Mazda 6 2.2 TS2
The Japanese model boasts generous equipment, low running costs and attractive prices. The 6’s sharp dynamics and spacious cabin are also enough to compensate for its rather anonymous styling.
THe family car class is dominated by the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and VW, but Mazda is trying to break their monopoly with the addition of a more powerful diesel version of the 6.
You won’t be able to identify the new car from the outside, though, because the big hatchback’s neat styling is unchanged. Its flashy light clusters provide some visual interest, but parked next to the striking Vauxhall, the Mazda looks positively plain.
If the exterior doesn’t turn heads, neither will its no-frills cabin. It majors on space and practicality rather than style, with lots of room in the back and a decent 510-litre boot. Fold the rear seats and you get 1,702 litres of space – 239 litres more than in the Vauxhall. The 6’s folding mechanism is also more user-friendly, because the rear seats operate with the pull of a boot-mounted lever and fold completely flat.
Its advantage in the space race isn’t matched on the quality front. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the simple dashboard and bland plastics, but when you climb into the Mazda after driving the Vauxhall, its cabin is much less appealing.
Compensation comes in the form of equipment, because our TS2 test car has more kit than its rival. Dual-zone climate control and a Bluetooth phone connection are fitted as standard. Both cars have attractive leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheels and comfortable driving positions, but over-the-shoulder visibility in the Mazda is better thanks to the quarterlight windows in the C-pillars.
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Cash £23,300On the road is where the 6 has always been at its best, though. On paper the two engines are closely matched, but the reality is very different. The Vauxhall has only 3bhp less than the Mazda and a 10Nm shortfall in torque, yet the Japanese car is much more lively. While the Insignia’s engine runs out of puff well before its 5,000rpm red line, the 6 pulls strongly all the way to its maximum.
The sporty power delivery is backed up by our figures, because the Mazda sprinted from 0-60mph in 8.2 seconds, a full second faster than its rival. The advantage is less pronounced from a rolling start, but our in-gear timings also favour the 6. It completed the haul from 30-70mph six-tenths of a second ahead of the Vauxhall.
The Mazda is in its element on country roads, because its precise steering is perfectly weighted and the slick six-speed gearbox wouldn’t feel out place in the firm’s MX-5 roadster. Enthusiastic drivers will relish the sporty suspension too, as it provides excellent body control and agility for such a big car.
Ride comfort is predictably firm, though, and the suspension only settles on really smooth surfaces. Still, the Mazda returned an impressive 40.3mpg in our hands, giving it an advantage over the Insignia. Is that enough for it to take the win?
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Chart position: 1
WHY: The 6 is an Auto Express favourite, and the new engine should make it even better.
