Beauty will get you a long way, and the Mazda6 estate has it in spades, along with a lot of luggage space and a whole host of standard equipment, writes Shane O'Donoghue
AS MUCH as we'd like to fool ourselves into thinking otherwise, good looks help you get ahead in this life.
The same can be said of the car world; on that score, the Mazda6 was born with a silver spoon in its mouth, and the four-door saloon version is already finding favour with Irish buyers.
Now it's time for the estate model to enter the market and, contrary to its practical vocation in life, it's arguably the best-looking version of the Mazda6 yet.
It vies for attention alongside the new five-door hatchback, but no estate car from a rival manufacturer looks this good.
The RX-8 inspired wheel arch bulges are unique, but it's the sharply curving lights at both ends that really help the new 6 stand out.
The rear lamps in particular suit the gently rising side glass shape and the raked rear window of the estate. The rear hatch is a crucial aspect of any estate's design: its shape is a trade-off between style and carrying capacity.
The Mazda6's design looks good and is certainly near the top of its class in terms of luggage volume.
Mazda includes a couple of neat touches as standard, such as the "Karakuri" - loosely translated from Japanese as "cleverly designed and surprising" - rear seat folding system and automatic luggage cover.
The rear seat back is folded flat by a simple lever flush-mounted with the side of the luggage space, while a lightweight mesh cover opens when you raise the tailgate, yet prevents prying eyes from seeing your cargo when it's closed.
Inside the estate, it's business as usual for the Mazda6, which means it has a well-designed interior with a tactile switchgear and high-quality plastics.
The instruments are verging on sporty, but overall it's a cohesive cabin, as well as being spacious and comfortable.
Mazda continues to offer an excellent level of standard equipment and as the estate only comes in Executive SE level, it's well-equipped. It's a pity in a way that the line-up will be limited in this manner, but at least it's good value for money.
The 1.8-litre petrol unit produces 118bhp, 165Nm of torque and a CO2 figure of 162g/km and comes in at €30,995, while the new 2.0-litre diesel engined model betters all of those figures and commands a premium of €34,595.
With a weight penalty over the saloon of no more than 50kg or so, it's no surprise that the estate and new hatchback models drive in an identical manner to the accomplished saloon, which means a good ride/handling compromise and impressive composure.
The estate is the pick of the bunch, and not just because of its looks.
Factfile Mazda6
Mazda6 estate:
Estate 1.8 Executive SE: €30,995;
Estate 2.0D Executive SE: €34,595
Hatchback:
1.8 Executive: €27,995;
2.0D Executive: €31,595;
1.8 Sport: €30,665
Saloon:
2.0D Executive: €31,095; 2.0D Executive SE: €33,095
1.8-litre models have five-speed manual
2.0-litre turbodiesel models have six-speed manual
No automatic