First Drive Review
Only after discarding the manufactured teen-idol image he had long outgrown did country-tinged balladeer Ricky (a.k.a. “Rick”) Nelson finally strike pay dirt. After years of grudgingly toeing the pop-star line did the country-rock pioneer pen his 1972 hit, “Garden Party,” featuring the experiential chorus: “But it’s all right now, I’ve learned my lesson well/ You see, you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.”
Forty years later, that sentiment seemingly resonates with Mazda, a company whose best products (the Miata, the RX-7, the RX-8) always seem to come when ignoring the status quo. By the company’s own admission, the previous-generation 6 suffered a slight identity crisis at the hands of committee decisions and raging envy of roomier sedans. This time around, with virtually every model in the segment (the Nissan Altima, the Honda Accord, the Ford Fusion, the Chevrolet Malibu, to name a few) freshly redesigned and aiming for the top of the charts, Mazda has wisely chosen to go its own way—we’ll spare you the classic-rock metaphor on that one—with the 2014 Mazda 6 sedan, building precisely the car its engineers and product planners envisioned.
Coming to America?
Mazda let us loose in a few “late, late preproduction” European-spec cars equipped with Skyactiv diesel and gasoline powerplants. The gas-powered 6 won’t make its way to our shores until January 2013, and the diesel has yet to be confirmed for our market. Mazda wouldn’t outright deny the possibility of bringing over the diesel engine, however, and we fully expect it to be offered here in the 6 and the CX-5.
The 2.2-liter oil burner is quiet, smooth, and loaded for bear with torque to spare. Available in standard (148 hp at 4500 rpm, 280 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm) and High Power versions (173 hp at 4500 rpm, 310 lb-ft at 2000 rpm), we drove the latter. A delight with either the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission handling cog-changing duties, the stronger diesel does without the extra hassle of an exhaust after-treatment solution to meet European emissions regulations. Shove is available right off idle, and the diesel pulls strongly to its redline. Only in the quietest moments are strains of clatter or injector tick audible; at speed on the highway, the diesel is indistinguishable from its petrol-swilling sibling.
According to Mazda, the 2.2-liter’s compression ratio of 14.0:1 is the world’s lowest in a production diesel engine. This enables the adoption of an all-aluminum block, lighter engine components, and optimized combustion timing. We had only a few hours with the engine, but we came away convinced that it could make a run at dethroning VW’s TDI as the mass-market, family-sedan compression-ignition king. Bring it, Mazda.
The direct-injected 2.5-liter, 16-valve Skyactiv gasoline engine that is confirmed for the States performs with equal aplomb, exploiting its higher-rpm capabilities to produce 189 hp at 5700 rpm. When called on to perform downshifts, the six-speed auto responds smartly and delivers 189 ft-lb of torque at 3250 rpm, hustling the vehicle with relative ease. (We estimate curb weights to ring in at 3200 to 3300 pounds.) Only in the direct shadow of the diesel does the gasoline engine feel a little anemic, and that’s primarily at low rpm. A balance shaft is employed to quell vibrations, and in contrast to the diesel, the gas engine features an ultra-high compression ratio for its engine type (in this case 13.0:1). Don’t tune out just yet, spendthrifts—Mazda says it will run fine on regular-grade fuel when it arrives here in the U.S.
Engineering Is Believing
Calibrated for linear, easy-to-control application, the throttle enables smooth getaways in both manual- and automatic-equipped cars. There’s a kickdown detent in the accelerator pedal’s travel at about 95 percent; hold steady or back off slightly, and the transmission will stay in the current gear. It’s great for maintaining speed around increasing-radius or blind corners. Of course, one could just engage manual mode and select gears with the shifter or wheel-mounted paddles, but we’ll take increased vehicle control however we can get it.
The manual gearbox is said to have been tuned with the Miata’s in mind. According to Mazda, the throws are shortened slightly and shifter length reduced by almost two inches compared with last year’s Mazda 6 self-shifter. Overall, the new transmission has been lightened and modified for less friction in pursuit of improved fuel economy. In use, it snicks from cog to cog smoothly and intuitively, with enough mechanical feel remaining that you don’t forget there’s a box full of gears on the other end.
