Mazda 6 2019 review: GT turbo petrol sedan

Our Mazda 6 was on a mix of shopping duties in the city in the morning, before being tasked with hauling us to the park and movies in the afternoon.

The GT sedan is a good looking one, and the Soul Red Crystal Metallic (extra $300 – worth every cent) ours came dressed in really makes it stand out. It’s a stunning colour that highlights the car’s styling, and it rightly turns the odd head or two.

The slim LED headlights and slightly hunkered-down front convey some athletic credentials, as does the muscular coupe-like side profile. Its design is a long way from the boring sedans of old. Classy and understated across the board.

The Mazda6 has a muscular coupe-like side profile.

The cabin of our test car was awash with cream Nappa leather covering the seats, doors and a considerable amount of the dash. It’s in stark contrast to the exterior, but in a good way, and conveys a premium look and feel. That said, I did have some anxiety as to how it would cope after a few days with my three kids.

The instruments are well laid out, and there are numerous dials and buttons across the dash and steering wheel to help operate key features. Perched on top of the dash is an 8.0-inch touchscreen system which can also be operated via a console-mounted rotary dial. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be optioned for an extra $500. While the system was easy to use, it was a little slow responding to inputs.

There is a reasonable amount of storage in the cabin, with two cupholders, a smallish centre console and decent phone cubby under the climate controls up front. The kids in the back had a pair of cupholders in the centre armrest to make use of and a small lidded tray with a pair of USB ports. Boot space is 474 litres (VDA), which was more than enough space for our gear over the weekend.

The kids made good use of the heated rear seats (but more for entertainment's sake, as one child would secretly turn up the heat on the other's seat).

Head and legroom is ample for front and rear passengers. I could sit comfortably behind my driving position (I'm 180cm tall), with a hand-width of space between my knees and a couple of inches of clear air above my head.