Zen and the art of Mazda

By ALASTAIR SLOANE motoring editor

Mazda hopes the refinements in the new Mazda6 and its stationwagon variant will help it to crack the mid-range market.

Mazda calls it the "karakuri fold". It's a single action that folds the rear seats in the Mazda6 hatchback and stationwagon to a flat floor - without having to remove the headrests.

The idea comes from a traditional Japanese wind-up doll. The same action flips the seats upright again.

Mazda has adapted similar tactile Japanese harmonies to the door handles. To minimise effort required to open the doors, engineers were wired with electrodes to measure muscle movements.

The handles were subsequently crafted to suit. The sound of the doors closing was studied and harmonised, too.

"Because sound is more than noise, the engineering team worked not to just reduce noise, vibration and harshness, but to improve the quality of sound the vehicle occupants would hear," says Mazda.

"For example, the manifold and intake systems of the engine were fine-tuned to produce a unique and pleasing sound."

Mazda says it set out to develop a "oneness" between the Mazda6 and driver. "The detail that has gone into ensuring this is amazing," says Mazda New Zealand managing director Peter Aitken.

"The handling, power delivery, seating, ergonomics and interior have all been developed to deliver an athletic, dynamically balanced, sophisticated design in the sporty tradition of the iconic MX-5."

Aitken and his executive team launched the Mazda6 range in the South Island the other day. It is bigger all round than the 626 it replaces, save for the 40mm reduction in height of the wagon, and will go on sale this month.

It arrives as Mazda's "zoom-zoom" advertising campaign continues to lift the carmaker's profile.

In grown-up language, "zoom-zoom" is a "childhood expression of exhilaration and liberation that comes from experiencing sheer motion".

That's how Mazda's advertising agency put it. Why grow up and confuse things, it told the carmaker, when children put things much better.

So far this year, Mazda has sold 2170 vehicles for a 4 per cent share of the new-vehicle market, up nearly 15 per cent on last year, according to the Land Transport Safety Authority.

It lies seventh on the 2002 sales list, behind Toyota (10,358), Holden (9303), Ford (8658), Mitsubishi (4972), Nissan (4143) and Honda (2952). BMW, the top European, is in eighth place with 1307 sales.

The Mazda6 is the company's flagship model. Its development began with a European study of the best front-wheel-drive cars on the market.

Mazda says it picked these cars to pieces and set itself a new mid-range benchmark challenging the standards of luxury marques such as BMW and Audi.

All along it kept in mind the BMW 3-Series' strengths: steering precision, rigidity, controlled suspension movement and stability through corners.

Mazda settled on new body architecture, two new engines, new braking system and new suspension - double wishbone front and a multi-link rear set-up.

The front and rear track has been increased by about 50mm, geometry that lowers the vehicle's centre of gravity by about 20mm, says Mazda.

"The Mazda6 brings a new level of sophistication to the mid-sized class and its athletic lines have set a style direction for the company," says Aitken.

"It rewrites the rules by delivering world-class dynamics wrapped in a great looking package that is bigger, safer and more refined than its predecessor."

Public relations spin? Gushy stuff from the carmaker? Of course, but Aitken believes every word.

So do many overseas critics: "The Mazda6 is a huge, dynamic improvement over any previous Mazda family car, blending good ride with sharp handling. It offers more interior room than ever before, with eye-catching, user-friendly instrumentation," said one. The Herald has yet to drive the car.

The new model comes with a choice of two all-alloy, four-cylinder engines of 2-litre and 2.3-litre capacity, mated to either a five-speed manual, four-speed automatic, or a four-speed automatic with a manual override that Mazda calls Activematic.

The 2-litre develops 104kW at 6000rpm and 181Nm of torque at 4100rpm - 12 per cent more power and 2 per cent more torque than its predecessor in the 626.

The 2.3-litre unit produces 122kW at 6500rpm and 207Nm at 4000rpm. More than 90 per cent of its torque is available from 1750rpm.

Safety equipment includes two or six airbags, anti-lock brakes, seatbelt pre-tensioners and child anchor points. Standard items like CD player and air-conditioning are consistent with the segment.

The entry-level 2-litre GLX is $36,995 for the manual and $38,495 for the automatic. The 2.3-litre GSX sedan costs $40,795 for the manual and $42,545 for the Activematic.

The 2.3-litre Sporthatch is available in two models, the GSX and Limited. The manual GSX costs $42,395, the Activematic $44,145. The Limited is $45,795 and $47,545 respectively. The 2.3-litre GSX manual wagon is $41,995 and the Activematic $43,745.

"We are delighted at the pricing levels," says Aitken.

"We have researched the market and are expecting sales of around 120 vehicles a month against the 75 vehicles a month we have been achieving with the 626.

"In the Mazda6 we have the vehicle that delivers on everything the zoom-zoom advertising campaign promises."