SOMEWHERE in the 1990s Mazda got lost. The car company long renowned for an independence of thought rare in Japan began to build stodgy, bland, conservative cars that were easy on the development budget but hard to enjoy from behind the wheel. But Mazda is well and truly on the way back and the Mazda6 is the first proof of that to hit local shores. The renamed, revitalised and revved-up replacement for the 626 boasts sexy styling, satisfying performance and a sizeable level of equipment for the price. Mazda6 comes as either a sedan, hatch or wagon - with all versions powered by a brand-new 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine. In this case we are testing one of the volume sellers, the mid-spec Classic sedan in auto form.