EVEN MORE SIX EDUCATION (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_mazda6_2018

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 101

In the further improved form launched in 2018, the third generation Mazda6 offered a revitalised challenge in the market's 'D'-segment medium range 'Mondeo' sector. A raft of small but significant engineering updates aimed to cement its position as the most enjoyable car in the class to drive. All the engines were significantly updated and there was a fresh flagship 2.5-litre petrol unit. Plus buyers got more sophisticated safety and connectivity, along with a much smarter cabin than before. This model is still far from an obvious choice in this sector from its period. But on paper, perhaps it ought to be.

Modelsword count: 11

4-door saloon / 5-door Tourer estate [2.0 petrol / 2.2 diesel]

Historyword count: 349

What springs to mind when you think of Mazda? The Japanese maker hopes you'll picture a company that's sporty and forward-thinking. And if you do, it'll be as a result of a process of brand evolution that began when we first saw the Mazda6 model line. In 2018, we got a significantly updated version of the third generation design. Prior to 2002 and the launch of the very first version of this car, this Hiroshima-based manufacturer was known merely for bringing us family cars that were reliable, well equipped - and rather dull. Now it would be overstating the case to say that this Mondeo-sized medium range Mazda6 model changed that perception overnight - but not by much. Sharky-looking and good to drive, all it really lacked was a little refinement and polish. In the years following 2002, subsequent Mazda6 models strove to provide that - a second generation model in 2007 and the original version of this MK3 design, which was first introduced in 2013, then lightly updated in 2016. Both cars carved out useful sales niches, but failed to quite meet the ultimate brief for a contender in this segment: to combine the sharp handling of a Mondeo with the class and cabin quality of a Volkswagen Passat. Mazda though, reckoned that the much improved saloon and Tourer estate versions of this third generation model, launched in mid-2018, nailed that brief precisely. How? Well there was a new 'G-Vectoring Control' system that developed torque vectoring technology to the next level and was even more effective at maximising traction at speed through the corners. Both the two main engines - a 2.0-litre petrol unit and a 2.2-litre diesel - were usefully updated. There was an all-new 2.5-litre petrol powerplant. And a much more up-market cabin. As you'd expect, safety and media provision were also much improved. And as before, customers got one of the sharpest-handling cars in the class, plus there were all the efficiency advantages of Mazda's clever 'SYYACTIV' technology. Sounds promising. The Mazda6 sold in this form until 2023, when it was discontinued and not replaced.

What You Getword count: 429

With this 2018 Mazda6 update, curving chromed trimming strips were added to embellish the bottom edge of the smarter full-LED headlights, before flowing down below the re-styled grille. There were more changes at the rear - or at least there were on this saloon model anyway: the alternative Tourer estate body style was left largely as it was, apart from the addition of a body-coloured lower bumper panel. With the saloon though, the tail lamps were completely re-styled, with a chromed boot lid finishing strip that flows right into them. Inside with this revised design, there was a cabin that much better befitted what was, after all, Mazda's flagship model. Highlights included the way the central trimming strip stretched across the entire width of the fascia and could be finished in tactile stitched suede. With the earlier version of this third generation design, the infotainment monitor was a pokily-shaped thing buried into the centre of the dash. This improved model's display was not only significantly bigger but also gained new eye-line free-standing dash-top positioning and grew in capability too. The redesigned seats featured height adjustment and lumbar support across the range. Otherwise, things were much as before. What we really like is the way that the cabin layout remained so driver-centric. Everything's positioned exactly where you'd want to find it, the gearstick perfectly placed for your palm, the wheel just as you'd ideally like it. And in the back? Well the generous exterior length promises a spacious rear cabin and once you get inside, the room on offer will be very comfortable for two adults. Plus there's surprisingly good headroom too, though folk over six foot tall may find the arching roofline a touch limiting. And the boot? Well despite the fact that this car was significantly longer than a rival Volkswagen Passat, Mazda somehow managed to bring us a cargo area almost 100-litres smaller than that car. To be fair, the 480-litre capacity you get with the saloon body shape was slightly more than you could get from a rival Peugeot 508 of this period - and not far off what was offered by a Mondeo hatch. If you've heftier loads to carry, you can push forward the standard 60:40 split-folding rear backrest (a simple procedure using levers located on each side of the boot) which reveals up to a metre of load space. If the need for that kind of capacity is likely to be regular, then the Tourer estate will of course be a better bet, offering 522-litres of space with all the seats in place.

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