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Ulysses Ang Photos By Ulysses Ang |
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Mazda 626...does it ring a bell? I certainly don’t blame you if it doesn’t, as it’s certainly the most forgettable mid-sized sedan—the blandest of the bland. It had an engine, five seats and fine chassis--but so did everyone else. Even if the 626 had a pleasingly oblong shape and electrically swivelling aircon louvers, buyers didn’t care—I certainly didn’t. It’s a phenomena repeated in very much every market the 626 sold in. Not a single tear was shed when it hit the automotive graveyard. Certainly, the company behind the MX-5 and the RX-7 could do better. Starting from the ground up, they’ve come up with something that deserved a new nomenclature—the Mazda6. Some unique nerdy things about the 6: it’s the second one in its class with F1-derived double wishbones fore and aft (the first being the Honda Accord); it has traction control; and it’s the only one with 55-series V-rated performance rubber. Let me spell out the obvious then: this is a sports sedan—those who want shiny wood and bad leather better head to the Ssangyong showroom. This is a car for those who want some sporty driving along with smart styling and funky attitude. I mean, it has a standard rear spoiler for goodness’s sake. It’s about time too that I salute all those Mazda engineers who worked day in and day out in Hiroshima; the 6 is finally the sedan borne out from a family of venerable sports cars. |
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