Mazda 6 Wagon 2.2 Skyactiv-D – spiritual technology
Mazdaism is the religion of people wearing clothes with the logo of a Japanese manufacturer? And hasn't Mazda, by virtue of its philosophical mission, forgotten about such mundane matters as handling and interior trim? We try to answer these questions in the Mazda 6 facelift test.
Did you know that there is a religion called Mazdaism? Contrary to first associations, this is not a cult of the Japanese automaker. His followers are also not people wearing white caps and polo shirts with the Mazda logo. They do not worship their deity in annual meetings. Mazdaism is an ancient Iranian religion that has survived to this day in the form of Zoroastrianism. Once the state name of the powerful Sassanid Empire - the same one that defeated the Roman army and captured Emperor Valerian himself - today there are no more than 250 followers in the world. This is 000 80 fewer than third-generation Mazda buyers after two years of sales. In any case, the god Ahura Mazda, the embodiment of goodness, truth, beauty and wisdom, formed the basis of today's name for the manufacturer of Hiroshima. And since the founder's name was Matsuda, which sounded somewhat like an ancient god, there was only one option left.
The fact is that the name comes from an ancient cult. So it must have had some impact on the manufacturer, because it's the only modern brand that has this philosophy in car design - Zoom-Zoom, SkyActiv and Kodo. This philosophy is to take your products to another level - to address not only the physical, but also the spirit. I once wondered, during the test of the Mazda CX-5, what are the slogans proclaimed by Mazda. This time, with Mazda 6 after the facelift, we'll go one step further. In the flagship model, we will look for the remains of an ancient deity. And, of course, we will check whether earthly affairs have been neglected by the bizarre environment. It is true that man does not live by bread alone, but without bread he will die.
The embodiment of beauty
Although Ahura Mazda was a ghost, the ancient artists most often depicted him as a half-man, half-bird with wide spread wings. Mazda also refers to the fenders. The first in the logo, symbolizing the readiness to fly into the future. The line running along the lower edge of the grille, smoothly turning into the headlights, is also a minimalist form of displaying the symbol of flight, that is, superiority. It certainly adds elegance.
After the facelift, the lights acquired an ominous character, which would be more suitable for the eternal enemy of our deity - Angra Mainj, the personification of evil. Without looking for additional content, Mazda intended to portray the eyes of the "six" as the eyes of a predator. This, combined with smooth yet highly dynamic lines, is designed to give the impression of being ready to go even when the vehicle is standing still.
The Kodo design also carries over to other parts of the body. It is true that many years ago the station wagon was angular and blocky, but even in today's market Mazda 6 station wagon strikes an excellent balance between sport and practicality. As a result, the station wagon looks no worse than the sedan.
Mazda design is actually a very high shelf. A car that doesn't cost hundreds of thousands doesn't have to be boring or even simple—it just takes a little more effort. Mazda 6 Wagon looks interesting, dynamic and elegant, while at the same time retaining flair for the more inquisitive observers. The only pity is that one of them is bitter. The chrome slats around the windows are loose and move. I would not like to know after a few years of use that they have fallen off.
Convenience and ... mixed feelings
Sitting behind the wheel, we will feel really comfortable. The most comfortable seats I found in a car were in a Porsche. Mazda 6, surprisingly, he would also rank highly in such a ranking. The body fits them very well and the seats are well balanced between soft comfort and hard sport. They hold turns well and do not get tired while driving.
The entire cockpit is beautifully built around the driver, also referencing sports car solutions. The central tunnel is high and wide, with soft leather trim. Before the facelift, the problem of poor assembly of this element was known. After flashing it got much better, but still not perfect.
As you can see, the facelift brought significant changes to the design of the dashboard. The original design was not bad, but now it has more order and harmony. The previous multimedia system was not very successful, but this is already in the past. The new one is integrated according to the principle of a tablet, which is not always approved by buyers. In my opinion, this solution is better because it visually offloads the cockpit design. You don't need a massive structure to fit under the display because it's just a small addition to the original whole. Another advantage is the speed of the new system and the interface directly from your phone or tablet. Everything is decorated with smooth animations, which may not affect the functionality, but greatly increases the pleasure of using it. It is finally modern.
At the bottom there is more space for ventilation deflectors and air conditioning function buttons. Instead of three knobs, we have two for adjusting the temperature in two zones, and the buttons do the rest. There is also a segmented screen that displays the air conditioner settings in real time.
A station wagon is by definition a family car, not a sedan. The standard vision for using this car is to go on vacation with the family. Of course, a sedan won't be much worse, but if we really need to carry a lot of luggage, then a station wagon will be just right. The trunk holds a specific 506 liters, while maintaining plenty of space for rear passengers. Depriving these places, we can get up to 1648 liters of power.
progressive diesel
The civilization development function is considered to be exponential. The more we know about the world around us, the faster we come to new conclusions - and create more complex inventions. When testing the Mazda 6, you can refer to ancient beliefs, but let's not doubt - this is a truly technological design.
