Test Mazda6 Wagon 2.0 Skyactiv-G 145 CV Zenith

Mazda It continues to carve out a niche for itself among the well-known premium brands, and best of all, it's doing so steadily. Its strategy goes through very careful and elegant designs, good interior qualities, comfortable but at the same time dynamic cars and a good supply of equipment at a much more adjusted price than its rivals from BMW, Audi or Mercedes. The results are obvious, with notable commercial growth year after year.

Just a few months ago the Hiroshima brand presented the update of its model for segment D, the 6 Mazda2018. It is not a question of a generational change, but of a makeover soft but remarkable, slightly varying its aesthetics, improving the interior qualities, adjusting its mechanics and offering a greater technological endowment. We just tried it on the body Car, with the Zenith finish and with the engine 2.0 Skyactiv-G 145 hp gasoline. Are you going up with us?

I would not like to start the test of this model without informing you very briefly of the clear growth of the brand in recent years. While in 2013 Mazda registered some 5.800 units, with a 0,8% market share, in 2017 they sold just over 18.500, achieving a 1,5% share. Regarding the Mazda6, in 2013 it settled for 1.100 units, significantly increasing its sales until it approached 1.500 in 2017.

Increasing your exterior elegance

Now yes, let's go with the test of the Mazda 6 Wagon, and we start talking about its cosmetic changes. As I said before, the variations are not great, since it maintains the main forms. Rather, they have taken care of polish details to convey a sleeker image that brings it even closer to rival premium models.

Although you have to pay attention, the front changes a lot and now conveys a greater sense of width. The bumper changes completely, receiving a new grill that is larger, deeper and with a new pattern. The chrome trim stands out, providing that touch of elegance to which I was referring, guarding the Full-LED headlights and "holding" the large grill by its lower part. The fog lights also disappear from the bottom, integrating into the main headlight.

Dimensions: The Mazda 6 Wagon measures 4.805mm long, 1.840mm wide and 1.480mm high, with a wheelbase of 2.750mm. Interestingly, the Sedan body is longer (65mm longer) and also has a longer wheelbase (80mm longer). We don't know what the reason is and honestly we don't understand it either, but it is.

In the side view the only variations come from the hand of the tires, because their designs have been updated. In the lower finishes they are 17 inches, while in the upper ones they are 19. In our unit, with a Zenith finish, they are 19 inches and finished in the “Bright Silver” tone. I would like to highlight that this model also updates its palette, introducing the new Soul Red Crystal tone to replace Soul Red. For me, this is the most successful color for this model, and not the metallic gray of our unit.

If on the side there are few changes, on the rear There are no big news either. Moreover, the design remains unaltered because, according to Mazda, it was very well received by customers. Of course, the body paint now reaches the bottom of the bumper, something that did not happen before. As a note, I admit that I really like the location and size of the two exhaust outlets, something unusual today as many manufacturers hide or simulate them. Let's go inside.

More quality, better finishes and new equipment

Already in the passenger compartment, the new Mazda6 welcomes us with a renovated interior. We have more padded surfaces and, in those that were already padded, there is a better touch and quality of the materials. Our unit, which includes the equipment package “White Pack” (1.900 euros) looks very cozy. This package adds upholstery in white, front seats with electric adjustments and memory for the driver, as well as heating and ventilation for the sidewalks, without forgetting a Head-Up Display that projects the information on the windshield.

Practically everything, in here, presents a very nice touch, conveying a great feeling of quality. The instrument cluster now uses a small digital display in the center, and although customization is very limited, it has good visibility. Such a screen is combined with traditional clocks on the sides.

Presiding over the dashboard we have another screen, this time dedicated to the infotainment and navigation system. Compared to the predecessor version, it increases its size going from 6 to 7 inches. It has tactile handling, but only when stationary, being handled by means of a joystick in the central tunnel to which we adapt in a few minutes. The images collected by the exterior cameras, including an overhead view, although it is true that its quality is quite improvable.

In the central tunnel, further back from the aforementioned joystick, we have a couple of bottle holder holes that can be hidden. This has forced Mazda to delay the armrest too much, so much so that, unless you are very tall and drive in a rear position, you can't support your elbow naturally. And since we have talked about storage compartments, I must mention that there are quite a few, but it would not hurt if the front door ones were a little larger.

