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Cumbria Times
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Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
@ytimesmotoring
5:00 AM 24th July 2021
cars

Mazda6 Tourer - The Kuro Edition

 
A recent Mazda drive day presented the opportunity to try out some of their popular range of cars. It was the rather distinctive Mazda6 that immediately caught my eye, the model in question being a Kuro special edition, limited to 100 cars in the UK.

First a memory refresh… The current generation of the Mazda6 first appeared back in 2014 and it has been subject to a few light nips and tucks over the years. From memory the grille, lights and bumpers were altered a couple of years ago, whilst interior changes included a wider dash and larger eight-inch infotainment screen.

The Kuro edition lists at £30,250 in Tourer form and with it comes Polymetal grey paint, 19-inch black alloy wheels, black door mirrors and a burgundy leather interior. An appealing spec.

The Mazda6 has always been one of the better-looking cars in its class and that is still true today. Sadly, sales of traditional saloon and estate cars continue to decline, with SUVs now dominating the family car market.

So, why go down the Tourer route?

Well, ride and handling for a start, as the lower centre of gravity and lower mass generally make such vehicles far more pleasant to travel in. And in the Mazda6, refinement has always been the order of the day, with plenty of sound deadening and anti-vibration panels helping to keep out unwanted noise.

The diesel engine option has now been dropped in the Mazda6 range, so under the Kuro’s bonnet sits a familiar 165PS 2.0-litre petrol engine. Mazda has always favoured a larger capacity motor over turbocharging. The thinking behind it is that the high compression ratio and low friction gives the same economy and emissions as rivals.

On paper, economy of around 40mpg should be attainable according to the combined cycle figure. I would suggest 35mpg is nearer the mark especially if you like to press on, which means working the engine hard. Peak power is developed at the top of the rev range, so you can see the problem.

Much better to adopt a more relaxed gait.

The Kuro’s interior is exceptionally comfortable, the leather seats being a particular standout feature.

The driving position is excellent with all the main controls falling easily to hand and the equipment count is high.

The satellite navigation graphics are looking somewhat dated and this remains one of the few clues to the car’s age.

Of course, Mazda offers a number of SUVs in its range, but I would suggest family buyers look at the Mazda6 Tourer before heading down that path. A pleasant surprise will await you.

Fast Facts

Mazda6 Tourer Kuro Edition
Price £30,250
165PS 2.0-litre engine
0-62mph in 9.4 seconds
Top speed 133mph
Combined economy 41.5mpg
Emissions 155g/km CO2
Towing limit 1,500kg