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claimed to lock up early for efficiency, its low-speed manners are most acceptable and gear changes are smooth as befitting an executive car of this size.
Ride comfort overall is on par for this category, feeling slightly stiffer than the Toyota Camry. Perhaps the only disruption to its low-speed serenity are the slightly lumpy ride from the 19-inch wheel and tyre combo specified on the 2.5, and some faintly audible engine rattling when idling from cold. However, this disappears once on the move.
Both 2.0 and 2.5-litre variants are equipped with automatic stop-start, both of which work smoothly in traffic with minimal intrusion upon the cars’ smooth progress.
According to Mazda this is enabled by keeping the engines’ combustion chambers loaded in their respective cycles whilst stopped, and then re-igniting them upon restarting as opposed to using the starter motor. The 2.5-litre variant includes i-ELOOP, an energy recuperation system that works during braking or coasting to recharge the car’ s main battery.
In 2.0-litre guise, the 6 has decent straight-line performance once wound up with some numbers on the rev counter, while the 2.5-litre model’ s extra engine capacity gives that car a healthy dose of lower-midrange punch, with 250Nm of torque arriving at 3,250rpm.
Both Mazda 6 engines rev keenly, and emit an enthusiastic timbre on an open throttle, albeit without sounding quite as racy as the Honda and Toyota counterparts. Nonetheless, both Mazda 6 powerplants offer a wide band of accessible thrust.
The Mazda 6 does well on highways thanks to a high level of refinement offered by the drivetrain, along with insulation that offers a pleasing sense of peace and quiet at a steady cruise. The more amply shod 2.5 variant emits marginally more road noise than the 2.0 does with its 225 / 55 / R17 contact patches, but not enough to detract from the overall experience on the go.
Electric power-assisted steering systems are sometimes a hit-or-miss affair in terms of
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SpECifiCaTiOnS
Mazda 6 2.0 Skyactiv Sedan
Engine 1,998cc inline-four cylinder, naturally aspirated
Power 153hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 200nm @ 4,000rpm
0-100km / h( seconds) 10.5( claimed)
Transmission six-speed automatic
Safety
features aBs; eBd; Ba; dsC; tCs; front, side and curtain airbags
Price rm159,440.20 otr with insurance
Mazda 6 2.5 Skyactiv Sedan
Engine 2,488cc inline-four cylinder, naturally aspirated
Power 185hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque 250nm @ 3,250rpm
0-100km / h( seconds) 8.1( claimed)
Transmission six-speed automatic
Safety
features aBs; eBd; Ba; dsC; tCs; front, side and curtain airbags, rear vehicle monitoring, lane departure warning, adaptive front lighting system
Price rm187,659.30 otr with insurance
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feel, but the unit employed on the Mazda 6 appears to be one of the better systems. It enables the driver to place the car on the road with accuracy, inspiring confidence especially for its size.
The 6 is remarkably enjoyable to drive along twisty roads. It turns in well, considering it measures
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4,865mm long with a wheelbase of 2,830mm. The gearbox, which is smooth and refined in urban traffic, is also responsive when left to its own devices, and quickwitted with manual inputs.
As with any large front-wheel-drive car the 6 eventually understeers when it reaches the limit of grip, but that limit is very high in both variants and is unlikely to be breached in the
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