www.armidaleexpress.com.au THE ARMIDALE EXPRESS, Friday, September 13, 2013 39

DRIVE

The sleek lines of the new Mazda6are turning heads, writes DDerekOgden and EEwan Kennedy.

The new Mazda6 is bigger than themodel it replaces and has excellenthead-turning styling.

From its deep air-gulping wingedradiator grille, through a long low-setbonnet and coupe-like curved roof to ashapely rear, the mid-size model has thestreet presence of many European luxurysports sedans three times the price.

Moving the A-pillar 100mm backwardsnot only adds to the style, but also gives thedriver a wider field of view.

The all-new Mazda6 comes in fourvariants - Sport, Touring (station wagon),GT and Atenza - with prices starting at$33,460, plus on-road costs.

Powertrains include a 2.2-litre diesel or a2.5-litre petrol, both making use of Mazda’sinteresting SkyActiv technology.

The engines are both mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Our road test car, a Mazda6 Sport, waspowered by the petrol engine.

Putting out 138kW of power at 5700 rpmand 250Nm of torque at 3250 revs it has thesedan rushing to 100 km/h from rest in 8.2seconds.

Both engines come standard with i-Eloop, Mazda’s new brake energyregeneration system as well as i-stop, itsadvanced stop/start unit.

The ground-breaking i-Eloop makes useof a capacitor rather than a battery toquickly capture and temporarily storeelectricity to power components such asthe climate control and audio.

Any surplus electricity in the capacitor,which can be charged repeatedly withoutmajor deterioration, goes to the battery.

A further advantage can be gained inconnection with i-stop during stop-go citydriving when charging often resumesbefore the capacitor is fully discharged.

Thus the majority of the vehicle’selectricity requirements can be supplied by i-Eloop without calling on any of theengine’s output to drive the alternator.

Fuel savings result. Mazda suggests combined urban/

highway petrol usage of 6.6 litres per 100kilometres.

We managed between nine and 10 litresper 100 kilometres around town and in thelow to mid-fives on the motorway.

The whiff of luxury wafts into thepassenger cabin with a polishedaluminium look for door handles andgearshift knob and with soft materials usedon the steering wheel and other oft-touched parts.

Nothing is cramped. At 2830 mm, the sedan wheelbase is

among the longest in the segment resultingin substantial legroom in the rear, whileaccess to 438 litres of luggage space ismade easy by a larger boot opening thanbefore.

The driver is well catered for with theergonomic Human-Machine Interfaceputting him or her in touch with vehicle

operations via a knob on the centreconsole. Other features include an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat and tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel movement.

A 3.5-inch multi-information display inthe main instrument cluster presents thedriver with clear and concise informationon such things as fuel consumption, whilea 5.8-inch touchscreen atop the centrestack projects infotainment includingsatellite navigation and reversing cameraview with guidelines.

Connections to the outside world comevia iPod, USB and Bluetooth hands-free

mobile connectivity with voicerecognition.

A new mail function for Bluetoothconnected smart phones enables displayand readout of SMS, MMS and email viathe 5.8-inch touchscreen.

Ubiquitous safety aids such as a rigidpassenger cell with pre-programmeddeformation, ABS anti-skid braking withElectronic Brakeforce Distribution, BrakeAssist, Dynamic Stability Control andtraction control are standard.

The SkyActiv chassis picks up on whatthe driver is after in terms of accelerating,

turning and stopping, while rearsuspension grip has been improved overthe previous model.

Braking distances have been trimmedand disc cooling boosted, steering issensitive to driving conditions and the rideis comfortable and relatively quiet at allspeeds on all but the coarsest road surface.

The automatic transmission works welland has a pseudo-manual mode with shiftsvia the gear lever or steering wheel-mounted paddles. It works so well in fullauto that we feel the majority of ownerswill never use anything else.

Mazda’s sleek style turning heads� Mazda6 Sport 2.5- litrepetrol four-door sedan:$33,460 (automatic);

� Mazda6 GT 2.5- litre petrolfour-door sedan: $43,220(automatic);

� Mazda6 Atenza 2.5- litrepetrol four-door sedan:$46,810 (automatic);

� Mazda6 GT 2.2- litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan:$46,070 (automatic);

� Mazda6 Atenza 2.2- litreturbo-diesel four-door sedan:$49,660 (automatic).Note: These prices do not includegovernment or dealer deliverycharges. Contact your local Mazdadealer for drive-away prices.

THE RANGE

� Acceleration, 0-100 km/h:8.2 sec

� Fuel consumption(combined cycle): 6.6 litres/100 km;

� CO2 emissions: 153g/km;

� Standard warranty: Threeyears/unlimited kilometres;

� Maximum power: 138 kW/5700 rpm;

� Maximum torque: 250 Nm/3250 rpm;

� Dimensions: length4865mm, width 1840mm,height 1450mm;

� Wheelbase: 2830mm;

� Kerb weight: 1462kg;

� Cargo capacity: 438 litres;

� Towing capacity: 550kg(unbraked); 1500kg (braked).

FAST FACTS