We are with the Mazda6 Wagon.
The third generation Mazda6 has been on the roads for a few years.
Now it has been facelifted and attained a younger look.
But Mazda6’s innovations are not only relevant to its appearance.
Now under its bonnet new 2.2 liters diesel engine is functioning.
Let’s see how assertive the Mazda6 has become with all these innovations?
Let’s analyze it together...
Even though the station wagon models have attained more attention grabbing forms,
in my opinion the Mazda6 looks more sportive and more athletic compared to its rivals.
With the face-lift, chromium details have been added around the vertically formed wide grill.
Furthermore, the new design bumper also ensures that the Mazda6 appears remarkable when viewed from the front.
Due to the fold of the bonnet that starts from the grill and extend backwards the fender has quite projecting form.
For this reason, if you ask me, when you look from the front and from diagonal front you see a very powerful outlook.
Moreover, these 19 inches wheel rims with their smoky color definitely ads a plus to the appearance of the Mazda6.
When you start to analyze the Mazda6 from the side, as you can see, it has a station wagon form.
But there is one important detail here that I want to share with you.
The axle span of the Mazda6 Wagon is shorter than its Sedan sibling.
Alright, what kind of difference this shortness will make in the interior?
Come on; let’s look at it together.
In my opinion, a very good living space is offered here.
In other words, there is no question that you will feel the millimeter difference between the two cars.
As usual the driving seat is adjusted to my ideal driving position and I am 178 cm tall.
As you can see a very good knee room is offered here.
The headroom is also not bad but you must accept that due to the sunroof it has debased.
In here there is an armrest and in it there are two cup-holders.
Furthermore, there are heated seat switches here in a way that we are not accustomed.
It clearly is a different application but in my opinion it has one disadvantage.
After you switch these and if you have to accommodate three persons, I really do not know if you will burn or not
because I did not have the opportunity to try it.
Not bad living space is offered here for the third passenger
but due to very high transmission hump I clearly cannot say that his or her feet will be quite comfortable.
The rear of the Mazda6 Wagon definitely looks good too.
But you have to accept that it is not as remarkable as its front.
In here again chromium details have been used and there are two exhaust outlets on both sides of the bumper.
Let us look what kind of loading capacity is offered in the boot?
Normally this place possesses 522 liters loading capacity.
Furthermore, due to it being flat, you are able to put the loads here easily.
By the latches here inside the boot, you can incline the rear seats.
This way the loading capacity enlarges up to 1648 liters.
As you can see, it attains almost straight loading area.
Apart from all of these there is, in my opinion, one important detail here.
The boot curtain moves with the boot lid.
In other words, while the boot curtain of the other station wagons are commanded by your hand,
for me, this way is a good convenience.
The cockpit of the Mazda is well groomed.
The quality of the materials used here is high.
Soft plastic materials are used on top.
The remainder being covered with leather raises the feeling of quality.
With the facelift a different design has been added to the multimedia touchscreen of the Mazda6.
Moreover, the hand brake that was mechanical previously is now electrical.
I told you that the screen is touch screen but as I have mentioned in the previous Mazda3 test,
the Mazda's touchscreens give you permission to use them only when stationary.
Of course, this has been done for safety purposes but as you can see you are not able to command it on the move.
You can only do it by the button that resembles the BMW’s iDrive situated behind the gear lever.
There is one detail that I liked here; there is a volume control button here
that enables you to control the music system without raising your hand from here or without going to the mid console.
All the other models that employ this type of command component put the volume control here;
therefore you have to move your hand to and fro from channel control to volume control.
I clearly liked this array.
There are lots of places in the cockpit for your small items.
There is a reasonable area in front of the gear lever.
Furthermore, there is a two cup-holder in the sliding area behind the gear lever and behind that an armrest where you can again put your articles.
The A/C controls are underhand and easy to use.
Furthermore, just as in the rear seats, the seat heating system is also employed in the front seats.
There are three levels for this.
