Mazda6 MPS Review
Published: 7th June 2006
Mazda6
There are several reasons for the inspired confidence. The MPS, which stands for Mazda Performance Series, is based on the standard saloon but with a few key differences. For a start, the bodyshell has been reinforced increasing the torsional stiffness by 50 per cent and the chassis has been ‘race-tuned’ for sportiness without the sacrifice of ride comfort.
In addition, the MPS features an Active Torque Split All-wheel-drive system, which uses sensors to monitor steering angle, lateral forces, yaw rate and engine status. Depending on the information received, the system can electronically control the torque distribution and has presets for Sport, Normal and Stability.
There is little point in producing a fast car unless you can also stop in a hurry. To this end the MPS has disc-brakes all round. Those at the front are ventilated and the rear discs are solid. They are larger in diameter than those on the standard car and are complimented by heftier brake calipers. The braking system is also backed up by ABS with EBD and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). There is also Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control to help keep the car on the straight and narrow while the passive safety system includes six airbags as standard and a brake pedal that doesn’t intrude into the footwell in the event of a collision.
The idea behind using the 2.3i DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) engine and turbocharger rather than a bigger engine is to get better low and mid-range torque while keeping the fuel consumption at a reasonable level. The official figures are 20.0mpg, 35.3mpg and 27.7mpg for the urban, extra-urban and combined respectively, while CO2 emissions are posted as 245g/km putting the MPS in VED band F.
The MPS differs visually from the standard Mazda6 in that it has a unique front grille, sports bumpers and side skirts, a discrete rear spoiler on the boot lid and dual exhaust pipes. Also, the bonnet has been raised by 40mm for a more aggressive appearance.
