CIRCULATING IN WANGARATTA, BENALLA, MYRTLEFORD, BRIGHT, MT BEAUTY, BEECHWORTH, YACKANDANDAH, RUTHERGLEN, CHILTERN AND DISTRICTS
NORTH EAST
September 13, 2013
available online - wangarattachronicle.com.au
PRINTED FORTNIGHTLY — VOLUME 431
Refined Captiva 5 Storypage4
NEW MAZDA6: Its sleek lines make heads turn.
Mazda 6 Sport is a visual standout T
he new Mazda6 is bigger than the model it replaces and has excellent head-turning styling. From its deep air-gulping winged radiator grille, through a long low-set bonnet and coupe-like curved roof to a shapely rear, the mid-size model has the street presence of many European luxury sports sedans three times the price. Moving the A-pillar 100mm backwards not only adds to the style, but also gives the driver a wider field of view. The all-new Mazda6 comes in four variants, Sport, Touring (station wagon), GT and Atenza, with prices starting at $33,460, plus on-road costs. ENGINES Powertrains include a 2.2-litre diesel or a 2.5-litre petrol, both making use of Mazda’s interesting SkyActiv technology. The engines are both mated with a sixspeed automatic transmission. Our road test car, a Mazda6 Sport, was
By DEREK OGDEN and EWAN KENNEDY powered by the petrol engine. Putting out 138 kW of power at 5700 rpm and 250Nm of torque at 3250 revs it has the sedan rushing to 100 km/h from rest in 8.2 seconds. TECHNOLOGY Both engines come standard with i-Eloop, Mazda’s new brake energy regeneration system as well as i-stop, its advanced stop/ start unit. The ground-breaking i-Eloop makes use of a capacitor rather than a battery to quickly capture and temporarily store electricity to power components such as the climate control and audio. Any surplus electricity in the capacitor, which can be charged repeatedly without major deterioration, goes to the battery. A further advantage can be gained in connection with i-stop during stop-go city driving when charging often resumes before
the capacitor is fully discharged. Thus the majority of the vehicle’s electricity requirements can be supplied by i-Eloop without calling on any of the engine’s output to drive the alternator. Fuel savings result. Mazda suggests combined urban/ highway petrol usage of 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres. We managed between nine and ten litres per hundred around town and in the low to mid fives on the motorway. The whiff of luxury wafts into the passenger cabin with a polished aluminium look for door handles and gearshift knob and with soft materials used on the steering wheel and other oft-touched parts. Nothing is cramped. At 2830 mm, the sedan wheelbase is among the longest in the segment resulting in substantial legroom in the rear, while access to 438 litres of luggage space is made easy by a larger boot opening than before.
The driver is well catered for with the ergonomic Human-Machine Interface putting him or her in touch with vehicle operations via a knob on the centre console. Other features include an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat and tilt-andtelescopic steering wheel movement. A 3.5-inch multi-information display in the main instrument cluster presents the driver with clear and concise information on such things as fuel consumption, while a 5.8-inch touchscreen atop the centre stack projects infotainment including satellite navigation and reversing camera view with guidelines. Connections to the outside world come via iPod, USB and Bluetooth hands-free mobile connectivity with voice recognition. A new mail function for Bluetooth connected smart phones enables display and readout of SMS, MMS and email via the 5.8-inch touchscreen.
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