19 Nov 04
Mazda launched the MPS6 at the ex-Formula One TI Circuit near Hiroshima. At very high speeds the hot 6 feels inspiringly secure and civilised. In the dry, only extreme mid-corner provocation will unstick the rear end - this is no lurid smoke-pluming drift king. In the wet through, it should prove more adjustable. Most of the time, it simply goes where you want it to with a tail-up eagerness. The rest of the time it simply understeers.
Mazda estimates 500 MPS6s will finder buyers a year when the car goes on sale late next summer with an anticipated £25,000 pricetag. If you find yourself looking for a tarmac-rippling eyeball-flattener around that time, best look elsewhere. And equally, if you want a smooth and rapid saloon, the BMW 325i and Audi A4 3.0 are similarly priced. But as an alternative to the Mondeo ST220, Vectra GSi, Alfa 156 GTA and Accord Type S, the MPS6 is an attractive option.
But there's no getting away from the feeling that the MPS6 was designed and engineered to a very strict budget. Given its budgetary restraints, Mazda has come up with an appealing underdog. It's fast, discreet, has plenty of character and is pretty good value for money. But I just can't help wishing it was a bit sharper, a little more focused.
