Mazda knocks its rivals for 6

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Friday, September 03, 2010

In 1997, when Mazda introduced its new ‘Owl’ logo — a stylised ‘M’ to convey that the company was spreading its wings for the future, its creators could hardly have envisaged what was going to happen to the company.

At that time, Mazda was that most unusual of things — a Japanese automotive company largely under the control of foreign influences, the giant Ford company, which had the controlling interest in Mazda, and which benefited greatly from this situation.

In 2008, in the middle of the bleakest financial cold snap in living memory, Ford jettisoned 20% of its stakeholding in Mazda, and relinquished its controlling interest in the Japanese manufacturer, which, it has to be said, many observers thought was a rash and ill-considered move.

Time will tell on that one, but after Ford stepped back, it would appear to me, anyway, that the ‘Owl’ logo really came to mean something, as Mazda truly did begin to spread its wings and start to fly a solo course.

We will see the benefits — or otherwise — of this in due course, but, earlier this year, Mazda unveiled a face-lifted version of the hugely successful — and widely admired — Mazda 6, a car that put the flutters into opposition executives, at its launch in 2008, so dramatic was the design, so good was its on-road performance, and so worrying was the strength of its residual values.

At Toyota, Ford, Renault/Nissan, VW and PSA (Peugeot/Citroen), they all saw the Mazda 6 as being something of a benchmark, and, of the aforementioned, only Ford was regarded as being in good shape by comparison, because it was its Mondeo that was regarded as the benchmark in the family car/repmobile segment.

It is ironic, perhaps, given the history of the two companies, that it was the Mondeo that the Mazda people had in the crosshairs, but that is the case, and while the designers and marketers of such as the Avensis, Passat, Laguna, 407 and C5 felt they had equivalent products, the attitude of the press and the public was not always of a similar view.

The thing with the 6 was that, right from the outset, it was a very different looking car to the competition, what with its edgy and fresh-faced appearance and refined and comfortable mien. Critics and buyers related to it immediately.

And now it had been given a serious makeover — Mazda claim that 400 changes have been made to the car — and they have tweaked not only the look, but the engines and the suspension systems.

And do you know what — they have genuinely made a good thing better. The trouble is — and despite the company’s ‘wings’ themed logo — Mazda has been pretty much flying under the radar, and, here in Ireland, is still trying to recover from the buy-back that saw the company here coming back under control of Mazda Europe, instead of Motor Distributors, and the loss of a number of key retail outlets.

But, armed with an excellent product line-up, this is a problem it should eventually overcome; and, needless to say, the 6 will be a key element in this.

We tested the 127 bhp version of the 6 in Sport trim, and, it must be said, this was a very decent piece of kit, indeed, and one that will fit the bill for many people on the basis of its performance, economy and reliability.

Changes to the engine have seen a revised turbocharger system, which, while not boosting output, has increased torque levels to 340 Nm (that’s up 30), between 1,800 and 2,600 rpm. The net effect is a top speed of nearly 200 kph, a 0-100 kph time of 10.9 seconds, and a fuel consumption return of 5.2 l/100km.

This is not an astonishing engine, by any means, but it is a very good, solid performer, with decent, mid-range punch and excellent refinement. It is worth noting, too, that the standard six-speed gearbox in this car is very smooth and slick.

Throw in the revised suspensions, which have seen Mazda take some of the sting out of what was previously regarded as a very stiff car. They have managed to keep the agility and grippiness for which the car was renowned, but make it a more comfortable companion, particularly so on our wonderful road network.

The interior is well-appointed, and while the quality of the materials used throughout might not be up to, say, Audi standards, the quality of the build is not far from it.

Standard spec, too, is good, and if the sexy 18” alloys add to the sporty feel of the whole thing, then the likes of dual-zone air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, cruise control, and so forth, make the asking price look even more attractive.

The Mazda 6 is a fine contender in the class, and while many drivers might like the added oomph of the higher-rated diesel, this particular version will equally suit many people for its hard-working, economic and reliable demeanour.

The Mazda 6 is a good-looking and value-for-money product, and one which gets a firm thumbs up from this quarter. Mazda is finding its own feet — and wings.