[Hands-on Review] A crouching cheetah, going in for the kill

I am of course, in this instance, referring to the trio of newly launched Mazda products. Some weeks ago I drove the Mazda 3 and now, I drove the Mazda 6, judged to be the flagship of the marque’s re-entry into the market and with which I believe it will be able to compete head-on with the likes of Audi, BMW and others.

You see, with Mazda having been below the radar for so long, they had to think outside of the box on all levels and their marketing plan seems to be as dramatic as the products.

Dramatic? Well, offering an unlimited-kilometre warranty, is, for starters, dramatic enough to get everyone’s attention. The design is intended to create a head-turning emotional response from every viewer, a desire to be closer, to know and experience more. I think they succeeded – do you? The design oozes “KODO – Soul of Motion” as Mazda calls it. This is not just the third generation of the Mazda 6, but it is unique in many respects. Its i-ELOOP recuperation braking system stores energy, usually lost during braking, in a capacitor to be used to power electrical components instead of using a conventional battery. This is available in the 2,5-litre petrol model. Incidentally the Mazda 6 is available in six derivatives fitted with either a 2,0/2,5-litre petrol or a 2,2-litre diesel engine. I drove the 2.2 DE Atenza automatic fitted with 19” rubber.

I have a fine art image of a cheetah in a crouching position in my collection and looking at the exterior design of the Mazda 6, my subconscious mind brought it forward as a response to the front-three-quarter view of this car. The dramatic design line which accentuates the front wheel arch synchronises perfectly with the this image. The character lines on the side host a lot of energy which links with a powerful, though not aggressive, front-end design dominated by the large grille and squinting light-cluster design. This is enhanced by the wedge-like design towards the rear of the car.

At the rear, that chrome strip just beneath the Mazda logo, in combination with the subtle spoiler, balanced by the twin chrome-tipped exhaust pipes, is a sticker for bold attractiveness.
Mazda calls the interior “methodical” – sophisticated and harmonious.

I do agree – the fascia lay-out is clean and practical – everything is where it should be – nothing is jarring the sense of relaxation you experience once you have settled in the driver’s seat.
The latter offers a range of settings and is all electrical.

The finish and fit of the interior is superb – legroom at the rear is excellent and so is the luggage space. Only thing to remember about the latter is to remind yourself to pack wisely. Why? The boot is deep and sports a narrow entrance.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine produce 129kw@4500r/min and 420Nm@2000r/min and this combines extremely well with the Mazda 6’s SKYACTIV-CHASSIS to deliver a truly agile and stable driving experience. Weight on the steering, irrespective of driving speed, is always spot on – light during parking – weighty for faster driving and always precise in terms of direction. Although I did not push the driving limits, the solid and planted behaviour of the Mazda 6 did impress from the moment I started rolling.

It is a large vehicle and heavier than the Mazda 3 but both impressed with their sure-footed behaviour through corners as well as straight-line stability.
On my return drive from Sabie, I turned my focus to fuel consumption and guess what – cruising at 120km/h, she indexed an excellent 5.3lt/100km’s over the full distance back to Mbombela. Impressive is an under-statement.

Of course with the Mazda 6’s environmental and safety features included in the various SKYACTIV technologies, she is as enviro-friendly as it gets and offers a driving experience as good, or even better than the competition, considering the price tag.
And, I am thinking about that apple cart… Yeah, that one!