2019 Mazda 6 SkyActiv-G 2.5L Touring Review

The D-segment sedan market has always been a key choice for Malaysian consumers in balancing family and business needs. The 2019 Mazda 6 SkyActiv-G 2.5L Touring, as a popular model in this segment, has long maintained attention with its premium features and stable performance. In this test drive, we will focus on evaluating its actual spatial practicality, dynamic driving experience, and whether its safety features truly meet the demands of local multi-road commuting.

From the exterior, the Mazda 6 Touring maintains the brand's signature KODO design language, featuring smooth and slightly sporty lines overall. The front grille adopts a shield design with chrome accents, seamlessly connecting with the slim LED headlights on both sides, resulting in high recognizability. The side profile sports a contour line stretching from the fender to the taillight, paired with 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, which visually elongates the car's proportions. The rear LED taillights feature a smoked finish, complementing the dual exhaust layout, creating a youthful yet composed overall style. Regarding the lighting system, LED headlights and daytime running lights come as standard, providing adequate brightness when illuminated, with good visibility during nighttime driving.

Entering the interior, the material quality and tactile feel exceed the average level in the same class. The dashboard is wrapped in soft-touch materials with silver accents and piano black paneling, creating a certain sense of luxury. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, located at the top of the dashboard, is smooth to operate and supports CarPlay and Android Auto, ensuring everyday convenience. There are standout features in the configuration: the HUD (Head-Up Display) projects essential information such as speed and navigation, reducing the need to look down while driving. The driver’s seat is 10-way power-adjustable with two memory settings, while the passenger seat offers six-way power adjustment, making it easy to find a comfortable position. Additionally, the Bose 11-speaker sound system delivers excellent audio quality, providing clear details whether listening to music or the radio.

In terms of space, the car measures 4800mm×1840mm×1480mm with a wheelbase of 2750mm, positioning it within the mainstream size for a D-segment sedan. The front-row seating space is spacious, accommodating a 180cm tall occupant with a fist's distance of headroom. The rear-row space is also ample, leaving about two fists of legroom, ensuring it does not feel cramped even with three adults seated. For storage capacity, both the central armrest box and door storage compartments offer adequate volume for daily items like mobile phones and water bottles. The trunk offers a capacity of 522 liters, and the rear seats support a 60/40 split-fold design, which can accommodate larger items such as strollers or folding bikes when expanded.

In terms of performance, the 2.5L naturally aspirated engine delivers a maximum horsepower of 192PS and a peak torque of 258N·m, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. During actual driving, the power response during startup is linear, with no abrupt feeling typical of turbocharged engines. During acceleration, the transmission exhibits clear shifting logic with smooth gear changes and responsive downshifts. Especially in sport mode, pressing the accelerator deeply provides a strong sense of thrust, delivering sufficient confidence during overtaking. The official 0-100km/h acceleration time is 8.1 seconds, and our real-world test aligns closely with this figure, proving adequate for daily family use as well as occasional spirited driving.

Handling and chassis performance have always been traditional strengths of the Mazda 6. The steering wheel has high precision, minimal dead play, and provides a solid yet linear feel when turning. During cornering, you can clearly sense the wheel's direction. The suspension system uses a front MacPherson strut and rear multi-link independent suspension setup, which is tuned for sportiness without sacrificing comfort. When driving on bumpy roads, the suspension filters out most of the minor vibrations, and the sense of bumpiness inside is not strong. During cornering, body roll is well-controlled, the chassis offers sufficient support, and overall stability is commendable. However, note that the 19-inch wheels paired with 45 profile tires require you to slow down when navigating large potholes to avoid damage to the tires and wheels.

In terms of fuel consumption, the official combined fuel consumption is 7.1L/100km. In actual tests, fuel consumption in city driving is about 8.5-9.5L/100km, while on highways, it can drop to 6.5-7.0L/100km. Overall, this performance corresponds to the level of a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine and is rated above average among cars of the same class. Regarding braking performance, the combination of front ventilated disc brakes and rear ventilated disc brakes offers stable braking effect. The brake pedal feels linear, and during emergency braking, the car's body posture is well-controlled without obvious nosediving issues.

In terms of driving comfort, the seats provide good wrapping and support, so long periods of sitting do not feel tiring. Noise control inside the car is handled well, with engine noise at idle being virtually negligible, and wind and tire noise during highway driving also being relatively quiet. The Bose sound system contributes to the insulation effect as well. As for the air conditioning system, the dual-zone automatic air conditioner cools quickly, and the rear row has independent air vents to meet the needs of different passengers. Features such as rain-sensing wipers and electrically folding side mirrors also enhance everyday convenience.

Safety features are a major highlight of the Mazda 6 Touring. Six airbags, ABS, vehicle stability control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and active braking systems are all standard configurations, leading its class. In actual tests, the active braking system responds quickly, issuing warnings and automatically braking when the distance to the vehicle ahead becomes too close, effectively avoiding collision accidents. The lane departure warning system also provides timely alerts when the vehicle veers out of its lane, enhancing driving safety.

In summary, the 2019 Mazda 6 SkyActiv-G 2.5L Touring has evident core advantages: upscale feature levels, excellent handling quality, spacious interior, and extensive safety features. Compared to its same-class competitor, the Toyota Camry 2.5V, the Mazda 6 Touring offers richer features and better handling. Compared to the Honda Accord 2.4VTi-L, it excels in interior quality and sound system performance.

This car is suitable for a wide range of consumers: young buyers who value driving quality and handling, families who value space and features, and middle-aged consumers who need to balance business and family use. It meets the comfort needs of daily commuting while also offering enjoyable driving experiences, making it a well-rounded D-segment sedan.

Overall, the 2019 Mazda 6 SkyActiv-G 2.5L Touring is a vehicle without obvious shortcomings. Its advantage lies in its balance—whether it's power, space, features, or handling, it can meet the needs of most consumers. If you're looking for a D-segment sedan that combines practicality and driving pleasure, the Mazda 6 Touring is worth considering.