NEWER competitors have done little to take the shine off Mazda’s mid-sizer since its late-2012 launch, and engineers at the brand’s Hiroshima headquarters have kept fettling the Mazda6 with running changes to keep it relevant.

The Atenza petrol sedan tested here is the perfect example. A suite of technological updates added for the 2017 model year promise to make the Mazda6 even safer, easier to use and nicer to drive. Judging from our enjoyable week with the car, they have delivered.

Best of all, these changes build on, rather than detract from, the many qualities that made the Mazda6 a stand-out winner against its rivals back in 2012.

Aussies prefer an SUV for family purposes these days, but the Mazda6 is a strong reminder of why we have loved sedans for generations.

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