New 6 MPS: Mazda's executive express - Introduction

The Mazda 6 MPS, first shown as a concept high-performance saloon more than two years ago, is about to become a production reality. You have to wait for a while longer, though, because it won’t arrive in the UK until September 2005, to coincide with a mid-term update on the rest of the Mazda 6 range.

The initials MPS stand for Mazda Performance Series, a broad hint that this is just the first of several high-power offshoots that the Japanese company plans to create from its regular models.

The 6 MPS has a new turbocharged, direct-injection version of Mazda’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a six-speed manual gearbox and an electronic four-wheel-drive system. Up to 50% of the drive can be sent to the rear wheels to ensure that grip, traction and stability remain at the best possible levels, no matter how aggressively the car is being driven or how slippery the road.

Yet it’s a subtle-looking car, free of the bold spoilers found on some Japanese performance saloons. There are enough changes to make it stand out from a regular Mazda 6, but the impression is of a business express rather than a car that has escaped from a race circuit or rally track. It will cost about £25,000, and leather trim is likely to be the only option offered.