WITH a 40 per cent drop in sales compared to the stylish and sassy original, the second-gen Mazda6 was one of the underachievers in an otherwise strong five-year period of growth for the Japanese brand.

With the new-from-the-ground-up sedan and wagon range launched this week, Mazda is trying to rekindle our love affair, upping the ante across a variety of areas.

And aside from a couple of not-insignificant reservations with the steering and cabin design, we reckon the company is on to another winner.