Launched for the 2014 model year, the third-generation Mazda6 appears to have it all: style, performance, comfort, crisp handling,

Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press

excellent fuel economy, value … even critical approval (it won the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s Car of the Year Award in 2014).

It’s a surprise then to find that Mazda’s athletic mid-size sedan lags in the race out the showroom doors, with Canadian sales numbers finishing up just ahead of the niche Subaru Legacy during 2014, but well behind the big players like the Ford Fusion it shares underpinnings with, or the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Chrysler 200, Nissan Altima, and the list goes on. The story was pretty much the same in the US, although there even the Legacy nipped the Mazda6 at the line.

Rising to the challenge, Mazda was preparing to release a mildly refreshed 2016 Mazda6 even as 2015 got underway, but in the meantime I was able to drive the current

Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press

model and found it thoroughly engaging and efficient. The Mazda6 comes in three trim levels: GX, GS and GT. My test car was a top-end GT model fitted with a comprehensive optional Technology Package.

Under the hood, all Mazda6 models come equipped with a Skyactiv 2.5-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine that delivers 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. All trim levels are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic, and while the automatic is a $1,300 option in the base GX model, it’s a no-cost option in GS and GT trims. My car had the automatic – a smooth and responsive unit that offers a sport mode and paddle shifters – but with either transmission the Mazda6 will scoot from 0-100 km/h in about eight seconds, which is good for this segment, especially when you consider this model’s excellent fuel economy.

Using

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the new five-cycle testing process, the 2015 Mazda6 is rated at 8.8 / 6.1 L/100km (city/highway) with the automatic, and if you get the Technology Package with its i-Eloop regenerative braking system as in my test car, this improves to 8.4 / 5.9 L/100km/h. Short of a hybrid, there’s no other mid-size sedan that delivers numbers quite this good. In real world driving, with mostly city miles under the heavy-footed care of automobile journalists, my test car was averaging 9.1 L/100km, a solid 1.5 L/100km better than any other conventionally powered mid-size sedan I’ve driven recently.

For those interested in the technical details, the i-Eloop system uses the alternator to recapture energy during deceleration, storing it in a dedicated battery that can then power the car’s accessory systems during acceleration, reducing alternator loads (and therefore peak power demands) on the engine. You don’t really feel the system

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at work when driving, except perhaps as a slightly stronger-than-average engine braking force when you lift off the throttle.

Despite it’s efficient bent, the Mazda6 remains a more engaging car to drive than most other mid-size sedans. Its suspension is firmly sprung and well composed, and while this means the Mazda6’s ride isn’t as cushy as some of its competitors, the upside is that it has quick, precise handling, communicative steering, excellent chassis dynamics and plenty of grip. This makes it a genuine pleasure to pilot along twisting roads, and makes the Mazda6 a must-see for mid-size sedan buyers with enthusiast inclinations.

Structurally the Mazda6 is solid enough to earn good ratings in all IIHS crash tests except the challenging new small overlap front crash test, where it still mustered up

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an acceptable rating. Combined with the driver assistance technologies available as part of the Technology Package, this earned the Mazda6 an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.

Inside, the Mazda6 is conservatively but pleasantly styled, and well fitted out with soft-skinned door uppers both front and rear, a soft-top dash, cloth-wrapped A-pillars, and nice matte rigid plastics where appropriate. Polished aluminum trim accents add a touch of luxury. Upping the luxury quotient further, my GT test car featured perforated leather upholstery with tasteful dark red contrasting stitching. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and power-operated on both sides in GT trim. In the back I found plenty of legroom and headroom for my five-foot-eleven frame, and the trunk is a usable 419 litres (14.8 cubic feet).

All

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models including the base GX feature alloy wheels (17-inchers on the lower trim levels), air conditioning, power locks, keyless entry with pushbutton start, power windows, heated front seats, heated power exterior mirrors, automatic headlights, LED taillights, rain-sensing variable intermittent wipers, cruise control, twin 12-volt outlets, and a six-speaker AM/FM/HD/CD audio system with a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, auxiliary input and USB plug.

GS models add dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, paddle shifters (in automatic-equipped cars), fog lights, vanity mirror illumination, a blind-spot monitoring system with cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera, a power adjustable driver’s seat, and what Mazda calls its HMI (Human Machine Interface) Commander Switch, which is a rotary infotainment system controller knob similar to BMW’s iDrive or Audi’s MMI. I found HMI intuitive

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to use, and was able to find my way around the system fairly easily.

An available Luxury package adds leather upholstery, a power sunroof, navigation system and a few other creature comforts to the GS trim.

GT trim includes bigger 19-inch bright-finish alloys, leather upholstery, a powered sunroof, upgraded 11-speaker Bose premium audio, adaptive bi-xenon HID headlights, auto-dimming interior and door mirrors, a voice-activated navigation system, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat (instead of six-way) and a power-adjustable passenger’s seat.

On top of all this, my test car’s optional Technology Package added the i-Eloop regenerative braking system, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic

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high beams, forward obstruction warning and Sirius satellite radio. My only quibbles with all the gear are that I found the blind spot information system to be a little oversensitive, and the navigation graphics a little chunky.

Pricing for the 2015 Mazda6 starts at $26,190 including the $1,695 destination fee for the base GX trim, running up to $33,990 (destination in) for the range-topping GT. Adding in the $2,800 Technology package my test car priced out at $36,790. This is thoroughly competitive with any of the Mazda6’s rivals, but where the Mazda really has an advantage is in its sublime blend of economy, performance, features, handling and style. Sure, the Ford Fusion and Kia Optima both offer their own blends of attention-getting style and creature comforts, but neither is quite as engaging to drive as the Mazda6. And while the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord offer space and fuel efficiency almost as good as the Mazda6, neither of them do it with quite so much style.

If a soft ride is important to you, there are certainly other mid-size sedans you might want to consider ahead of the Mazda6, but if you value engaging driving dynamics, wallet-friendly efficiency and family-friendly practicality, Mazda’s mid-size entry should be on your short list.

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