Some of us are a superstitious bunch. Whether you are a non-believer or a hardcore believer, there are some belief’s that we hold on to. Perhaps it is something that has been passed down through the generations.

Or perhaps it is because Malaysia is a wonderful melting pot of cultures and traditions which, over hundreds of years, have resulted in our believes being passed on from one culture to another.

I am not sure about you, but I still turn my rear-view mirror the other way if I am driving down a dark road all by myself at night. But that is partly due to the iconic Malay horror movie – “jangan pandang belakang (don’t look back).

And then there is the occasional night drives on Karak highway where I still tend to look out for that rare yellow beetle. But that is folklore, I know.

Believes such as planting onions and chili to keep the rain clouds away are some of the things that we Malaysians sometimes do, whether we believe in it or not. Then there is the practise of throwing an old t-shirt onto the roof of a house, which is also supposed to have the same effect on rain clouds.

In the automotive sector, there are such believes as well. Have you ever noticed that during Chinese New Year, the lion dance will be called to bless a car showroom? And you will see it in almost every showroom regardless of whether it is owned by a Chinese or not. The same is true in shopping malls as well.

However, there is one taboo that we Malaysians can’t seem to grow away from, and that is the association of an estate or touring car with the hearse. Yes, that same humble hearse that all of us are destined to take our final ride in.

For many years this was considered a bad omen by many and that is partially why the touring model never saw better sales figures. Oh, and let us stick to the touring name for this article though there are other names such as ‘estate’.

Progress has been made though as younger buyers seem to have broken out of this mold. These days we see more touring models on our roads than ever before and even a quick check on a car listing website shows that there are more touring variants available for sale as well.

Even car makers are starting get a little bolder by offering touring models in their line-up. We don’t see that a lot among the European marques since a lot of them are heavily invested in local-assembly programmes, which in my opinion robs Malaysians from the true capability and list of features that the car maker is capable of, perhaps because of production capabilities and cost management.

But I suppose it is better that than more expensive cars.

Volvo though deserves credit for being bold enough to offer locally assembled touring variants, and they have reaped the fruits of that risk with many Malaysian embracing those variants.

Mazda is another marque that deserves credit with the Mazda 6 Touring model. The Mazda 6 sedan is already a capable car with an engaging drive and features that make life on the road a lot more pleasant.

The Mazda 6 touring builds on this by offering a touch of practicality with its bigger boot space, which in all honesty, makes it well adapted for family life.

But before we delve into what makes the Mazda 6 touring such an impressive car, let’s get some of the thorns out of the way first.

Firstly, the Mazda 6 touring is not cheap. It will cost you an eye watering RM230,848 which puts it squarely in the crosshairs of some other capable family movers such as the Honda CRV, Kia Carnival and others from the parallel import market like the mighty Toyota Alphard.

If you are thinking those might be better buys than the Mazda as the used value of the Mazda 6 touring is sure to tank right after you drive it off the showroom floor, well, you are right.

But if you are the type who buys cars with an eye on depreciation, then this car may not be for you. The Mazda 6 touring is a car you buy with your heart rather than your head.

Then the other issue I have with the car is that it does not come with a powered tailgate, and for me, that is improper considering the asking price.

Besides that, though, I loved every moment I spent with the car.

In fact, I had the car during a particularly difficult period in my personal life as my father had to undergo a life changing surgery which could have been successful or not. So it could have gone either way, and yes, he did make it through.

Though this was difficult, the Mazda 6 touring was a brilliant partner as I had to ferry plenty of things to and from the hospital. This included boxes of medical equipment, luggage and people.

That is why I am of the opinion that the 522 litres of boot space is incredibly practical. This is a full 48 litres more than the sedan variant and it also lets you stack boxes or luggage on top of each other, which is something you can’t do with the sedan. Though you really shouldn’t hinder the view from your rear-view mirror. That is also illegal if you didn’t already know.

And because a significant number of my family still lives in Ipoh, the touring was great on the highways as well. Powering it is a 2.5-litre, naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine which puts out 192hp and 258Nm of torque.

In this day and age where small engines make huge power, those power figures may not sound like much, but it is a tried and tested engine which has been in Mazda’s parts bin for a while now, so reliability has been proven.

It is also a smooth-operator which piles on speed without you noticing it, gently rowing through its six-speed transmission which sends power to the front wheels.

Top speed is rated at 219km/h, which is lower than the 223km/h that the sedan is capable of but that could be because the touring weighs 13kg’s more. The increase in weight can be attributed to the additional materials used to extend and stiffen the body.

The interior though is typically Mazda which looks and feels similar across the model range. The burgundy leather though is something you will either love or hate. It was difficult to accept when I first peeked inside, but it began to grow on me after a few days.

Comfort is undoubtedly top notch while spaciousness is decent. Taller passengers may find the rear seats to be cramped and even kids seated in a booster seat may end up needing more legroom by the time they are five years old.

In fact, the car is at its best with four adults or two adults and two kids occupying the seats. It will be a little bit cramped with a helper in the car minding the two kids at the back but it is manageable.

One thing in particular which I truly appreciated is the 11-speaker Bose sound system together with wireless Carplay and Android Auto. If you have been following these pages, you would know that I pay attention to a good entertainment system. We spend a lot of time in our cars so entertainment and comfort are of utmost priority.

As is safety, and the Mazda 6 does not disappoint on that front either. It comes with an impressive array of advanced, active and passive safety systems that some cars in its price range might struggle to match, such as adaptive LED headlights, rear cross traffic alert, autonomous braking, and even adaptive cruise control. These are among many others, with each designed to mitigate danger and keep the occupants safe.

But if there is one thing that is the icing on the cake for me is the driving purity that the Mazda 6 touring has to offer. With the level of practicality which you would usually associate with an SUV, the Mazda also has the driving dynamics of a regular sedan.

Since it sits closer to the ground than an SUV, it feels nimbler in corners and sturdier at high speeds. This combined with Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus technology, gives the car the agility levels of a hot hatch.

What more could you want in a car then? The Mazda 6 touring offers practicality, good looks (particularly with those blacked out 19-inch wheels), a comfortable interior and a banging sound system.

It is ultimately a decent alternative for the family man who refuses to embrace an MPV for the needs of his family. The Mazda 6 touring is the type of car that will get the nods of approval at car meets, while making school runs more practical.

Specifications:
Engine: 2.5-litre, DOHC, 16-Valve, 4 cylinder with VVT
Power: 192hp @ 6000rpm
Torque: 258Nm @ 4000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Suspension: MacPherson struts (Front) / Multi-link (Rear)
Price (As tested): RM230,848

We like: Good looks, practicality, comfort, driving dynamics
We don’t like: Pricey, no powered tailgate

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