Road test | Mazda6: going to the top of your game

Well there it is, it’s done! Mazda ceased production of its Mazda6 sedan last July, ending a third generation that had the ungrateful mission of trying to slow its decline, without success. Despite all the goodwill of the small Japanese manufacturer, the middleman has never been able to establish himself among the leaders in terms of sales. We take a last look at an eloquent work condemned to secondary roles.

Charles René
Press

Design

It may have been part of the midsize sedan landscape for some time now, but the Mazda6 is undeniably in the game visually. This latest iteration, which is the product of various light revisions in recent vintages, is imposed by an obviously dynamic front end whose fenders, describing receding arcs, complement a rather long hood that cascades over a textured hexagonal grille. Sideways, it’s simple, but very effective, with a sill line that rises slightly to the rear and 19-inch rims that complement the wheel arches nicely. At the rear, we notice the only element that betrays the presence of a turbocharged mechanical with a small badge “Turbo” on the trunk lid. The latter links the two profiled taillights with a strip of brushed aluminum for continuity. Circular exhaust pipes well integrated into the rear bumper complete the picture.

On board

Like any sedan in its segment, accessibility to the front part of the cabin of this Mazda6 is without a hitch. Once properly seated in comfortable and above all elegant furniture with its leather upholstery, we focus on the many details that make up the dashboard. Not that it is immensely loaded, on the contrary, but the variety of materials used and the design focusing on horizontality make it much more refined than the suggested price. The instrumentation that mixes digital and physical elements is also tasteful. The only element on which this Mazda6 can be taken to task is the rather narrow appearance of the rear seats, which places it rather close to the current Mazda3, despite its status as an intermediary. The trunk, for its part, is of a good capacity and offers a good opening to access it.

Under the hood

In this last year of production of this generation of the Mazda6, the manufacturer has not changed anything about its mechanical proposal. Two 2.5L four-cylinders still share the engine compartment, one naturally aspirated (187 hp), the other turbocharged (250 hp). The latter, which now equips many models of the manufacturer, obviously animates the more upscale livery of the sedan and can drink 87 octane fuel, in exchange for a loss of 23 hp. Mated to a technically a little dated, but highly efficient six-speed transmission, this engine is understandably comfortable in this tenure, despite sending 320 lb-ft of torque only to the front wheels. Its linearity, the avowed goal of which is to recall that of a V6, is very pleasant, and its greed is not too high (8.6 L / 100 km during the test).

Behind the wheel

Throughout its career, which began in 2003 (2004 model year), the Mazda6 has been praised for its dynamic presence. It remains one of the benchmarks of the segment, despite the older age of its framework compared to renewed competition. We even surprise ourselves to appreciate more the feel of its steering compared to the Mazda3. The linearity of the assistance is more obvious and becomes more integral with the machine by means of a truly complete communicative aspect. Admittedly, the disadvantage on paper of this Mazda6 remains the fact that it is offered only in front-wheel drive, as opposed to an all-wheel-drive Mazda3, but the middleman does very well with a dual traction control system and torque vectoring stability that intervene correctly to avoid too much loss of grip. The movements are thus very smooth, without being abrupt by a too dry damping.

Embedded technologies

It is undoubtedly here that the Mazda6 shows its wrinkles the most. It is enough to engage the reverse gear to see to what extent the reversing camera offers a definition of another time, even before navigating in the infotainment system. The latter, employed by Mazda for many years, is no longer in the game when we focus on the concept of user experience. The definition of the screen is very average, the menus are not really well laid out and the functions are very limited. The stability of the system is not good either. At least Mazda has integrated wireless Apple CarPlay from the mid-range GT livery, an element whose benefits are partly eliminated by the absence of a charging pad. However, we start with a Bose audio system, whose sound quality is among the best in the category.

The verdict

The fate of this Mazda6 is undoubtedly an enigma and gives us a lesson on the concept of desirability in marketing. Despite its immense overall qualities, ranging from high reliability to attractive design and proven dynamism, the mid-size sedan did not convince a large number of buyers. It’s a shame, because even today, this creation is a great success, largely homogeneous and financially accessible. But now, what does the future hold for him? With the arrival of the brand’s new products based on a propulsion platform, the transition will be natural for the intermediary. In a context where the sedan is dying, Mazda has still not made an announcement in this direction. We will therefore have to wait, again. But, in the meantime, if you’re interested in buying a midsize sedan, feel free to put this Mazda6 high on your list, at least while there are some left in dealerships.

Notebook

Attractive basic version

Equipped with a highly competent 2.5 L (187 hp) naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that uses less fuel than the turbo version (8 L / 100 km compared to 8.9 L / 100 km), the GS version of this Mazda6 is very interesting with its well-stocked standard features.

A very low interest rate

While many automakers have raised their interest rates, this Mazda6 is the only one in its segment to be offered at 0% interest on many financing terms, which can be advantageous if you are thinking of doing so. purchase.

Starving sales

In 2020, 1,049 Mazda6s were sold in Canada, compared to 24,946 CX-5 compact SUVs, the manufacturer’s most popular model and least affected by the decline in sales due to the pandemic.

Almost the weight of a compact

With the use of all-wheel drive by default when opting for the same turbo engine in the Mazda3, the weight difference with the Mazda6 is reduced to only 91 kg to the further advantage of the compact. This relatively contained weight helps the intermediary in its dynamic rendering.

Sulking CVT and dual-clutch transmissions

While several rivals employ the continuously variable transmission, the Mazda6 remains faithful to the traditional torque converter transmission which is still as smooth as possible, but a little slower in its changes of gears than the double clutch transmissions.