Tourer is a must if you have loads to lug
cruise control (although not adaptive), ESC, six airbags and hill-hold.
There are five spec levels – SE, SE Nav, SE-L, SE-L Nav and Sport Nav, and top spec models like our car come with leather upholstery and 19-inch alloy wheels. You also get a head-up display and power adjustable heated front seats, a reversing camera, adaptive front lighting and a premium Bose sound system.
There are two engines available in the line-up, our 2.2litre SkyActiv-D bi-turbo diesel or a 2.0 litre petrol engine. All engines are available with sixspeed manual transmissions (as in our car) with the option of a six-speed automatic.
Despite its size, the Mazda 6 Tourer doesn’t feel big, has a great driving position with good allround visibility and the ride is comfortable yet sporty - so it is a fun driving experience. On the motorway, the 6 is hushed and has a smooth ride and a softer suspension set-up is used on non-sport models.
The Tourer feels fairly quick too (0 to 62 in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 130mph) yet Mazda claim combined mpg figures of over 64 mpg, which is very good for a large estate car. And, if you need even more oomph, there is a 173bhp diesel version with a 7.9-second 0-62mph time and near 140mph top speed when paired with the six-speed manual box.
Higher power petrol versions will hit 133mph with 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds, while the 143bhp petrol model’s numbers are 128mph and 9.6 seconds.
That flowing stand out styling differentiates the 6 Tourer from its more straight edged rivals and includes LED headlights and silver roof rails.
A week at the wheel of the Tourer proved a very pleasant experience, with the biggest surprise being how frugal the car is - despite its size and being in use every day the 6 went back with well over half a tank of fuel remaining.
And regular readers will know I am a big fan of Mazda’s build quality and reliability - I still have fond memories of the Mk1 RX7 I owned for 20 almost trouble free years.
So the 6 Tourer is well designed, well made and well priced… and with Mazda unveiling a revised 6 Tourer at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month there will probably be some good deals to be done with Mazda dealers on the current model.
More details at www.mazda. co.uk