REVIEW: Mazda 6 2.2D Sport Nav

Badge snobbery is a staple of the business fleet and established contenders like BMW, Audi and Mercedes rule the roost.

When it comes to making the choice of what the next company car might be, though, the new Mazda 6 throws a spanner into the works.

Not only does it boast more kit for your cash than those German and Japanese premium contenders, but it also offers a sheer acreage of swoops and sweeps that muscles it into the attention of passers-by.

Prices start at £19,795 for the 143bhp Mazda 6 SE, more than £4,000 less than the base BMW 3-Series, which it monsters by around 21cm in length (4,870mm) and 3cm in width (1,840mm) and more than £7,000 cheaper than the still smaller Audi A4.

Tested here is the Mazda 6 2.2D Sport Nav (£26,795) which comes with touchscreen TomTom sat-nav, full leather upholstery, cruise control, an 11-speaker Bose sound system with Bluetooth, parking sensors and a reversing camera.

The sheer scale of the Mazda 6 was the first thing that seized my attention, the second was the quality and styling of the interior.

Mazda has made huge strides in this area and the sculpted steering wheel, touches of satin aluminium and stubby, sweet-shifting gear-lever all add to a sense of polish. 

Let your German car-owning colleagues take a look inside.

Out on the road the Mazda 6 strikes a good balance between imperious stability and biddable B-road accuracy.

Its 2.2-litre 173bhp engine bestows it with a reasonable turn of pace and the front-wheel-drive chassis is not too straight laced.

Mazda claims a 7.9 second dash to 62mph and 139mph top speed.

At a cruise I found 50mpg was on the cards. Mazda claims 62.8mpg and 119g/km CO2 emissions.

The breadth of the Mazda 6’s abilities truly impressed during my test.

Not only did I admire its road presence and appearance, but its practicality, dynamics and depth of quality shone through.

It’s a class above pretenders from Ford and Vauxhall and a fantastic foil for those badge snobs at work...

Mazda6 2.2D Sport Nav

Engine: 2,191cc, four-cylinder, turbodiesel

Power: 143bhp and 310lb.ft. of torque

Performance: 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds and 139mph

Economy: 62.8mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 119g/km

Price: £26,795