Mazda6 2.3 SPORT
The 2.3-litre Version Of Mazdas 6 Has What It Takes To Square Up To Some Formidable Competitors. Andy Enright Reports
Whenever you hear the words
Mazda and Sport in close proximity its hard not to think of the evergreen MX-5, the beautiful RX-7, the mouthwatering RX-8 and the brutal 323 4x4 Rallye. When the Hiroshima company turn their hand to a sporting car they rarely trawl up a dud, still registering the only Japanese outright Le Mans victory. The Mazda6 2.3 Sport isnt cut from quite such uncompromising cloth but it impresses in other ways.
The moment your garage door opens to reveal its deftly creased lines is just one of those ways. Good start, though.
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Unlike so many new cars on sale today, the Mazda6 rides on a platform specifically designed for it. Coming under Fords global aegis, it would have been simple for
Mazda to use a version of the excellent Mondeo platform, much as the
Jaguar X-TYPE does, but instead the Japanese have gone their own way. The 2.3-litre versions of the Mazda6 at first seem unlikely range toppers (you can get the engine in saloon, 5-door Sport or Sport4 4x4 estate models) when many rivals offer a V6 version, but Mazda appear to have followed the lead set by
Honda with their Accord range and deemed a V6 engine something of an unnecessary irrelevance.
Odd really, considering Mazda was the company that decided that Mazda once created a wondrous 1.8-litre six for its MX-3 coupe. The 165bhp engine fitted to the Sport feels like a V6 at idle, with a characteristic and not unpleasant burble, and retains its languid character throughout the rev range.
"Mazda look to have hit form again."
For many customers, however, the looks will be enough to sell the Mazda6 even before they get to the punchline the £18,400 on the road price (£20,400 for the saloon or Sport4 estate). We all thought the
Renault Laguna II was something of a looker, and the current
Nissan Primera was a breed apart, but many will feel that the Mazda6 has their measure aesthetically speaking at least. Whats refreshing is that the exterior lines are recognisably Japanese without lapsing into the sort of gratuitously weird offerings that have been spawned from the orient. The shape will capture more than a few orders, ignoring the current trend for huge headlights in favour of the sharkiest front end to come out of Japan since the
Mitsubishi Galant.
As long as you dont take the Sport moniker to mean that it handles like an RX-7, its difficult to be disappointed by the Mazda6. Its agreeably brisk, clocking the sprint to sixty in 8.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 131mph, but never intimidates. The chassis engineers have managed to make eschewing the Mondeo chassis seem an act of farsighted sagacity, a conclusion wed never have envisaged arriving at.
The steering feels initially somewhat over assisted, but commit to a corner and it weights up beautifully. The suspension does a great job of mopping up the average scabby British B-road, passing just enough feedback to the keen driver. Its a hugely impressive showing and one that lays down a benchmark for the rest of the sector to aim at. To show just how good it is, try driving an
Audi A4 any A4 back to back with the Mazda6 2.
3 Sport. The wisdom of installing that comparatively light 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine up front becomes instantly apparent the moment you corner the Sport hard. Unlike a hefty V6 unit, theres not the lurch, wallow and subsequent understeer from the Mazda6.
It takes some determined buffoonery to make the stability control light flicker on the dashboard, the talented chassis and suspension setup being given the opportunity to take centre stage. Before we talk about standard equipment, lets frame this car in an appropriate value reference. It costs £18,400, which is about halfway down the 2.0-litre Mondeo or Primera pricelist.
Renault try hard by offering more engine but less kit, but on any objective assessment the Mazda6 2.3 Sport looks something of a bargain even before youve considered the 17-inch alloy wheels, the xenon headlights, the metallic paint, spoiler kit, six CD BOSE stereo system, sunroof, climate control do we need to continue? Yes? OK. Six airbags, electric heated mirrors, ABS with both electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, a leather trimmed steering wheel and gear lever cruise control the list goes on. Dynamic stability control? Check.
Rear cupholders. Yup. Cuddly toy and teasmaid? Fortunately not. The only options available are leather seats and satellite navigation and even these look reasonable value for money.
If youre an inveterate button prodder, you may well have found your nirvana. The neatly sculpted aluminium-look centre console has divided opinion, some feeling its trying a little too hard, but its certainly distinctive. Otherwise the dials and the sharp hooded look of the fascia resemble Mondeo, itself no bad thing. Its difficult to see how Mazda can fail with this car.
Its good looking, quick, handles superbly, is well stuffed with equipment, is built by a reputable manufacturer and the pricing is lower than Ronnie Corbetts headrest. The used car industry bible Glasss Guide has also predicted it to retain one of the highest residual values in its sector. If you can see a significant Achilles heel and youre earning decent money, perhaps we should swap jobs.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mazda6 2.3 Sport
PRICES: £18,400 £20,400 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 218-257g/km
PERFORMANCE: [5dr] 0-60mph 8.8s / Max Speed 136mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [5dr] (combined) 31.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual and Side, front and rear roof airbags ABS, EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4670/1780/1435mm
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