Next time you feel a Miller draft, you are either down the pub or you have just been blown away by one of Japan's almost-secret weapons - the Mazda Xedos 9 with its supercharged aluminium V6 engine.
A car that delivers three-litre-plus power from an engine that is barely over two litres implies some serious performance engineering with looks to match. The engineering is certainly there but the looks are no more in-your-face than an M&S cardigan.
There is a hint in the oh-so-pretty 17-inch alloys but the rest is pure gravel-drive stuff that won't frighten the horses. Apart from the wheels, the outward appearance is hardly any different to the normally-aspirated Xedos 9 which the Miller replaces. Minor revisions to the front- and rear-end treatment go almost un-noticed. And the price remains unchanged as well. At 28,650 on the road, the new Xedos seriously undercuts its European rivals without short-changing on performance.
The 2.3-litre engine delivers 209 bhp which is usefully higher than the 2.8-litre equivalents from BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi. En-route to a top speed of 143 mph, the Miller Xedos accelerates to 62 mph in 9.5 seconds, and despite driving through a non-optional auto 'box manages an impressive 28.2 mpg on the EU combined cycle.
Not only does the Mazda offer more power for a good deal less money but it also out-specifies its European rivals in comfort terms. Climate control, air-conditioning, cruise control, power roof, leather upholstery and steering wheel, electric front seats, six-disc CD autochanger, tree-wood trim - all these things, and more, are standard and matched only by the Lexus GS300 which is almost 6,000 dearer.
Slim door pillars, bags of leg and shoulder room and a low facia with a deep windscreen create a light and airy cabin ambience quite unmatched by its competitors. And the ride quality is getting on for magic carpet stuff. The drive is effortless, smooth and with just enough of the V6 sound-signature creeping into the cabin to warm the blood on a chilly morning. In all a truly excellent prestige car that I would choose in preference to any other in its class.
|
