There was a time when accusing a car of having a distinctly Japanese interior would be interpreted as being less than flattering. No longer. The Mazda 6 cabin does have that Oriental feel to it, but only because it’s design is so neat and clean without in any way seeming boring.
It offers drivers and passengers alike a high quality and reasonably distinctive environment which has been notably enhanced by the mid-life modifications to the interior materials with better dash plastics, seat upholstery and a piano black to the centre console.
The Mazda 6 is a spacious car, too, with sensible apportioning of the available room between the front and rear cabins and the boot. The driving position is excellent and offers a steering wheel with reach and rake adjustment, though that is to be expected in this class these days. There’s generous space for your children behind and even adults won’t feel overly hard done by in the back, so long as the journey’s not too long.
The boot is fairly cavernous even when the rear seats are in place and when these are dropped flat into the floor (which requires just one handle to be tugged), this hatchback version provides enough load area for the estate version to be simply not necessary for most users. There’s a four-door saloon body available for the same price as the hatch but we can’t think of any reason save snob value for choosing it over the more practical and attractive hatch.
In TS2 trim, the Mazda 6 is well equipped with front, side and curtain airbags as standard, climate, cruise and electronic stability control but not the large wheels and tyres of the Sport version which compromise further the already marginal ride quality.