Mazda6 2.2 SkyActiv-D
Diesel does daring
P1.985 million 2.2-liter inline-four, direct-injection diesel; 173hp @ 4,500rpm, 420Nm @ 2,00rpm Six-speed automatic Front-wheel drive 19 inches, 225/45 LED head lamps and daytime running lights; smart entry with pushbutton engine start/stop; automatic engine idle on/off; dual-zone automatic climate control; touch screen multimedia with navigation and MP3, USB, aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity; rain-sensing wipers; electric parking brake; head-up display
Befitting the 6’s styling is its athleticism. On the road the 6 feels smaller than it actually is because it’s quick to shift directions and is light on its wheels. There’s abundant grunt, courtesy of the 2.2-liter, twin-turbo diesel engine, and the torque’s availability from low to mid revs grants the 6 proper sport sedan stature.
Fuel economy is one of the 6’s strong suits, too. While SkyActiv-D — Mazda’s suite of technologies that pursue efficient fuel consumption and clean emissions, this time applied to a diesel engine — may seem like nothing but mere marketingspeak, it actually works in the real world. In about a week’s worth of slogging though Metro Manila traffic, plus some spots of expressway blasts, the 6’s fuel readout barely budged from its “full” position.
Acoustically, there is no mistaking the 6’s diesel engine as none other but a diesel — contrary to opinions forwarded by other reviewers. While not exactly clattery (the 6’s mill, not the other reviews) it is also not exactly quiet and can be picked out in a line of parked cars whose engines are running as the one that’s diesel-fed. True, the 6’s mill’s racket is no worse than diesels coming from some European brands, but still it can’t be mistaken for, say, a BMW’s either. And for a car that costs a couple of thousand pesos shy of P2 million, the comparison — nor expectation — cannot be all that unfair.
But the 6’s pluses do outweigh this niggle — it’s just something that needs getting used to. Add to the positives Mazda’s Yojin3 Total Care, a package attached to all new Mazdas that means labor charges and parts purchases related to maintenance are free for up to three years (or until the car travels 60,000 kilometers). It includes as well roadside assistance and a “concierge” service on top of the usual 100,000-kilometer (or three-year) warranty, also at no cost and valid for three years. Now, for anyone shopping for a midsize car, this should tip the scales in favor of the 6. —