The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
New Kuro’ s a classy mover
Mazda’s 6 is a handsome and capable estate car. Now the Japanese firm has launched a special edition. Available in saloon and estate body styles, the Mazda 6 Kuro is pretty exclusive.
Just 100 examples are being sold in the UK, 50 saloon and 50 estate models.
They feature special Polymetal Grey metallic paint to differentiate them from other Mazda 6s.
The saloon costs £29,250 with the estate weighing in at £30,250.
The car is based on the high-spec Sport model so standard kit is generous.
There’s keyless entry and start, reversing camera, heated steering wheel and a fantastic sounding 11-speaker Bose stereo system. Dual zone climate control, smartphone integration and auto LED headlights are also thrown in.
The Kuro edition comes with burgundy leather seats which may be a trifle brash for some tastes but are certainly comfortable and high quality.
Under the bonnet is Mazda’s excellent 2.0 litre 163bhp petrol engine.
It will get from 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds and, as long as you aren’t too heavy on the right foot, will return fuel economy of 40mpg or above.
It’s also a very smooth, quiet unit which contributes greatly to one of the car’s strengths – refinement.
The chassis delivers a smooth and comfortable ride. Handling hasn’t been sacrificed at the altar of comfort either, and the Mazda 6 relishes being thrown into a bend.
It grips well and remains flat through corners. The Mazda 6 is a reminder that estate and saloon cars handle much better than the wallowy SUVs everyone drives these days.
I put the car through a good stretch of mixed driving around West Fife and the Lothian coastline.
It will sit for hours at 70mph eating up the miles, while the nicely weighted steering comes into its own when it tackles some country lanes.
The six-speed manual gearbox is smooth and easy to use, which is just as well as the Kuro is not offered with automatic transmission.
The 522-litre boot will swallow plenty of suitcases or a couple of dogs, and if you drop the rear seats there’s 1,664 litres.
I really enjoyed the Mazda 6 Kuro. It’s a breath of fresh air in a market dominated by SUVs.