Mazda TPV (Mazda6) 2011 Review

Mazda TPV (Mazda6)

The noise that assails you as you drive off in Mazda's prototype (mule) for its next generation Mazda6 is the clattery rattle of a diesel-powered truck. That's then joined by a high-pitched whine once the engine reaches above 4000rpm. There's very little in the way of sound insulation in this car, which the visiting Japanese executives call 'TPV'.

The Mazda personnel and the car were here earlier this week, at Melbourne's Sandown racetrack, to rotate Aussie journalists through the TPV and two current-model benchmarks, one a petrol/auto variant, the other a diesel/manual variant. The TPV is powered by Mazda's SKYACTIV-D (for Diesel) engine, driving through the company's SKYACTIV-DRIVE transmission, a six-speed automatic.

Underneath the current Mazda6 body parts that have been fastened in place, TPV is the next-generation '6'. It's 50mm longer overall and 120kg of weight has been shaved from the kerb mass. 

As a mule (a test vehicle clothed in the external panels of the current model to hide its true shape), the TPV nevertheless provides some clues as to how the next-gen '6' will look. Riveted in place, the frontal panels -- pretty much everything forward of the A pillars and the firewall -- resembled a size-9 shoe for a size-8 foot. Expect the next model to feature a much smaller and lower frontal area, to help with lowering aerodynamic drag. The engine has been canted back in the engine bay, we're told by Steve Maciver, Mazda Australia's PR manager. That's largely to accommodate the long exhaust manifold runners that aid fuel efficiency of the petrol engine, the SKYACTIV-G. But with the engine sloping backwards a little, there's room to reduce the bonnet height of the new car also.

Otherwise, the TPV didn't seem too far removed from the current model. The indicator stalk in this right-hand drive car was located on the left of the steering column -- something you'll not find in production Mazdas built to Australian spec. Nor will you see Australian-delivered Mazdas with a speedo calibrated in miles per hour any more. Up the back straight at Sandown the TPV caused this reviewer a moment of confusion when the speedo needle passed '80', which seemed pretty slow for the road speed.

There was an engine stop/start button on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel, but the car itself wasn't equipped with Mazda's Idle-Stop system, so there was no opportunity to try this technology with the sophisticated diesel engine.

Limited to four laps of the circuit, time with the TPV was short, to say the least. And we were asked nicely not to bend it or take it above 150km/h. Costing about $300,000 to replace, as we learned later, the TPV is not a car to drive in an especially carefree way, but we did stay ahead of the Mazda6 petrol despite the best efforts of the driver in that car. And this reviewer didn't warp a brake disc and nor were the brakes smoking by the end of our four laps. Neither production car was quite so lucky -- not as a consequence of abuse from yours truly either, it has to be said.

Setting aside the diesel clatter, the engine in the TPV impressed mightily with its ability to accelerate all the way up to 5500rpm, although in-gear acceleration probably would have been just as good changing up at the recommended 5200rpm redline mentioned by Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Mazda's Executive Officer in charge of Product Planning and Powertrain Development.

Coupled to the new six-speed automatic, the engine felt sporty above 3000rpm, but not short of torque below that either. We were keeping it in the operating range above 3000rpm on the racetrack and it would spool up quickly to its unofficial rev limit. There was no discernible turbo lag on the exit from the racetrack's tighter corners. Plainly Mazda have just about nailed the way the new diesel and the new slushbox work together. 'Slushbox' is a bit of a misnomer in this context.

A current generation auto would provide that extra slip in the torque converter to mask turbo lag in the engine, but the SKYACTIV-DRIVE auto seemed to be locked solid most of the time, yet the engine picked up the pace quickly, despite that.

In the intermediate gears, the automatic really did feel like a manual. Not only was there no sense of torque converter slippage, but the third and fourth gears along Sandown's back straight seemed to be the right sort of ratios matched to the engine's power delivery. Changing up a gear with the right foot firmly holding the accelerator pedal to the floor, the transmission would flare, but we've driven current production cars that don't cope as well.

Where the transmission also differed from many of the current crop of automatics lay with its slight reluctance to kick down, but this probably reflects Mazda's commitment to calibrating the transmission to match the diesel engine's forte -- squeezing out high torque figures from relatively low engine speeds.

Back to back with the current Mazda6's diesel -- itself no slouch for refinement -- the SKYACTIV-D was simply startling for its smooth power delivery from low revs and its easy launch characteristics. Unlike a much more expensive diesel passenger car driven during the same week, the TPV didn't labour at 1500rpm and there was no vibration to mention.

It's an engine that will plainly meet the needs of a very diverse group of customers... an appropriate choice for those who prefer their cars to be loungerooms on wheels, but still sporty enough for those buyers who like more soul in their cars. That leaves us with one concern -- and it's something that the TPV can't dispel. How will it sound when the production version arrives? A sporty soundtrack somehow seems to be at odds with fuel efficiency, although a diesel-powered Peugeot RCZ driven during the week provides evidence that some sort of balance can be achieved there.

Dynamically, the TPV distinguished itself from the start by its lighter steering (lighter than the current production cars also driven around the track). As in the current production Mazda6, the TPV uses an electrically-assisted power steering system. Unlike some such systems in other cars, the TPV's delivered good feedback around the track. Generally very consistent, the weight through the wheel gradually increased with road speed -- as it should do, by rights.

While we observed some decorum driving the TPV and didn't flog it mercilessly, the car still communicated an all-round accomplishment that was impressive for a vehicle that is effectively a hand-built, pre-production car. Despite that status, the TPV is a better package already than a lot of cars currently available in dealerships.

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