Mazda6 Turbo 2019 Review

When it launched in Australia in August 2002 the Mazda6 was the car that got the Japanese car company’s zoom-zoom ethos rolling. The first Mazda3 wouldn’t arrive until 2004, the first de-boxed Mazda2 in 2007. Hell, the CX-5 didn’t show up till 2012.

Yep, with its smooth style and enjoyable driving manners the Mazda6 was the three-dimensional in-the-metal confirmation that zoom-zoom wasn’t just PR fluff.

Now deep into its third generation the Mazda6 has evolved into a more mature offering without losing its way. However, it’s long been shoved into the background thanks to the sales importance of SUVs.

But that doesn’t mean it’s no good, as a 2018 refresh including a turbocharged petrol engine has proved.

Here we’re testing the Mazda6 Atenza. Strictly speaking we should say Mazda Mazda6 Atenza, but that would be silly.

Atenza is the top of the pile when it comes to Mazda6s. It can be had as a sedan or wagon (the hatch was dropped for the current generation) or with the 170kW/420Nm 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder first seen in the CX-9. A 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel has just been discontinued as part of model year 2019 update.

Along with dropping the diesel, Mazda’s pumped up pricing by $1200 compared to the price of the pre-update Atenza sedan we’re testing, so it’s now $49,890 (plus on-road costs), while the wagon is $51,190.

The Mazda6 has a front-wheel drive layout with the engine sitting transverse and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It has electric-assist power steering, independent suspension all-round and rolls on 19-inch alloy wheels and rubber. So that’s all orthodox.

It’s a big car, having grown significantly through the generations. Overall length is 4865mm, width is 1840mm and height 1450mm. You can fit 474 litres of luggage in the boot and it weighs in at 1620kg. That means it’s a tad shorter and lower than the top-selling Toyota Camry sedan, while they are the same width. The Mazda has a smaller boot and also weighs slightly less.

Of course there’s plenty more sedans/hatches to consider in the medium-to-large passenger car segment, even if sales have fallen off a cliff of late and some models have been ‘retired’. There’s the Ford Mondeo, Holden Commodore and soon-to-be-replaced Hyundai Sonata just to name a few.

As the most luxurious model in the range, the Atenza gets plenty of gear chucked at it.

So let’s start with safety. First up, the Mazda6 gets a 2018 five-star ANCAP rating, although that’s based on Euro NCAP testing of left-hand drive diesel. Some concerns were noted for smaller occupants seated in the rear, where the pelvis of the dummy slipped beneath the lap section of the seatbelt in the full width test.

Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, autonomous emergency braking that works going forward or in reverse, a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, driver attention monitoring, adaptive LED headlights, radar cruise control and traffic sign recognition.

The latter enables Intelligent Speed Assist, which limits the car to the posted speed limit.

For MY19 the Mazda6 has upgraded from G-Vectoring Control, which adjusts handling subtly via engine torque. to G-VC Plus, which throws braking into the mix. It also gets tyre pressure monitoring.

Exclusive Atenza comfort and luxury features include a sunroof, ventilated front seats, nappa leather seat trim, ambient lighting, “real wood” and “ultrasuede” trim and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The top model is also unique in having a digital information display in the centre of the speedo. MY19 also adds a heated steering wheel.

All that’s on top of items shared with the rest of the range including a head-up display that now projects onto the windscreen, Bose premium audio with 11-speakers, an eight-inch media screen, dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, front and rear parking sensors and front seats with power adjustment (10-way driver, six-way passenger) and two-position memory and heating.

The Atenza comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, while service intervals are either annual a short 10,000km – whichever comes first. Five years or 50,000km worth of servicing will set a turbo-petrol Atenza sedan owner back $1678.

The most obvious omissions from the Atenza’s standard equipment list was Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You could get it retrofitted for $495, but happily for MY19 it’s been made standard.

If you’re mulling a run-out MY18 Atenza, then you should grumblingly hand over the money. Trying to play podcasts through the standard Bluetooth connection was a clunky nightmare, exacerbated because the screen disabled its touch function when rolling.

There’s other stuff the Atenza still misses out on. The brake energy-harvesting i-ELOOP system is only offered with the naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine available in the Sport and Touring 6s. That engine is also alone in offering cylinder deactivation.

Instead, only the turbo-petrol gets a stop-start system to help save fuel. The official claim is 7.6L/100km, while we averaged 8.9L/100km over a week of varied city and country running. By the way, that’s on 91 RON fuel, which Mazda says is fine for this engine.

Unlike some passenger cars, the 6 does get a spare tyre, but it is a space saver.

There’s a lot to like here. The driver is well looked after in a large new-design seat that is clearly aimed at someone with a well-fed frame. I felt right at home!

A thin-rimmed steering wheel enables people with shorter fingers a firm grasp and there’s plenty of manual reach and rake adjustment available.

The dashboard is new and simpler than before. Apart from the smartphone issues noted above, the infotainment and audio system work fine. The big controller dial and the simple menu of buttons are all easily understandable.

There’s no shortage of storage features of various sizes and shapes including cupholders in the centre console and bottle-holders in the doors.

For a Mazda, the rear-seat passengers are exceptionally well looked after. But if you know how Mazda has short-changed them in the past that’s not exceedingly high praise.

Apart from a sloping roofline that’s going to make things a little squashy for tall people it’s a comfortable experience.

Again, there’s decent storage, wide-opening doors that allow easy exit and entry and once you are settled the view out is good. There are visible and controllable rear climate control vents and even seat heaters. Fold down the centre armrest and you’ll find two USB chargers.

Now, what’s not to like in here? Well, there’s lots of buttons on the steering wheel and a bunch of controls are hidden away on the dashboard down to driver’s right where they are impossible to see at night because there’s no illumination.

Ah, the fun bit. Yep, the Mazda6 Atenza is an entertaining drive.

Pre-turbo, there was little to complain about because a naturally-aspirated petrol Mazda6 did just about everything right. It handled and steered with certainty of response and it rode with control, but without being jarring.

Fitted with a turbo, the same stuff happens, just a bit faster. There was a chassis retune for the MY18, but it’s nothing that fundamentally changes the character of the car. The main foible is a bit of steering kickback on rough corners. It’s not excessive, but it’s there.

The engine’s soundtrack is interesting rather than alluring: it tick-tacks along rather than getting meaty. The real pleasure is in the midrange response, which packs plenty of wallop. You might debate an overtake in a 2.5-litre nat-atmo 6, but not in the turbo.

There’s little sign of lag or hesitation from the engine, although the transmission did seem a bit uncomfortable occasionally. Once or twice there was shift shock when flattening the throttle quickly. There’s a sport button that makes changes more aggressive, but I struggled to feel the difference.

You can also go manual via the lever or flappy paddles. The latter reacted almost as quickly as a dual-clutch system, but without any sense of mechanical connection. The change was just happening off in the distance somewhere.

The updated Atenza is further proof Mazda is getting its act together when it comes to cabin ambience. This is a reasonably peaceful place to be. Not hushed as some – like the new Mazda3! – but hardly the raucous experience the 6 once was.

And finally, this thing has great headlights. I would have no qualms taking it on a long country run at night. The strong engine, well-sorted chassis and comfy seats add further eight to that proposition.

The Mazda6 may no longer be a central plank in Mazda’s sales success in Australia, but it still holds down a worthy place in its showroom.

If you’re not SUV-obsessed or badge-obsessed and enjoy a touch of performance and luxury then the Atenza is well worth considering.

How much does the 2019 Mazda6 Atenza Turbo cost?
Price: $48,690 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 170kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 178g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2018)