2018 Mazda 6 saloon & Tourer: prices, specs and on-sale date

Mazda has announced that the latest version of its Mazda6 family car will go on sale on 20 July, with prices starting at £23,195 for the saloon and £24,095 for the Tourer estate. The new car is set to go up against large family car rivals including the Skoda Superb, Vauxhall Insignia and Volkswagen Passat when it arrives later this month.

The Mazda6 is to be offered in four trim levels: SE-L Nav+, SE-L LUX Nav+, Sport Nav+ and GT Sport Nav+. A range of petrol and diesel engines are offered, along with a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes – although each trim level is only available with certain engine and gearbox combinations.

Design changes to the car’s exterior include a new grille, LED headlights and reprofiled front and rear bumpers. New alloy wheel designs help set off the stylish new look, along with sophisticated three-layer paint technology if you go for the new ‘Soul Red Crystal’ finish.

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The car’s interior has had a comprehensive reworking, with a focus on new materials and luxury. A centrally mounted eight-inch infotainment screen is joined by a seven-inch screen behind the steering wheel, along with a standard head-up display. Higher-spec cars benefit from stitched suede on the dash, ‘sen wood’ trim and Nappa leather.

Prices

The new Mazda6 will arrive in the UK later this month, priced at £23,195 for the entry-level SE-L Nav+ saloon with a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and manual gearbox. The equivalent Tourer model starts at £24,095, while the cheapest diesel option – the 146bhp 2.2-litre – will start at £25,795, or £26,695 for the Tourer.

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A step up to SE-L LUX Nav+ trim adds around £1,400 to the price, with the petrol saloon coming in at £24,595. The Sport Nav+ starts at £25,995 for a saloon with the more powerful petrol engine, or £27,195 for the more powerful diesel. Choosing the Tourer estate adds around £900 in each case.

The most expensive in the range is the top-spec GT Sport Nav+, powered by the 2.5-litre petrol engine. The saloon starts at £30,795 while the Tourer comes in at £31,695.

Engine and gearbox options

The entry point to the Mazda6 range is SE-L NAV+ trim. Both the Saloon and Tourer can be had in this spec with a 143bhp 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine or 148bhp 2.2-litre SKYACTIV-D diesel. A choice of six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes is offered on both engines, although the latter isn't available on the 2.0-litre petrol Tourer in entry-level trim. SE-L LUX Nav+ trim brings the same choice of engines, albeit without the option of an automatic gearbox.

Sport Nav+ gains the more powerful 163bhp version of the 2.0-litre petrol engine, while the 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel is joined by the option of a 181bhp version with a choice of both gearboxes.

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Step up to GT Sport Nav+ and Mazda’s new automatic-only, 2.5-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol can be specified, with 191bhp and cylinder-deactivation technology that helps save fuel by turning off two cylinders at 25-50mph. Diesel options are the same as for the Sport Nav+.

Mazda hasn’t released official economy figures for its engines as yet but it has provided CO2 emission figures: the 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine boasts the lowest figure with 117g/km in the Saloon and 119g/km in the Tourer, while the most powerful 191bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine predictably comes in at the opposite end of the scale with a still-respectable 153g/km of CO2.

Company car users will be best-served by the entry-level 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel options, which have a Benefit-in-Kind rating of 29% and 28% respectively, regardless of body type.

Specifications

The new Mazda6 comes well equipped as standard, even in entry-level SE-L Nav+ trim. All models get 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, foglights and rear lights, automatic lights and wipers, heated power-folding mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, rear privacy glass and – on Tourer models – roof rails.

Inside, standard equipment includes a leather steering wheel and gearknob, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable seats, a head-up display, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and a tonneau cover on Tourer models. DAB radio, sat-nav, and Bluetooth connectivity are also included as standard, accessible via an eight-inch infotainment screen.

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Specifying SE-L LUX Nav trim brings black leather upholstery, heated power-adjustable front seats, a heated steering wheel and a reversing camera.

Sport Nav+ models add 19-inch alloys, unique exterior trim details and daytime running lights, adaptive headlights and unique LED rear lights. The driver’s seat gains a memory function, while keyless entry, a wiper de-icer system and an 11-speaker Bose stereo are added to the mix. Optional ‘Stone’ leather is offered, along with the Safety Pack.

GT Sport Nav+ sits at the top of the range and as such gets even more equipment, including standard brown Nappa leather, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, improved ‘Japanese Sen Wood’ interior trim, LED interior illumination and a frameless rear-view mirror, along with the added Safety Pack as standard.

Safety, security and assistance

Standard safety equipment is good: hill-hold, automatic emergency braking, automatic cruise control, a speed limiter, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent speed assist and a lane-keeping system are all included.

The Safety Pack – standard on the GT Sport Nav+ – brings even more safety kit, including adaptive LED lights and a driver attention alert system.