Mazda Ireland has announced that prices for the Mazda6 saloon and Tourer range will run from €27,995 to €36,995 and that the new flagship is due in showrooms in mid-January 2013.
Exterior
The exterior of the Mazda6 is the latest evolution of "KODO - Soul of Motion", a design theme that Mazda says has been inspired by the movements of animals in the wild. The new corporate face, complete with signature wing grille, does sit well with the 6 though and is complemented by four new body colours -Blue Reflex Mica, Meteor Grey Mica, Jet Black Mica and Soul Red Metallic. That final colour involved the Mazda engineers developing a new technique for paint application such is the depth of the colour.
Interior
The interior of the Mazda6 features a driver orientated cockpit with all of the visual details (dials, satnav etc.) situated in such a way that you do not have to take your eyes of the road (too much) to read them. The Sport model, which is expected to be the core seller in both the Saloon and Tourer, features a 5.8-inch touch screen multimedia audio system, climate control, cruise control and Bluetooth, front and rear parking sensors and Smart City Brake Support.
Mechanicals
The new 6 is the second model to feature Mazda' new Skyactiv technology but the first to be equipped with the capacitor based i-ELOOP brake energy regeneration system that, combined with the i-Stop feature can increase fuel efficiency as well as reduce emissions. Both of these systems are standard on the diesel models in Ireland.
A 2.0-litre petrol engine kicks off the range but it is the 2.2-litre diesel (available in both 150- and 175hp outputs) that will account for the bulk of sales. Mated to a six-speed manual gearbox the lower powered saloon model delivers 108g/km CO₂ with fuel consumption of 4.2 litres/100km (67mpg). A six-speed automatic gearbox can also be specified but the downside is a jump to 127g/km CO₂.
Smart City Brake Support is also standard on Sport and Sport SE models.
Anything else?
The quoted prices do not reflect any changes to VRT rates for 2013 and are subject to change after the Budget in December. Click here to read our first drive of the new Mazda6.