Habitability and trunk

Regarding the habitability in the front seats, as is usual in practically all cars from the C segment upwards, tall and corpulent people will not have space or comfort problems. The seating They allow good adjustments and the steering wheel is also adjustable in height and depth, although a little more telescopic adjustment would not have been bad in my case -because of my usual driving position, I like to get the steering wheel out a lot-.

We pass at rear seats, where the quality is hardly reduced in the materials for the trim and upholstery. Two tall adults can travel perfectly without problems of space although the occupants of the front seats are also tall, since the space for the knees and the head is good. That yes, the central square is very unusable both because of the transmission tunnel and because of the narrowness and hardness of the seat and backrest.

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A detail that we liked about the Mazda6 is that the backrest of the central square becomes an armrest, offering us two holes to deposit soft drinks and a flat surface next to two USB sockets to charge our mobiles. Of course, neither the front nor the rear seats can be charged wirelessly. – @mazdaespana #mazda #mazda6 #mazda6wagon #smartphone #charge

A post shared by Motor News (@actualidadmotor) on Sep 7, 2018 5 at: 34am PDT

Here behind we have Air vents in a central position, although we cannot regulate the temperature (it does not have a tri-zone climate control), something that is possible in other competing models. On the other hand, the backrest of the central square folds down and becomes an armrest, but it does not leave a hatch that connects with the trunk to, for example, be able to load some skis.

And speaking of trunk, we open the gate and they receive us 522 liters, 480 if it were the Sedan body. It is not one of the largest compared to other D-segment sedans in family bodywork, but the truth is that it has been enough for us, not too much, for a trip of four adults with a suitcase and a small backpack each. In the upper part, in addition to a blind, we have a grid that allows the load to be separated from the passenger compartment at the top in case we travel loaded “to the brim”, thus preventing objects from passing into the passenger compartment in the event of braking.

mechanical range

The mechanical offer of the Mazda6 is made up of two gasoline engines, 2.0 and 2.5 liters with 145 and 194 CV respectively, and a motor diesel 2.2-liter that dares to offer in versions of 150 and 184 CV. All of them can be associated with a six-speed manual gearbox or an automatic transmission with the same number of ratios, except for the most powerful gasoline, which only comes with an automatic gearbox. The most powerful of the diesels can be front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. There are no hybrid versions.

The tested unit uses the least powerful engine in the range, the 2.0 hp 145 Skyactiv-G. as you know, Mazda does not resort to supercharging in its gasoline mechanics, using high compression ratios (more typical of diesel engines than gasoline) to improve performance.

2.0 Skyactiv-G engine 145 hp

This 2.0 Skyactiv-G engine, like all the others, uses direct injection, 16 valves and chain distribution. Among its approved data we find a performance of 145 CV at 6.000 laps and a maximum torque of 213 Nm at 4.000. In the familiar body can reach a top speed of 206 km/h and takes 10 seconds to cover 0 to 100. Meanwhile, their declared mixed consumption is 6,3 liters at 100 and, as you will read below, it is quite close to reality.

Impressions at the wheel

Having seen the theory, it is time to move on to practice. The Mazda 6 Wagon is, like the Sedan model, a perfect ally to cover long distances. During the week of tests I have traveled a few 1.400 kilometers with him, mainly on expressways, but also on secondary roads and in the city. Wow, I was able to test it thoroughly.

This sedan shows a practically impeccable behavior I will talk about its cycle part, about the engine, a few paragraphs below. In dual carriageway It perfectly filters the irregularities that we can find, such as poorly preserved asphalt or bridge joints, and that our unit mounts 19-inch wheels, demonstrating a good footprint. The comfort is commendable, and it is that the Hiroshima brand has recalibrated its suspension (McPherson in front and multi-link behind), in addition to replacing the previous seats with more comfortable ones.

It is also found well insulated from the outside, having improved and increased insulating materials to create a quieter cabin. It is one of those cars in which, to perceive rolling and aerodynamic noises, you have to look for them, and that is great news.

Meanwhile in twisty roads, the feel of the steering is as pleasant as it is precise, giving the driver a lot of confidence. A confidence that is due, in large part, to the fact that the suspension does not allow notable inclinations of the bodywork unless we go very far to the limit.

If the terrain is somewhat broken and bumpy, the suspension “swallows” everything without problems, not losing the line at any time. If we do a little "the brute", the limit of adherence arrives in a progressive and smooth way, without being anything drastic and without doing anything strange. Copy.

And now I am going to tell you about his engine. As mentioned above, this 2.0 of 145 hp is atmospheric, so its behavior is far from the supercharged gasoline engines to which we have become accustomed so quickly. Response at the bottom and middle of the tachometer is poor, although much smoother than in the turbo engines.

It's not that the car "doesn't run", but if you want it to, you have to play with the change and be careful not to fall below 4.000 revolutions, which is when it offers its maximum torque. I understand that some people, especially those used to turbo diesel or gasoline engines, may not like this behavior too much.

It is usual, when we drive on the motorway loaded and face a steep slope, must reducir to fifth, to fourth and on some occasions it is almost necessary to put third. Although I repeat, four people and the trunk loaded to the max. Without a load, things change, but the sixth is still clearly a relief march. In its favor, the exhaust sound at high speeds, without being sporty, is pleasant.

Although it may seem counterproductive in a car with a naturally aspirated gasoline engine, relatively large and weighing around 1.400 kilos, the consumptions of this model are enviable and close to those of many similar diesel engine models.

So much so that, on the round trip of about 1.000 kilometers at a normal pace, heavily loaded and with the air conditioning trying to cool down a passenger compartment while outside the temperature was around 40 degrees, the best before date It has always been below 7 litres, ending with an average of 6,7 l/100 km. The second partial, at the end of our total test adding 1.400 kilometers, has registered an average of 6,8. For me, taking into account the conditions, the data is excellent.

Conclusions

Drawing conclusions from the Mazda6 Wagon is pretty straightforward. It is true that it is more expensive than many similar models from general companies with equal equipment, but we can no longer consider Mazda as a general brand. The direct rivals of the Mazda6 They are cars like the Volkswagen Passat, the Audi A4, the Mercedes C-Class, the BMW 3 Series or the Jaguar XE.

At the level of qualities he can only really envy Audi and BMW, who are one step above him, but he goes toe-to-toe with the others and in some respects even outperforms them. If we talk about the price and equipment ratio, the Japanese wins by a landslide. Our unit, in a Zenith finish and with the extra exterior paint and the "Pack White" package, is priced at around 35.500 euros.

Our unit is practically "full equipped" in terms of equipment but it is about 1.000 euros cheaper than a BMW 3 Series Touring and an access A4 Avant, and about 7.000 euros cheaper than the cheapest C-Class Estate. And also, in favor of the Mazda, the equipment is much higher -just below I leave you the equipment of each trim level, as well as the prices of the different versions-. Compared to a Volkswagen Passat Variant 1.5 TSI Evo with 150 hp and Sport finish, which is the variant that most closely resembles it, the German is priced at 35.340 euros without options.

Mazda6 equipment

Evolution

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Integrated LED fog lights
• LED taillights
• Darkened rear windows
• roof rails
• Leather steering wheel and gear lever
• adaptive cruise control and limiter
• Rain and light sensor
• blind spot monitoring
• rear traffic detection
• Warning and correction in lane departure direction
• Automatic city emergency braking with pedestrian recognition
• Recognition of traffic signs
• automatic high beams
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Electric parking brake
• Power-folding heated mirrors
• Dual zone air conditioning
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Evolution Tech (adds)

• LED type daytime running lights
• adaptive headlights
• Brake wing assistance system in rear city
• 360 degree view camera
• Fatigue detector
• Digital Terrestrial Radio (DAB)

Zenith (adds)

• 19-inch “Bright Silver” alloy wheels
• Smart Full LED Adaptive Headlights
• 7-inch TFT digital display
• Anti-theft alarm
• Smart Keyless Entry System
• Heated front wiper
• Bose sound system with 11 speakers

Mazda6 prices

Editor's opinion

Gallery Mazda6