The Mazda car is one of those car brands that often goes unnoticed as the brand identity is less obvious compared with some of the market leaders. Underneath that low visual brand identity lies an impressive range of cars. That’s topped off with the Mazda 6, a car that delivers as much as it promises.

Mazda gave the Mazda 6 a significant upgrade in 2018 with design and styling features that subtly indicate the change. There is a new grille design, the lights are more modern and there is a new design for the alloy wheels that adds to the effect. I’ve always been impressed with the paint finish and longevity of the paintwork on the Mazda range and the new versions have a sparkle that I expect will be equally long-lasting.

On the inside, the new Mazda 6 comes with upgraded seats, instrument panel, door trim and materials.

There is a new, larger 8in centre screen for the infotainment system that’s easy to use and includes Apple CarPlay in the package. Setting up was easy and quick as was getting a comfortable seating position from the leather seats fitted to the test car.

Extra technology features include ventilated seats, projection active driving display, 360° parking display and a host of new advanced safety elements. This car is well-equipped, while there is always scope to add more from the extras list. It doesn’t feel overloaded with technology and the layout feels minimal even though there is a lot on offer.

I drove the diesel version of the Mazda 6 on a recent test drive to savour the differences and sample the performance. Mazda’s diesel engine option is the larger 2.2-litre turbo-diesel version and it is now available in two power band ratings, either 150bhp of 185bhp.

Test car

My test car was the lower-powered 150bhp version with a six-speed manual gearbox and it is true smoothness in motion. The performance rating is modest at 10.2 seconds for a 0km/hr to 100km/hr acceleration, it just doesn’t feel slow when behind the wheel.

Maybe that’s because Mazda has upgraded the interior of the car with claims that it is now quieter and smoother than ever.

Mazda claims to have reduced levels of road noise, vibrations and harshness by using thicker body panels, natural sound smoother technology and noise-absorbing materials to create an impressive driving experience.

This engine is also very economical and I achieved an impressive range of over 970km from the 62-litre capacity diesel tank. That equates to a fuel consumption figure of 16km/litre or about 30% off the official Mazda rated figure of 22km/litre (4.5/100km or 63mpg).

The engine performance allows you to cruise on motorways at just 2,000rpm for a 120km/hr speed. That gives economical driving.

The Mazda 6 performance figures put the car into a more economical category (on paper at least) than similar larger 2.0-litre diesel cars such as the Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat and Opel Insignia.

For rural drivers, the towing rating for the Mazda 6 is a slightly lower than some of the competition at 1.8t. This is a factor that relates more to the weight of the car than its engine power and torque, which is otherwise a match for most of the competition.

Safety systems

Mazda has enhanced the range of safety systems to include Mazda radar cruise control, projected active driving display with integrated satellite navigation. I prefer to use the Apple CarPlay system; it is so easy to set up.

The car has impressive safety features including adaptive LED headlights and blind-spot monitoring all as standard. Intelligent speed assistance and 360° parking view monitor are available on higher-spec grades.

This new 2018 Mazda 6 comes with a high safety rating having been awarded the maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP system in its latest series of tests.

This is the first Mazda to achieve an overall five star rating under the new, more stringent 2018 Euro NCAP crashworthiness ratings.

Of the four test categories involved in the Euro NCAP ratings – adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road user (pedestrian safety) and safety assist, the new Mazda 6 bettered or equalled three out of four scores achieved by its predecessor in 2013.

The diesel entry prices for the Mazda 6 start from €34,375 or £25,795 in Northern Ireland.

That’s a competitive deal relative to other brands for a car that offers unique style as well as impressive comfort levels with a very acceptable level of fuel economy.