With head-up display
Real, ‘old-fashioned’ mid-sized cars are few and far between these days, but Mazda’s 6 bravely plods on. Mazda even sharpened the model recently and that of course also means a new price list. The starting price is €43,790, but what do you actually get for that money?
Mazda 6 Skyactiv-G 165 Centre-Line – €43,790
The current, third generation of the Mazda 6 has been around since 2012. Normally it is long overdue for a new one, but we see that more and more differently these days. After all, with a view to the imminent mandatory arrival of EVs, it often no longer pays to develop a completely new petrol model, certainly not if that petrol model operates in a segment that is declining worldwide. That is why Mazda wisely chooses to keep the existing 6 in production for a select target group, albeit with some optical and technical updates.
The price list is now quite clear. The Mazda 6 is available with two different petrol engines, with 165 and 194 hp. However, the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission in all cases. What engine you get also depends on the chosen equipment. More expensive versions are only available with the stronger block, while the two cheapest variants are only available with 165 hp. Incidentally, these are not two variants of the same engine, but really two different four-cylinders. The base engine is a 2.0, the more powerful version a 2.5. The price gap between those two ‘simple’ versions is quite large, because step two – Exclusive-Line – immediately costs €48,140. Then you immediately get a fairly thick version, because such an Exclusive Line even has seat ventilation. In all cases we are talking about the prices of the sedan version, but keep in mind that you get into a Mazda 6 Sportbreak for €1,500 more.
The simplest Mazda 6 is quite easy to recognize from the outside, because the relatively modest 17-inch wheels are unique to this variant. The next step is immediately 2 sizes (!) larger. LED headlights are standard, but there is also a difference with the adaptive ones of the other versions. Privacy glass is – unfortunately for the supporters of the undersigned – also standard, just like the chrome-plated window frame and the beautiful, double exhaust. In terms of color, there is nothing to choose from for the ‘knack driver’: ‘Arctic White’ is the only shade for which there is no additional charge.
Nothing to complain
The interior is of course largely covered with black fabric, although we also find black leatherette on the dashboard. The driver’s seat can be adjusted manually, but can be heated in three positions. The rest of the temperature management is also in order, thanks to a standard climate control system with two zones. Light and rain sensors, an auto-dimming interior mirror, electrically folding exterior mirrors and a button-packed steering wheel are also standard. With these buttons you operate, among other things, the adaptive cruise control, standard on every Mazda 6. The car also has lane assistance, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot detection and an automatic emergency braking system. There is also a reversing camera. Even more: the car has a ‘360-degree-view monitor’.
In terms of infotainment, Mazda supplies a fairly modest 8-inch screen, but with navigation and DAB + radio. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are also present. The sound comes from 6 speakers and that probably sounds reasonable, but just as ‘fixed’ not overwhelming. The highlight of the equipment is without a doubt the head-up display, a feature that we only see on top models elsewhere. There is therefore little to complain about on board the basic 6, which actually has everything you could hope for in a car.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl