Review of the new Mazda6 2.2D

Mazda's 6 had the style and the handling poise to be a big hit and with the 2.2-litre diesel installed under its bonnet, it has the engine technology too. This is one of the sector's top powerplants and it makes the sharky Mazda a compelling proposition that will have rivals worried.

A good diesel engine is an absolute must for a medium range family car these days. The Mazda6 had one of those but now it's got an even better one. Will this improvement in engine technology be enough to provoke a similar upturn in the sales figures of Mazda's handsome mile muncher? That's what we aim to find out.

The medium range sector where the Mazda6 competes used to be a massive cash cow for the major manufacturers but with fleet and private buyers having their heads turned by premium brand products, things have become markedly tougher. This is ironic in a way because the range of options in the medium range market has never looked stronger with the likes of Ford's Mondeo, Vauxhall's Insignia and Renault's Laguna setting an extremely high standard. Mazda's 6 is another leading contender with plenty to offer and the hope is that the 2.2-litre common-rail diesel engine will further raise its profile, not to mention its sales performance.

Mazda's 2.2-litre diesel, or the 'MZR-CD 2.2', to give it its full title, is an advanced common-rail diesel engine featuring a variable geometry turbocharger and a high pressure fuel injection system. The features give the engine greater capacity to adapt to the demands being placed on it by the driver, generating maximum performance when required or optimising efficiency when it isn't. The engine uses aluminium extensively in its construction and is available in three states of tune, 123bhp, 161bhp and 182bhp. Even the least powerful unit can perform the 0-62mph sprint in 10.9s. That's just 0.2s slower than the old 2.0-litre diesel engine in the Mazda6 which had 138bhp. Go for the most powerful version and 62mph is just 8.5s away, making the Mazda6 one of the quickest diesels in the sector.

"The 2.2D engine offers a powerful argument in favour of choosing the Mazda6."

The Mazda6 uses a fully independent suspension system delivering improved ride comfort and reduced road noise. The old, rather woolly, hydraulic power steering set-up has been ditched and replaced with the Mazda RX-8 sports car's electric system in order to achieve optimal steering assistance at the widest number of speed variations. The six-speed manual transmission offers an especially precise shift action with built-in positive stops for the extremes of the gearlever's movements. In general, the Mazda6 feels a polished proposition on the road.

A key design criteria on this Mazda6 was the it should still look fresh in ten years time. That might be stretching things a bit but the stylists have certainly created a good looking and slippery shape with a drag coefficient of Cd 0.26 for the 4735mm long hatchback and saloon versions and 0.28 for the 4765mm long estate. The cabin is reasonably spacious and well build but there's an over reliance on dark plastics which creates a somewhat sombre tone. Some will like it, others might be put off.

In the rear, the 60/40 split seatbacks fold forward with a simple, single movement to present a flat luggage floor. We liked the fact that on the estate model, the rear tonneau cover automatically moves upwards as the tailgate is opened, eliminating the need to handle the cover every time cargo is loaded or unloaded. Available safety innovations include an Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS), the Rear Vehicle Monitoring System that warns of cars in your blind spot, parking sensors and active headrests that protect your neck in a crash. There are also collapsible brake and clutch pedals and extensive pedestrian protection measures.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine will be integral to the success of the Mazda6 in the future. The fleet market accounts for the overwhelming majority of sales in this sector and Mazda expects fully 90% of all fleet buyers to go with diesel power. The trim levels run from S through TS and TS2 to Sport and Sport Luxury with the basic equipment quota including features like DSC Dynamic Stability Control, six airbags, air-conditioning, 16" alloy wheels and a height and reach adjustable steering wheel.

A significant safety boost is being provided for Mazda6 drivers with the introduction of Mazda's lane change 'Rear Vehicle Monitoring System' as standard from TS2 level upwards. This fully automatic active safety feature detects and warns the driver of an approaching vehicle before he or she has a chance to move across into a busy lane by mistake. The system uses wide angle, 24 GHz microwave radar units on the right and left side of the rear bumper to cover both sides of the car within a range of 50 metres. At speeds over 40mph, microwaves are emitted which reflect off following vehicles, including motorcycles, and are picked up by the system's receivers.

The Mazda6 2.2D promises to be an affordable car to run regardless of how much power it's producing. The 123bhp unit can return over 51mpg on the combined cycle while even the range-topping 182bhp derivative gets more than 49mpg. The CO2 emissions that are so important from a tax perspective also make pleasant reading, ranging between 147g/km and 152g/km depending on the model. Emissions of NOx and particulates are successfully curtailed by the engine's Exhaust Gas Recirculation system and DPF particulate filter. The Mazda6 sits somewhere between Ford and Vauxhall and Honda and Volkswagen when it comes to residual values - although your dealer will probably tell you different. Expect insurance to sit in the group 7 to 12 bracket.

Saloon, hatchback or estate, Mazda's 6 always had the looks and the driving dynamics to lure buyers in the competitive medium range market: now it's got a class leading diesel engine too. The 2.2-litre D models put the advanced powerplant to good use, delivering strong performance with little or no sacrifice in terms of economy. This is the Mazda6 at its best and it's pretty darn good.

There's talk of petrol engines making a comeback against the dominant diesels but in the high mileage, fleet-focused area of the market where Mazda's 6 competes, the oil-burner's time in the limelight doesn't look like drawing to a close. Aluminium construction, variable geometry turbocharging and an advanced, high precision injection system make the 2.2D engine into a powerful argument in favour of choosing the Mazda6.

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