2014 Mazda6 gets a boost in safety options

Mazda’s family-sized flagship, the Mazda6, has received a series of upgrades aimed at boosting its appeal in the highly competitive mid-size sedan segment.

The availability of new i-ACTIVSENSE safety technology across the entire range and a new colour option gives Mazda6 buyers more choice than ever before.

The Mazda6 Sport and Touring grades now offer the latest Safety Pack option which includes Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Smart City Brake Support (SCBS), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and a rear view mirror with an auto dimming function.

Blind Spot Monitoring warns the driver of any unseen vehicles beside or behind the car using a warning beeper and a clever LED icon which appears on the side mirror, while SCBS helps prevent or lessen the impact of low-speed collisions between 4 and 30 kilometres per hour. SCBS assesses the possibility of a collision and, if high, applies the brakes, assisting the driver.

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) uses the same BSM radar technology, assisting the driver when reversing from a parking space. If a car approaches while you are reversing, the LED icons on both side mirrors light up, accompanied by an audible warning to alert the driver.

While the rear view mirror with auto dimming function is already standard on the GT, the upper-spec luxury model also gets the Safety Pack option including BSM, SCBS and RCTA technology.

The top of the range Mazda6 Atenza now gets Smart City Brake Support as standard equipment.

The Mazda6 colour range has also been updated with Deep Crystal Blue Mica replacing Stormy Blue Mica.

In addition, a new temporary spare tyre, which lowers the floor in the boot increasing usable cargo space, has been applied to Mazda6 models fitted with the Safety Pack option and will be rolled out across the remaining Mazda6 models in coming months.

The updated space saver increases cargo space by 45 litres in the sedan and 55 litres in the wagon, for total cargo space in the sedan and wagon of 483 and 506 litres respectively.

The Safety Pack option on Sport and Touring models is available for $1,490, while the GT version costs $1,290. There is a nominal increase of $400 for the SCBS equipment on the Atenza.

One of the segment’s top sellers, the Mazda6 is powered by either a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol or a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel. The SKYACTIV engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda6 Pricing (Manufacturers List Price)