19 Nov 04
Fuel economy is better than expected - Mazda quotes a 27.6mpg figure for the combined cycle, but a 243g/km CO2 rating means its company car appeal will be limited. Oh, and this car must run on 98Ron unleaded - any lower octane-rated fuel will result in a noticeable drop in performance (Mazda reckons up to 15 percent less on 91Ron fuel).
Up to a very well-marked point, the Mazda feels sharp, fast and terrifically composed. It's fluid, poised and keyed in to the road, scything quickly through corners and annihilating straights. The steering, lifted unchanged from the standard 6, is keen and direct, the nose swinging sweetly and cleanly from one apex onto the next.
The suspension has been beefed up to handle the hike in power. The front springs are now 25 percent stiffer, the anti-roll bar 1mm thicker at 24mm and the lower arm bushes more rigid. At the rear, the E-shaped multilink suspension gets a similar treatment, and an additional bracket for the rear cross member.
The chassis has also been strengthened; two large cross-braces and reinforced mounting points for the uprated double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension have boosted rigidity by 51 percent. Great for dynamics - the ride has a wonderfully taut, well-damped flex as it goes about sponging away intrusions. But it does mean the MPS6 will be a saloon-only model with fixed rear seats.
The gearbox, a new six-speed unit, has a slick, short and mechanical-feeling throw, and the brakes - big 340mm discs at the front and 320mm discs out back - feel muscular, easily curbing the MPS from any speed.
