Mazda6 Tamura : THE DAY AFTER TAMURA

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Can the Tamura special edition give the Mazda6 an edge? Steve Walker finds out.

The lines that separate the winners from the losers in the medium range family car market are as slender as a stick insect's neck tie but that only makes the competition all the more fierce. There's a whole cluster of contenders who are little more than a few shoddy panel gaps, a raucous engine or a quiff of rear headroom away from greatness. The smallest advantages are so hard-fought precisely because they could be enough to put a car over the top. Mazda is hoping that the Tamura special edition model can do the business for its Mazda6 five-door, a car with undoubted potential that could do with raising its profile.

Mazda signalled its rebirth back in 2002 with the first Mazda6, a sleek, stylish and highly successful car, which embodied the company's Zoom-Zoom spirit. It was one of Mazda's best-selling cars in Europe, with more than 450,000 sales (72,700 of them here, in Mazda's second biggest European market), garnered on the back of over 100 awards. To maintain the same kind of momentum, the second generation model must represent as big a step forward - and that's a big ask in the face of competition that includes latest versions of cars like Ford's Mondeo and Renault's Laguna. This car must also out-live new generation models of rivals like Citroen's C5, Vauxhall's Insignia and Honda's Accord. In short, it needs to be very good indeed as well as very good value, which is where the Tamura comes in. The only drawback to the Tamura is that you can't (yet) have it with diesel power. Instead, this special edition is powered by Mazda'a 2.0-litre petrol engine. It's a 145bhp, four-cylinder unit that generates peak torque of 184Nm at 4,000rpm. It's noticeably less muscular than the diesel alternatives in the wider Mazda6 range but balances that with decent refinement and a willingness to extend itself into upper parts of the rev range where the best of its performance is available. The sprint from standstill to 60mph takes a respectable 10.2s and there's a 132mph top speed but it's not the engine that's going to persuade buyers of the Tamura special edition to take the plunge. It's the value proposition. The Mazda6 shouldn't disappoint anyone from a driving perspective. There's a fully independent suspension system delivering impressive ride comfort and low levels of road noise. The steering is taken care of by the Mazda RX-8 sports car's electric system in order to achieve optimal steering assistance at the widest number of speed variations. Incidentally, the adoption of electric assistance also improves fuel economy by approximately two percent. There's a six-speed manual transmission as standard that offers an especially precise shift operation with built-in positive stops for the extremes of the gearlever's movements.

"The package builds on what is arguably the key strength of the `6', the way it looks"

The stylists who worked on the Mazda6 have certainly created a good looking and slippery shape with a drag coefficient of Cd 0.26 for the 4735mm long hatchback that's offered in Tamura guise. This special edition model enhances the appearance of the car further by adding sports bumpers at the front and rear, side skirts and a rear spoiler. Privacy glass is thrown in too as are special clear bezels for the headlights and 18" alloy wheels of a design that's exclusive to the Tamura. Inside, customers get to enjoy a set of alloy pedals and floor mats with the Tamura logo on them. Mindful that rivals were getting larger, Mazda's designers knew they needed a larger cabin than on the previous 6, yet the shape needed to retain the sharp sportiness of the original version. By and large, they've succeeded. The windscreen is deeper and higher, creating a feeling of spaciousness actually delivered by a slightly wider body that offers occupants greater shoulder room. Thanks to the longer wheelbase, knee room for the rear passengers is also increased - by 13mm. In the rear, the 60/40 split seatbacks fold forward with a simple, single movement (using Mazda's neat karakuri folding system), presenting a flat luggage floor. The Tamura version of the Mazda6 is only available based on the mainstream TS 2.0-litre petrol model. Still, at least that means it's not shabbily equipped, even without the various styling accessories that the manufacturer has piled on. Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control are standard, as are six airbags. Customers also receive remote central locking, a CD stereo with MP3 connectivity, electric heated mirrors, cruise control, a trip computer and dual-zone climate control. The price of all this plus the Tamura extras is £306 more than the standard TS model and it's tough to argue that isn't a good bit of business. The Tamura is available in a choice of four colours all at no extra charge. There's Sparkling Black and Velocity Red or the metallic shades Galaxy Grey and Sunlight Silver. Mazda dealers are offering special finance deals on the Tamura designed to make it all the more affordable. Economy figures for the 2.0-litre petrol engine in the Tamura are class-competitive but nothing to get overly excited about. It manages just under 40mpg on the combined cycle and emissions of 168g/km will keep the taxation burden manageable for the core Mazda6 customer base of company car users. When it comes to residual values, the Mazda6 sits somewhere between the Ford and Vauxhall alternatives at the lower end of the medium range sector and the likes of Honda and Volkswagen at the top. Insurance groupings sit in the 7 to 12 bracket with the Tamura falling into group 9. Differentiating a product in a market sector as brim full of competence as the medium range family car one is never easy. It's a task made doubly difficult by the way that this traditionally popular type of vehicle has been squeezed in recent years by the growth in numbers of compact SUVs and compact MPVs available for similar money. Mazda isn't about to wave the white flag, however, and its latest Mazda6 is establishing itself as a leading contender. In Tamura special edition form it looks even more appealing, assuming you don't have to have diesel power. If a bundle of additional styling add-ons for a mere £300 sounds like a deal you'd be interested in, the Mazda6 Tamura could be an ideal choice. The package builds on what is arguably the key strength of the `6', the way it looks.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Mazda6 Tamura
PRICE: £16,695 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 168g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0] 0-60mph 9.9s / Max Speed 133mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0] (urban) 28.8mpg / (extra urban) 52.3mpg / (combined) 39.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, window and side airbags, ESP, ABS, DSC, traction control.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4735/17954/1440mm