THE forgotten segment of the Australian new-car market is populated by some effective, if uninspiring, and capable family sedans – the Mazda6 is certainly one of the former, with the space and ability to cart a family.

Less fashionable than the surge of SUVs invading school and supermarket carparks, the medium segment has long lived in the shadow of large cars like Commodore and Falcon, but with the demise of the big six sedans the medium segment might keep a few from shoving an SUV in their driveway.

The segment is dominated by the Toyota Camry, which in its new-look guise is even less likely to turn heads for the right reason than the Mazda6, which is a more appealing design.

Tested in petrol form, the Touring sedan doesn’t get the serious mid-range shove the turbo-diesel variant offers, but a spirited SkyActiv engine and a useful six-speed auto are a fair alternative.

Please note: Images of the red model are the $45,390 (plus on-road costs) Mazda6 Atenza sedan, while the silver model is the $37,290 (plus on-road costs) Mazda6 Touring sedan tested here.

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