2023 Mazda 6 sport

The current-generation Mazda6 has been around since 2012, and it continues to carry on for the 2023 model year. The Japanese automaker really managed to combine design, practicality, and adequate performance when coming up with the latest iteration of the sporty sedan, but the 2.5 Turbo, in particular, had big shoes to fill. Back when the rumors of a turbocharged Mazda 6 started, everyone was hoping for the return of the MazdaSpeed 6. The performance version of the Japanese sedan was a more sophisticated alternative to the likes of the Subaru STI and Mitsubishi EVO, but sadly the new one couldn’t cash in on that former glory, leaving the 6 trapped in the body of a mildly sporty luxury sedan.

The Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo is Just a More Powerful Version of a Commuter Car

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Don’t get me wrong, the Mazda 6 is a great sporty sedan and a great all-rounder, and apparently, more than a match for the likes of the C-Class, in terms of value for money. With that said, Mazda decided to embrace the premium image a bit too hastily. This meant that, while the lesser variants of the Mazda 6 were incredibly good as a compact, luxury sedan with a hint of performance, the 2.5 Turbo was lacking focus.

What gets me the most is that I have driven a few different examples of the current Mazda 6, and they were all great as a run-around, sports-luxury sedan. However, the 2.5 Turbo, although much more powerful than all lesser variants, doesn’t feel like the proper performance version it could have been had the engineers decided to spend more time dialing in the chassis. The Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo suffers from the same problem and having been marketed as a hot hatchback for grown-ups doesn’t help its case either. The Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo is just too similar to its lesser counterparts.

By comparison, the original, 2005 MazdaSpeed 6 also known as Mazda 6 MPS in Europe, was a sharp contrast. For one, the more aggressive body kit clearly set it apart from the lesser versions, although the looks were still restrained, at least when compared to the Impreza STI and Lancer Evolution. More importantly, you could tell that the engineers actually did some work to the chassis, which made for much tighter handling.

Only One Transmission Option and Not a Very Suitable One

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Mazda’s SKYACTIVE automatic transmission is advertised as combining the best of CVT, dual-clutch, and manual transmissions all into one box. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. While the six-speed automatic with a torque converter is a smooth and reliable unit, it’s not what you would call sporty. Its main focus is fuel economy, and you can easily tell that when driving the Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo. It’s not a transmission that likes to be rushed and there is a noticeable delay in shift time when using the paddles.

The original MazdaSpeed 6/Mazda 6 MPS also came with only one transmission option, but it was the right one. Like any proper, performance sedan of that era, the sporty sedan came with a six-speed manual. It’s also worth noting that, at the time, automatic transmissions, especially those coming out of Asian manufacturers, were not particularly sporty nor efficient.

No Quicker Than the Original Mazda 6

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a frontal action shot of a MazdaSpeed6 driving fast

We understand that strict emissions and other regulations necessitate certain sacrifices, but it appears some manufacturers are better at finding solutions than others. Both the 2005 MazdaSpeed6 and the 2023 Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo are very similar in terms of numbers. The new car’s 2.5-liter SKYAKTIV, turbo-four features plenty of clever engineering that greatly improves efficiency. It also packs 250 horsepower (186 kilowatts) and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm), but only if you use premium fuel. Otherwise, you are looking at around a nine-percent drop in peak horsepower to 227 (169 kilowatts).

Like its sportier predecessor, the Speed6, the Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo comes exclusively with all-wheel drive. The 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) for the new car takes 6.4 seconds, which is slightly slower than the older model’s time of around 6.0 seconds. Both vehicles also weigh within 60 pounds (27 kg) of each other. The MPS’ 2.3-liter turbo-four packs 260 horsepower (194 kilowatts) and 280 pound-feet (380 Nm).

To add insult to the injury, the 2008 to 2012 Mazda 6, which in the North American market was offered with a 3.7-liter Ford Cyclone V-6, also manages a quicker 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time than the 2023 Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo, and that one wasn’t even marketed as a performance model. In essence, the 2023 Mazda 6 2.5 Turbo is a great car, but also a missed opportunity to resurrect the Speed6/MPS nameplate. Mazda is clearly not the enthusiast brand we want it to be, especially after putting the rear-wheel-drive Mazda 6 on ice, together with the supposed, rotary-powered successor to the Mazda RX-7. And yes, once again, SUVs are to blame for that.