Mazda 6 Sport Kombi 2.0 SkyActiv-G - dynamic and practical

A sedate sedan or a more expressive station wagon? Many drivers face this dilemma. Mazda decided to make it easier for them to make a decision. "Six" in the Sport Estate version costs the same as a limousine. It looks great, but offers a bit less room for passengers in the second row.

The new Mazdas are designed according to the principles of the Kodo philosophy. It involves a combination of sharp shapes with soft lines, which should be inspired by the forms found in nature. "Six" is offered in two body styles. Those looking for classic elegance can opt for a sedan. An alternative is a station wagon with even better body proportions.

The three-volume Mazda 6 is one of the most spacious cars in the middle class. The Sport Kombi is half a size smaller. The designers felt that the body (65 mm) and wheelbase (80 mm) needed to be shortened to provide a dynamic appearance. Naturally, there is less legroom for passengers in the second row of seats. There was, however, enough space left so that two adults would not be cramped in the back.

The interior is full of sporty accents. The steering wheel is well-shaped, the indicators are mounted in tubes, and a large center console surrounds the driver and passenger. A big plus for the driver's seat. As befits a car with sporty aspirations, the "six" has a low-slung seat and a steering column with a wide range of adjustments. You can sit very comfortably. It would be better if the profiled seats were in place - when installed they look good and are comfortable, but provide average lateral support.

Mazda designers know that details have a big impact on the perception of a car's interior. The quality, color and texture of materials, the resistance of buttons or the sounds made by pens are important. The Mazda 6 performs well or very well in most categories. The quality of the materials is a bit disappointing. The lower part of the dashboard and the center console are made of hard plastic. Not the most pleasant to the touch. Luckily it looks good.

A bit surprising is the lack of a Polish menu in the on-board computer or the absence of a central locking button. We also have some reservations about the multimedia system. The display does not have a record size. It is tactile, so the location around it of function buttons, duplicated around the handle on the central tunnel, is puzzling. The system menu is not the most intuitive - get used to it, for example. how to search for songs in the list. Navigation was developed in collaboration with TomTom. The system guides you to your destination along the best routes, warns you about speed cameras and contains a wealth of information about speed limits and places of interest. It is a pity that the appearance of the maps resembles cars from several years ago.

The luggage compartment of the Mazda 6 Sport Estate holds 506-1648 liters. The competition developed a more spacious mid-range station wagon. The question is, does their user really need 550 or 600 liters? The space available in the Mazda 6 seems to be quite sufficient. Moreover, the manufacturer took care of the functionality of the boot. In addition to a low threshold, a double floor and hooks for attaching nets, we have two convenient and rarely used solutions - a roller blind floating with the cover and a system for quickly folding the rear seat backs after pulling on the handles. on the side walls.

Downsizing has permeated the middle class forever. Limousines with 1,4-liter engines will surprise no one. Mazda is consistently going its own way. Instead of powerful subcompact supercharged units, she tried to squeeze the juice out of naturally aspirated gasoline engines with direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, record high compression and solutions to reduce internal friction.

The heart of the tested “six” is the 2.0 SkyActiv-G engine in the version that develops 165 hp. at 6000 rpm and 210 Nm at 4000 rpm. Despite the high power, the unit pleasantly surprises with a moderate fuel appetite. In the combined cycle suits 7-8 l / 100 km. When stationary, the engine runs silently. The naturally aspirated design loves high revs at which it becomes audible. The sound is pleasant to the ear and even around 6000 rpm does not become intrusive. The SkyActiv-G allows itself to be a bit sluggish at low revs. From 3000 rpm, you can not complain about too little willingness to cooperate with the driver. The gearbox also facilitates the use of higher revs - it is accurate, and its jack has a short stroke and is located close to the steering wheel. It's a pity not to use...

SkyActive's strategy also aims to increase driving pleasure and vehicle efficiency by reducing extra pounds. They were looked for literally everywhere. Inside the engine, gearbox, electricity and suspension elements. Most companies mention a similar drive to reduce vehicle weight. Mazda does not stop at declarations. She limited the weight of the "six" to a modest 1245 kg! The result is out of reach for many ... compact cars.

The absence of extra pounds is clearly noticeable while driving. The Japanese station wagon reacts very spontaneously to the driver's commands. Fast cornering or a sharp change of direction is not a problem - the “six” behaves stably and predictably. As befits a car with a sporty bent, Mazda has long masked the inevitable understeer in front-wheel drive vehicles. When the front axle begins to deviate slightly from the trajectory chosen by the driver, the situation does not become hopeless. All you have to do is lightly throttle or hit the brakes and the XNUMX will quickly return to its optimal track.

The engineers in charge of the chassis setup did a solid job. Mazda is nimble, precise and straightforward to handle, but the suspension stiffness is chosen so that only short transverse bumps are felt. We add that we are talking about a car with wheels 225/45 R19. Cheaper equipment options with 225/55 R17 tires should absorb the shortcomings of Polish roads even better.

The Mazda 6 Sport Kombi price list starts at PLN 88 for the basic SkyGo variant with a 700 hp petrol engine. Motor 145 SkyActiv-G 165 hp i-Eloop with energy recovery is only available in the most expensive SkyPassion version. It was valued at PLN 2.0. Expensive? Only at first glance. As a reminder, the flagship version of SkyPassion gets, among other things, a Bose audio system, active cruise control, navigation, blind spot monitoring, leather interior and 118-inch wheels - such additions to competitors can significantly increase the amount in the bill.

The catalog of additional equipment for the SkyPassion version is small. It includes metallic paint, a panoramic roof and white leather upholstery. Anyone who feels the need for loose upholstery, trim or on-board electronics should consider a European limousine. Mazda has defined four trim levels. In this way, the production process was simplified, which made the preparation of the car cheaper and allowed a reasonable price calculation.

The Mazda 6 Sport Kombi is one of the most interesting offerings in the segment. It looks great, drives well, is well equipped and doesn't cost a fortune. The market has appreciated the Japanese station wagon, which sells so well that some have even waited several months to pick up the ordered car.