2.2 Skyactiv-D engine. diesel engine with a record low compression ratio. Compression is limited to 14,0:1, which is currently the lowest value found in diesel engines. The main benefits of such a concept are the list that we will hear from every manufacturer - reduced exhaust emissions, lower fuel consumption, more efficient operation. However, there is much more behind this design. This is a real show of modern engineering. Lower compression improves the quality of the mixture in the cylinders. Carbon buildup in the combustion chamber, pistons and spark plugs will be much less, if at all, improving engine longevity and reducing the risk of potential self-ignition. Lower pressure in the combustion chamber also means less forces inside the engine, so some moving parts can be reduced. Instead of a cast iron camshaft, we now have forged steel. The connecting rods and pistons were also lightened, which saved as much as 24 kg - in the engine itself. We all know the problems associated with starting and running a cold diesel engine. With such a low compression ratio, the problem could have worsened, but the engineers took care of it. Thus, we have a two-phase valve lift system in the exhaust stroke, which allows the phases in adjacent cylinders to overlap. Part of the exhaust gases, already at a high temperature, is drawn from one cylinder into the next, thereby accelerating the warm-up of the engine and providing a higher temperature in the combustion chamber almost “in place”. Another novelty is the replacement of the turbine with variable geometry for two - one is larger, the other is smaller. The exhaust manifold is integrated into the engine block.
The above paragraph may not be spiritual, but Ahura Mazda is also the god of wisdom. and decisions from Mazda 6 after the facelift, they are really smart. Before moving on to impressions, it is worth mentioning the performance of the new unit. It produces 175 hp. in the range of 3200-4800 rpm, and the engine is capable of spinning up to 5300 rpm. High for a diesel. Torque is also a hefty 420 Nm available at 2000 rpm. "B" because the torque characteristic is not flat. It focuses on fast transfer of transmission push and gradually decreases to lower values. The 2.2 Skyactiv-D engines come standard with the i-ELOOP system, which is responsible for energy recovery during braking, similar to Formula 1 KERS - it stores energy in a supercapacitor, and not in a battery. Such a capacitor is able to store energy much faster and on a permanent basis give it to systems with the greatest demand for electricity - ventilation, radio, lighting, etc. Anything else? Certainly. The station wagon variant can be ordered with 100-axle drive with active torque distribution. At low speeds, the system completely disengages the rear axle, similar to applying a handbrake. If necessary, it can transmit up to XNUMX% to the rear wheels, provided that the front wheels have zero traction.
Okay, but how does all this affect the driving experience? Mazda 6 in general, it has something of what has always been considered the lot of Alfa Romeo. Namely, from the sporty cockpit to the driving performance, it gives the impression of a car prepared especially for the driver. The compact design, combined with the low weight of 1485 kg, makes driving a lot of fun. The drive on both axles actually improves cornering stability, so we can overcome them faster and play in abandoned parking lots in winter. The main feature here, however, is the direct steering and the rather firm and comfortable suspension set up. These features are also expressed in the best feeling of the car, from which streams of positive emotions flow. 9,1 seconds to “hundreds” on paper and 8,6 seconds after the measurement do not speak of great impressions, but in practice it turns out a little differently. Due to the rapid injection of maximum torque, we feel more acceleration. We don't see it here with its sharp drop at high rpm and in fact driving a Mazda 6 can even feel like driving with a petrol engine under the hood.
The automatic transmission, on the contrary, does not bother, but it does not stand out in anything special either. Well, it pulls a little overdrive, it reduces quite quickly and does not twitch, it works smoothly. Convenient, but something is missing.
Many elements in a Mazda engine are designed to provide low fuel consumption. In fact, we can even achieve a result of about 5 l/100 km, but the best thing is when we run out of fuel in a 62-liter tank. I drove a little more dynamically, fuel consumption on the highway was 7,5 l / 100 km. The city was already 9,5 l / 100 km.
supreme deity
Mazda 6 2.2 Skyactiv-D could, like Ahura Mazda, reign in its segment. It combines visual beauty with cutting-edge technology while still being a pleasure to drive and handle day-to-day duties well. Mazdaism, however, was a monotheistic religion. The believers had no choice. In the automotive industry, it's a little different because there's so much more to choose from. Mid-size limousine manufacturers, especially this year, are vying fiercely for buyers' attention. Most of the models look impressive and original in their own way; each also backs up its offering with state-of-the-art security and entertainment systems.
Mazda has an interesting idea for a price list presentation. It makes no difference whether we choose the Sedan or Wagon version - the prices in both cases remain the same. Differences appear only with Skyactiv-D engines. 150 hp version can be ordered with a 4×4 drive in combination with a manual transmission, while the 175 hp unit. only available with automatic transmission. A copy similar to the tested one costs a minimum of PLN 164, although a weaker 900 × 4 can be bought from PLN 4. The base price of the Mazda 132 is PLN 900.
The comparable Passat Variant 4 Motion Highline costs PLN 141 for the 790 horsepower version and PLN 150 for the 158 horsepower version. Opel Insignia 900 CDTI ECOTEC Executive with all-wheel drive costs PLN 190 for the 2.0 hp version. and PLN 149 for the 750 hp version. In addition, you can buy a BMW 163d Touring xDrive from us at a similar price, but the equipment is a little more expensive there - similar to Audi and Mercedes, although the C-class with a 159 × 250 drive costs at least 195. zloty.
The choice is huge and the biggest problem is the high level of competition. Everyone has something interesting to offer. I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of today's segment D buyer. Choosing the best deal can turn into a nightmare.
