Mazda 6 MZR Diesel

Mazda’s improved diesel engine is the first of a whole raft of new, more efficient and stronger units set to enter the range in the next couple of years. It’s off to a good start, too, as it’s likely to run the equivalent Mondeo unit close. The motor will also feature in the forthcoming 3 – and such is its potential that a diesel 3 MPS is now a possibility.

There’s more power to Mazda’s family car! The firm says that with a fresh 182bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine on board, this latest 6 sets new standards for performance and refinement. And Auto Express has been given exclusive access to see if the unit, which makes its debut in the UK next year, really can deliver.

The 2.2-litre engine is dubbed MZR – short for Mazda Responsive. At idle, noise from it is not intrusive, even on the early car we drove. Slot the six-speed transmission into first and, with 400Nm driving the front wheels, performance is impressive. All that torque has also allowed Mazda to fit longer gear ratios, enabling the engine to rev lower, so it consumes less fuel.

Driving in town, the unit is smooth and responsive, and will even pull hard in third gear at 30mph. However, if you go much slower, the revs drop below 1,800rpm, causing the turbocharger to stop spinning and making the engine grumble as a result. But that’s only a small gripe. Mazda acknowledges that the 6 will be more at home during long trips on the motorway. When the turbo is boosting in third gear – as it would be when accelerating down a slip road at a major junction – the engine punches from 30mph to 62mph a full 1.7 seconds faster than the outgoing 2.0-litre oil-burning unit. And, when the car is cruising at motorway speeds, the motor is incredibly quiet and smooth. Overtaking is an effortless manoeuvre.

Mazda is right to be confident about its latest oil-burner. In the 6, it’s remarkably refined at higher speeds, yet remains flexible in town. And although it weighs 6kg more than the outgoing engine, it produces an extra 44bhp and 70Nm of torque, while returning similar emissions figures.

Despite the brand’s links with Ford, this diesel is purely a Mazda project, and isn’t based on the powerplant recently introduced in the Mondeo. We’ll test the cars together when the diesel 6 arrives here next year – and on this evidence the Ford faces a stiff challenge.