The new variant is priced on-the-road with GST and insurance at RM208,739 and takes the top slot in terms of pricing against its other stablemates, which consists of the entry-level 2.0, 2.5 SkyActiv sedan as well as the 2.5-litre Touring SkyActiv (wagon).
READ MORE: Diesel Mazda CX-5 also available
As standard, it arrives with a three-year or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first) and a three-year or 60,000km free service package, while being offered in colours of Soul Red Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl, Meteor Grey and Sonic Silver Metallic.
Under the hood lies a 2.2-litre (2,192cc) turbo-diesel SkyActiv-D engine which uses a two-stage turbocharger and a lower-than-usual compression ratio of 14:1 to help improve air-fuel mixture for a more complete combustion that enhances output for better power-delivery. Both the Mazda6 and CX-5 require the use of Euro5 diesel for optimum operations and to ensure the longevity of the engine. There is currently uncertainty about whether the Government would increase the palm oil content in the current B7 diesel blend to B10. Many car makers fear that a B10 blend would be detrimental to their engines.
A six-speed SkyActiv-Drive gearbox with paddle shifters and manual shift mode manages the engine's 173hp at 4,500rpm and 420Nm of torque at 2,000rpm that get sent to the front wheels, which turn thanks to the electronic power-assisted steering (EPAS) system.
The 1,525kg (kerb) sedan with a wheelbase of 2,830mm rolls on 19-inch wheels with 225/45 series tyres that provide grip 4,865mm-long, 1,840mm-wide and 1,450mm-tall body.
Externally, the newcomer looks identical to its sedan brethrens - except for the SkyActiv-D badge at the rear, and comes with LEDs for its daytime running lights, front fogs, automatic headlamps with auto-levelling fucntion, and rear combination light clusters.
It also comes with keyless-entry, automatic wipers, power-folding external mirrors with integrated turn-signals and powered sunroof as standard.
Inside, the cabin is fitted with two eight-way powered front seats (leather) with dual-memory function (driver-only), leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector, before getting garnished with a driver's heads-up display unit, electronic parking brake, engine start-stop button, cruise control, automatic dual-zone climate controls and auto-dimming rear view mirror and rear air vents.
The infotainment unit is is a seven-inch full-colour touchscreen display with radio/CD/MP3 playback, navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and AUX ports that's connected to a 11-speaker Bose surround system that's controlled via a multi-function Commander Control on the centre tunnel or via the controls on steering wheels.
Lastly, safety is bolstered by six airbags, anti-lock braking system, dynamic stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, smart city brake support, traction control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, emergency stop signal, tyre pressure monitoring system and ISOFIX anchor points.
