Mazda MZD Connect and i-Activesense: Technology Review

Look, we are going to use the term “workman like” a fair bit during this review. But, it is not meant as a slight; instead it is meant to reflect an admiration for just how well this Mazda pulls together some pretty impressive technology in a rather understated, non-flashy way.

In many ways, the Mazda MZD Connect system has not progressed far from its root functionality that we say in early 2016. Even when we discussed it in comparison to direct competitors in our family-car review we were never trying to shove our eye-balls back in their sockets as a result of awesome shock.

MZD Connect is workman like indeed, and it is the kind of workman you want on all of your jobs. The things this system does, it does extremely well and with limited showy fuss.

One of the first things you may notice is the impressive HUD (Head Up Display, though known as Active Driving Display by Mazda) which conveys, without needing too much in the way of customisation, just about everything you need to know about getting a car from A to B.

The HUD is simply excellent. There are icons and graphics that represent just about every driving element needed, with perhaps the only criticism being the rather obscure small icon showing that Cruise Control is active – this is a failing of the main driving dash screen as well. Other than that however, there are few reasons you will need to lower your eyes with this HUD active.

Bluetooth connectivity is swift and fuss free, selecting content from your smart phone is as simple as selecting media and then the device. Likewise you can select content to play from applications such as aha, Stitcher, and – unfortunately – Pandora which will largely go as an unused option now that it’s no longer available in Australia. USB connected devices (via one of the two centre console ports) can also feed up audio for consumption.

FM, AM, DAB+ radio are welcome options, and the BOSE audio system is admirable at taking those digital ones and zeros and turning them into steering-wheel thumping beats for the aurally inclined.

Satellite navigation gets the job done, with auto zoom, spoken named streets and plenty of Points Of Interest markers the spread across the unique map presentation. The system handily shows the name of the next cross street, and generally provides all the info you need in a guidance system.

Remember, MZD Connect is largely presented through the 8.0-inch centre screen, and Mazda continues to enforce the idea of touch-screen whilst stationary, with data input and selection moving to the rotary-dial and hard buttons in the centre console once moving. We wholeheartedly endorse this approach.

The real buzz with MZD Connect system, however, is in the feature set that encompasses the i-Activesense umbrella term. This is all the safety smarts that those clever Mazda technicians have crafted around the Forward Sensing Camera (FSC) and other sensors, both radar and ultrasonic.

The Distance Recognition Support System (DRSS), in other words, adaptive cruise control works a treat detecting cars in front and adjusting the Atenza’s speed accordingly. Best used in heavy traffic, or on a free moving freeway DRSS can be combined with the Lane Keeping system to essentially drive the car at a level of autonomy normally associated with brands that hold their suspenders out and stare down their nose and cigar disapprovingly at brands like Mazda.

Again, workmanlike, the Lane Keeping system does one of the best jobs of determining driving corridors, both urban, suburban, high and low quality in full sunlight, and to a lesser extent night time, that we have come across. It can be set to simply warn of lane departures, or in a limited way, gently steer the car back within the driving line.

You will still need to keep your hands on the steering wheel – the HUD will give you a rousing alarm if you don’t – but this quality of Level 2 autonomy technology appearing at this price point is certainly a positive step for future developments.

The Mazda will ensure you are not dozing off, distracted or otherwise not paying attention through other detection methods, erratic driving for example, even within a lane will result in a not-so-gentle wake up alarm, and a suggestive coffee-cup icon.

Other features of the i-Activesense suite include rear traffic alert (both cross traffic and diametrically opposed reversing traffic), blind spot detection and Advanced Smart City brake systems that can detect pedestrians. We did not try that one out, but the active sense for braking alert and collision detection when approaching an obstacle is robust enough once you get the sensitivity settings the way you wish.

The Mazda6 Atenza features a 360-degree camera system with multiple viewing options for display on the central screen.

One very impressive feature is the ability for the FSC to read road signs, in particular speed, stop and no-entry signs will appear on the driver’s dash, central screen if set to navigation and the HUD. Speed signs can be fixed, illuminated variable or even road-work temporary speed signs. The system is even able to say to the driver, “hmmmm there was more info there, so just be aware”. In the case of a time-based speed limit, the system will realise that it possible is not the current speed limit.

It is possible to link this sign reading ability with the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system to warn the driver of speed limit excess.

Finally, the headlight system in the Mazda6 Atenza is simple but amazing.  Again, adopting the flashy note-worthy feature sets of marques used to being at the forefront of technology. The Mazda’s headlights can be left in high-beam mode and at speeds over 30km/h the adaptive system kicks in.

Determining if the ambient light – particularly in urban environments – is fine, the lights will remain dipped. If necessary, say out in the countryside, the lights will flip up to high-beam. But even then the system is smart enough to recognise fellow road users, oncoming, directly ahead or even in accompanying lanes, dipping the lights where they are.

Like everything else in this car, it all works simply, smartly and reliably. It is time we applauded the Mazda technicians that have designed and implemented snazzy systems without the overwrought glitz that can sometimes confuse or dissuade drivers from using it. The MZD Connect system is smart, suitably simple and feature laden, everything we want from a modern vehicle.