel Mazda6 for R31 000 more than the 2.5 petrol.

The Mazda6's suspension furthers the comfort cause that I've been raving on about, by providing a compliant ride and if you find yourself slicing through a mountain pass, you'll be surprised by how agile this Mazda is for its size. The steering is also accurate and intuitive. Mazda's chassis boffins put a lot of effort into fine-tuning this sedan and it shows.

VERDICT

At R373 000, the Mazda6 2.5 Dynamic is priced comfortably below those 'premium' sedans that South Africans love to buy by the thousand and it will tick virtually all of your boxes if you're looking for a really stylish and luxurious four-door.

In fact the only thing really standing in its way is the recently-launched and rather brilliant new Ford Fusion and its turbo-charged engines, leaving the Mazda to fight back with only a slight spec advantage. This really is turning out to be a messy divorce!

FACTS

Mazda6 2.5 Dynamic AT

Engine: 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol

Gearbox: Six-speed automatic

Power: 138kW @ 5700rpm

Torque: 250Nm @ 3250rpm

Consumption (claimed): 6.6 litres per 100km

Price: R373 000

Warranty: Three-year/unlimited km

Service plan: Three-year/unlimited km

ALTERNATIVES

Audi A4 1.8T S AT (125kW/320Nm) - R408 500