Review

Now that the morning frosts have set in, I am getting even more warm feelings about the Mazda6 Tourer I have been using for the past three months.

This is largely due to the heated steering wheel and heated front seats that come as standard on our model. The steering wheel, in particular, takes just seconds to warm up if I hit the on button immediately after the engine’s ignition. The seats take a few minutes, but still ensure the driver is comfortable well before the car’s heating system has had time to properly warm up the cabin, which takes a good 15 minutes in my experience.

For Mazda dealers with an SE-L Lux Nav+ on the demonstrator fleet this winter, there is a great opportunity to encourage customers who are enticed by the strong offers on the entry SE-L Nav+ trim level to ‘walk up’ into the next grade car and let them feel very cosy about their decision.

I recommend that when accompanying on test-drives in a car that’s cold, Mazda’s sales executives must make sure they tap that switch to demonstrate the benefits of this simple luxury to the prospective buyer. For £1,400 difference, or less than £25 per month on a three-year PCP, they can get the better spec model, which also comes with a reversing camera and leather trim for added value. 

Factsheet

Price: from £29,195

Engine: 2.2-diesel, 150PS

Performance: 0-62mph 10.2secs, top speed 130mph

Gearbox: 6sp manual

Efficiency: 46.3 mpg

Emissions: CO2 119g/km (WLTP)