Road Test - The Mazda6: Reliable but bland . . . this has more or less summed up Mazda cars. Now, with the new 6 - replacing the 626 - the Japanese marque is boldly going where it hasn't been much recently.Andrew Hamilton found the new car a welcome breath of fresh air.
Is it a new beginning for Mazda? The Japanese car manufacturer that's under the control of Ford, hasn't been doing much exciting for quite a while. A lot of us will remember the stylish 323 with coupé styling and the pop-up headlamps which attracted the buyers away back in the early 1990s.
After that Mazda seemed to languish. New products came and went and none, bar one, was able to generate the appeal of the 323. The exception is, of course, a niche product, the much-acclaimed MX-5 sports car. Mazda is credited with bringing back the fun of open-top motoring.
Now Mazda's latest, the 6, is intended as an affirmative response to our opening question: the judgement comes later from the buyers. For the present though, the omens look good. The Mazda6 has had an enthusiastic response from the international motor press. We can add our own endorsement after having driven the car on Irish roads, in its 2.0 litre petrol saloon form.
The 6 is taking over from the 626, one of those Japanese cars which did every or most things right. The curse of the Japanese is blandness and the 626 didn't make any kind of a statement in the company car park, or indeed any other car park.
The 6 is part of a dramatic rebirth, complete with a whole new DNA (Mazda's words). A "zoom zoom" ad campaign is meant to create emotion. The 6, it is hoped, will lure folk out of their Mondeos and Vectras at the low end and VW Passats at the higher end.
Our roadgoing experience with the 2.0 litre petrol version developing 140bhp indicated a lively enough performer. There's a top speed of 125mph and a claimed 0 to 62mph (100kph) in 9.7 seconds. Much of our driving was of the open road and motorway variety and that's where the 6 is at its best. It cruises in an easy, effortless way and it's no effort keeping progress on the urgent side either.
The steering, we felt, contributed much to the driving pleasure. It had a good meaty weight to it which brought confident and inspiring feedback. A much stiffer bodyshell compared with the 626 has meant a superior ride. On a few challenging roads that we sampled, the 6 was reassuringly composed and our back seat passengers didn't complain.
When we climbed inside, we found a cabin that struck us instantly as good to live with. The metallic-like finish on the console works well and the major controls for the ventilation and music are big and chunky. All in all, a feel-good factor is created. There are even round air vents that give the 6 an Italianate flair.
Finding the right driving position was no problem, either. The steering wheel has very generous rake and wheel adjustment, and the driver's seat adjusts for height as well. The seats are well bolstered and supportive. Even more important, a six-footer can sit behind another six-footer without suffering from too little head- and leg-room. The boot is spacious and the rear seats can be folded down by hitting buttons in the boot.
We did say that the old 626 was bland. The 6 is in a different league and whether it will set the pulses racing is a matter for debate. The fact is it's much more assertive in appearance. There's the unmistakeable Mazda family face, a great chrome-laden grin sitting between alluring headlamp jewellery. At the rear there are multilensed tail-lamps which somehow are reminiscent of the junior Lexus, the IS200.
WE found the 6 as a 2.0 litre petrol not too demanding on the pocket. Open road driving confers its own reward of frugality and we achieved nearly 38mpg on a drive from Dublin to Cork in late-night, empty-road conditions. Those seeking top economy are likely to opt for the common-rail diesel versions which are also 2.0 litre.
The Mazda6 is in a price range that starts at €24,650 ex works: that's for the entry-level 1.8 litre petrol car. Our 2.0 litre saloon retails at €30,650 ex works.
There's also a 2.3 litre petrol. When the model line-up is complete with the arrival of the estate or sportwagon in a couple of week's time, no fewer than 29 permutations of 6 will be on offer, meaning plenty of choice for the customer.
Our €30,650 Mazda6 has no shortage of competitors, chief of which is a relative of sorts, the Ford Mondeo 2.0 four-door Executive at €31,650 ex works. Others in the competitive ring include the Honda Accord2.0i ES four-door at €34,202, the Skoda 2.0 Elegance at €34,500, the VW Passat 2.0 Comfortline saloon at €31,020 and the Toyota Avensis 2.0 Sol saloon at €29,395, all prices ex works
We would like to think that inspiration is coming back to Mazda. Eary next year, we should see its very inspiring flagship, the rotary-engined RX-8. Mazda has to be applauded for keeping faith with this revolutionary engine, first seen in the famous NSU Ro80. The company has stuck with it, in spite of the fact that it was never a proifitable proposition. Then there's the new 3 to look forward to next year as well:it's the successor to the 323.
The 6 is an encouraging statement of intent . It's a car that offers character, style and build quality as well as being dynamically accomplished.
We can only hope that the momentum continues.