“The introductions of the diesel and estate models to the new Mazda6 range are tremendously important as they will account for a significant share of total Mazda6 sales volumes,” enthuses Mark Cameron, Mazda UK Marketing Director. 

“Almost 90 percent of fleet sales for Mazda6 are diesel powered models, and in its estate form, the new Mazda6 is a great blend of sporty stylishness and immense practicality.

“At 140ps, our diesel Mazda6 out-performs many potential rivals, particularly their entry and mid level derivatives, and its reduced CO₂ emissions will deliver real financial benefits to company car drivers,” added Cameron. 

“Simultaneously, more buyers will abandon larger SUV and MPV models, attracted to cars like the new Mazda6 for its people and cargo carrying abilities and its modest CO₂ emissions levels,” concluded Cameron.

The current Mazda6 estate has proven popular, accounting for 12 percent of Mazda6 sales.  With the new model’s enhanced styling, specification and interior space, and the price premium for the estate reduced to just £700 over the hatchback, Mazda anticipates estate sales could grow to 20 percent.

Responsive, Refined, Fuel-efficient, 140ps Diesel
With new Mazda6, customers who prefer diesel rather than petrol power, can order their car with the updated MZR-DC 2.0-litre engine.  In its latest form, this 1,998cc, four cylinder 16-valve turbocharged power unit, which generates 140ps at 3,500rpm, and 330Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, incorporates several technical enhancements which reduce both fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Engine upgrades include a newly calibrated ECU with optimised mapping for the fuel injection, which reduces knock even more and results in better drivability, fuel efficiency and emissions performance. 

On the combined cycle, the hatchback Mazda6 returns 50.4mpg (up from 47.1mpg for the previous model) and a CO₂ figure of just 149g/km – down 9.7 percent from the 165g/km of the older model.  This also places the diesel hatchback in a highly competitive band C for vehicle excise duty, down from band D for the outgoing Mazda6.

Although diesel models weigh an additional 120kg, versus petrol models, with 46 percent more torque than even the largest capacity (2.5-litre) petrol engine, the diesel Mazda6 retains all the Zoom-Zoom, fun-to-drive, attributes of the Mazda brand.  Acceleration to 62mph with the 2.0-litre diesel takes just 0.5 seconds longer than the 2.0-litre petrol model (10.7 compared to 10.2 seconds for the hatchback), while top speed is 125mph.

Boosted appeal for Fleet Drivers
“The really good news for company car drivers is that engine improvements across the new Mazda6 range mean that CO₂ emission levels are significantly lower than the outgoing model, with Mazda promising reduced benefit-in-kind tax levels despite a modest increase in list prices over the previous model,” observes Mark Cameron.

Mazda’s figures show that the new Mazda6 model will deliver huge savings in company car tax.  The new 1.8 model provides an amazing five band reduction in company car tax from 24 percent to 19 percent in 2007/08.  Depending on model, CO₂ reductions for other models range from 23 to 15 g/km, while tax band reductions average 5 percent (see table). 

New Mazda 6 – CO₂ and Company Car Tax reductions

The reduced CO₂ emissions levels also mean savings in Vehicle Excise Duty – the 1.8 petrol is down two bands, while the 2.0 petrol and 2.0 turbo diesel are both down one band on the current model – so fleet operating costs will reduce with the introduction of the all-new Mazda6.