Mazda 6 - One Of The Most Eagerly Awaited Cars Of 2013

Is life in Mazda’s family car better than that in BMW’s 3 Series or Ford’s Mondeo? We’ve got a year to find out

The new Mazda 6 is one of the most eagerly awaited cars of 2013, particularly among company car choosers for whom it’s a novel, stylish alternative to the latest BMW 3 Series and the ageing Ford Mondeo.

Mazda 6 front

Mazda’s approach to the 6 was novel enough to win it the Low-Carbon prize in our Car of the Year Awards earlier this year. Instead of resorting to expensive hybrid technology, Mazda’s engineers have come up with Skyactiv, which basically marries a ground-up rethink on construction and lightweight materials to some of the most sophisticated petrol and diesel engines out there.

Engine: Uses Skyactiv technology to help economy and emissions

Not convinced? Consider this: the 6 is every bit a Mondeo rival in terms of size, with a boot of almost 500 liters and seating for five. However, its cleanest model has a 2.2-litre, 148bhp diesel engine and emits just 108g/km of CO2. That’s a boon for company car users, and a whole band cheaper than the greenest Mondeo.

Unlike the Mondeo, the 6 isn’t available as a hatchback. Mazda says the Tourer estate model should cater for those after greater practicality, and the saloon is the model to go for if you want the lowest CO2 emissions. So our choice of body style, engine and transmission was relatively simple; it had to be a 148bhp diesel four-door with a six-speed manual gearbox.

‘Our car has a 2.2 diesel engine, yet emits just 108g/km of CO2’

Boot: The saloon will hold 483 liters with the seats up

Things got a little more complicated when it came down to trim levels, though. The more generous versions in the line-up are Sport and SE-L but, as its name may suggest, the first of those two switches you onto racier 19-inch wheels that don’t do much for either the ride quality or the levels of road noise.

In our view, it’s worth avoiding the larger wheels altogether, so we’ve opted for an SE-L. This brings bags of toys as standard (rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, keyless start, Bluetooth and USB connectivity), but sits on 17-inch wheels with higher-profile tires.

Instruments: Everything’s clear and easy to understand at a glance

In our haste to get going, we pushed Mazda UK to see what was in stock, but the only SE-L available was in Blue Reflex Mica paint ($790). It’s pretty enough, and we’re delighted to see how closely the designers have stuck to the looks of the striking Takeri concept car that was designed as a preview to the 6, although we’d have to admit that the (more expensive) Soul Red paint looks even better.

The only other option on our car is the satellite-navigation system, which is a joint venture between Mazda and TomTom. It sits in a decent-sized touch-screen at the top of the center console, although the jury is still out on whether it’s up to par with the hi-resolution systems offered by some of the 6’s German rivals.

SE-L trim brings Bluetooth and USB connectivity, as well as other goodies

The navigation option adds a further $912 to the cost. The result is a 6 with a price of $26,047, which seems pretty decent by private buyer standards, let alone as a company car option.

Early impressions? The diesel engine is strong and reasonably smooth, the gearbox has a pleasingly direct shift and the cabin feels nicely built; the 6 is every bit the motorway cruiser we’d hoped it would be. The only real downside that’s been picked up on so far is that even with the smaller wheels, there’s still a bit more road noise than we’d like.

Smaller wheels still look good, but there’s a fair amount of road noise

Still, as the 6’s nominated custodian, I have a fairly hefty daily commute, so we shouldn’t have to wait long to see if increased mileage and familiarity make road rumble less of an issue. We’re also keen to discover if the Mazda’s diesel engine becomes more economical as the miles pile on; with a Government fuel consumption average of more than 67mpg, it’s got a lot to live up to.

Technical specs