But there is one negation I have to say about the seat heating system, although I have used the highest level during my test,
the heat never reached a level to bother me.
In other words the seat heating system offered in the Mazda6 is a bit weak.
Let us consider the engine and the driving features of the Mazda6 Wagon.
Under the bonnet of this car 2.2 liters diesel engine called Skyactiv is functioning.
This engine develops 175HP and 420 Nm of torque.
You can only purchase this engine with 4-Wheel Drive system and 6-speed automatic gearbox.
The power of the engine is good, namely it has a construction that can be called everlasting.
Especially, due to the wide cylinder capacity you feel the high torque under your foot all the time.
Due to the wide capacity and high torque, you are able to reach high speeds very easily; especially on highway drives, without the slightest strain.
The gearbox works in harmony with this engine.
Naturally, it is hard to say that it is as fast as double clutch gearbox but the passes are smooth and to my mind fast.
If you wish, you are able to change the gears from the gear lever or from the pedals behind the steering wheel manually.
Strictly speaking, you do not really have any need for this on normal drives because the gearbox make its selections at the right time and correctly.
In this car a system the Mazda called i-Eloop is used.
This system does certain things to lower the fuel consumption.
Just as in an electrical car, while driving this car, when you take your foot from the throttle or when you break,
the kinetic energy that manifest are stored and used for A/C and music system.
Thus, on long drives it helps to reduce the fuel consumption in the least.
And you can easily follow this energy flow from the multimedia screen.
For example, just as this moment, when I take my foot off the throttle, the energy acquired from the wheels starts to charge the batteries here.
In the Mazda6, new safety technologies as lane departure warning assistance, blind spot warning system and adaptive cruse control is offered.
All these systems works well and ensure you to feel safe while driving this car.
But as the adaptive cruse control is disengages under 30 km/h, while most its rivals submit this today, seems to be a failing.
Furthermore, the lane departure warning assistance is there just as a helper.
In other words, it warns you when you drift out of your lane by vibrating the steering wheel.
But if you want to take your hands off the steering wheel, it warns you and directs you to hold the steering wheel.
The driving features of the Mazda6 Wagon are as dynamic as its appearance.
I can say that despite its dimensions it is agile.
The steering responds to your wishes fast and directly.
Even though the suspensions are firmly set, it satisfies the road handling and comfort expectations explicitly.
The well-adjusted firmness balance of the steering ensures you to direct the car easily even on full turns.
The insulation, if you ask me, is not as assertive as its European rivals but satisfies the expectations of this class and gives no bother.
Finally, let us consider the fuel consumption of the Mazda6 Wagon.
I have been driving this car for a week and have covered 300 km.
Frankly speaking, when I first started to drive the car, the fuel consumption averages were around 8.0-8.5 liters.
But when the time I spend with the car increased and in the city driving escalated the value swelled.
At the moment the trip computer indicates to me 9.8 liters fuel consumption averages.
This near 10 liters value, I can guess, will of course come very high to you,
but when you think, the car’s performance, its 2.2 liters diesel engine, its automatic gearbox and its 4-Wheel Drive system,
you should know that it is not that high.
But of course when you think the factory data for average fuel consumption is 5.4 liters, this brings some questions to your mind.
I think the engine being really very lively and offering joyful driving features have a share in the high consumption value.
And it looks as if I will continue to enjoy a bit more...
I can say that even the engine noise has really a provocative influence.
If you ask me, the Mazda6 Wagon with its powerful engine as well as spacious interior and quality, satisfies the expectations explicitly.
But there is a matter of price.
In this car as I mentioned there is a 2.2 liters diesel engine and as you will guess falls into a high tax bracket.
In other words the Mazda6 Wagon’s sale price is exactly 250 thousand TL.
In other words, when you think, in a market that even the VW Passat that we can say is the class president,
with its 2.0 liters 4-Wheel Drive diesel version is 210 thousand TL,
the Mazda6 Wagon with this price unfortunately has no chance at all.
See you...