2018 Mazda 6 facelift launched with enhanced focus on comfort

Updated Volkswagen Passat rival is on show in LA; it will arrive in Britain late next year

Mazda has updated its 6 saloon with new chassis settings that it claims will make it handle better and be more comfortable to drive.

The Volkswagen Passat rival, on show at the LA motor show, has revised spring rates, new suspension geometry and extra chassis braces to improve its rigidity. Engineers have also equipped the car with a rigid-mounted steering column to enhance its responsiveness.

These changes are said to reduce vibrations that make their way into the cabin, decrease harshness when rolling over changing surfaces and give the car a more supple ride. Engineers have also dialled out understeer and given the car a more neutral setup.

Inside, a new 7.0in TFT instrument cluster is offered in higher-spec models, while the centre console gets an 8.0in touchscreen. This screen can display a 360-degree view of the car. The design of the interior itself is almost all new.

As part of the comfort-improving changes, Mazda also offers the 6 with ventilated seats that feature more supportive foam. Nappa leather is available on top-spec models.

Exterior design changes are limited to a new grille with thicker framework, new LED headlights and new wheels, which come in 17in or 19in forms. Mazda has also added Soul Red Crystal paint to the 6’s palette options for the first time.

In the US, the updated car is offered with a choice of two engines: a Skyactiv 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and a new turbocharged petrol engine of the same layout and capacity.

UK specifications won’t be revealed until the updated car arrives here in late 2018, but neither 2.5-litre unit is expected to make it here. Instead, the current 6’s Skyactiv 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2 diesel engines are more likely to remain, albeit with improvements to efficiency.

Pricing isn’t expected to change dramatically from the current car, which starts at £19,995, although a small increase is likely. This should leave it with an advantage over arch rival, the Passat, which starts at from £21,610. 

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