#01#Mazda has been producing appealing driver's cars for years; the MX-5, RX-7 and most recently RX-8 have all delighted fans and enjoyed significant sales success. What Mazda hasn't done is apply their 'Zoom-Zoom' ethos with any real zeal to the range en masse. The new MPS brand (seen earlier this year on these pages in the form of the 3 hatchback) aims to spread this sporting appeal; a challenge in itself if the ideal isn't to be compromised in favour of some cynical marketing ploy.

It is a relief then to see the Mazda6 MPS in the metal and find that it avoids any unnecessary crass styling overtures or try too hard to look the part. Looking at the MPS in isolation, there aren't any striking features that mark it out as something other than a regular Mazda6. The keener eye will note the large twin exhausts, the 18-inch alloys, the reworked front and rear bumpers and a new bonnet, the raised centre line accommodating the charge-cooler that sits on top of the engine. Only when you compare it side-by-side to another Mazda6, can you see how effective these minor changes are. The MPS enjoys a subtle and understated aggression. Compare the car to an Impreza WRX and it is an altogether more stealthy performance saloon.

The Mazda6 MPS's interior is much the same as the Sport's with the addition of some nice leather sports seats and a large MPS plaque on the glovebox, a rare lapse of judgement that could have been integrated more subtly elsewhere in the dash, although whether it's needed at all is debatable. Once ensconced in the comfy, electrically adjustable driver's seat it's easy to find the ideal driving position courtesy of a wide range of travel on both the seat and the steering wheel.

On the road, the MPS is very well mannered. Well-weighted and sited controls make it a doddle to drive given its obvious performance potential. The 2.3-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder boasts 256bhp and a broad, deep reserve of torque that peaks at 280lb.ft at 3000rpm. It pulls lustily from a little over 2000rpm all the way to the peak power point at 5500rpm, after which it begins to fade slightly. #p##02# This isn't an issue though, as changing up at this point drops you straight back into the fat of the torque curve. The headline figures of 6.6 seconds to 60mph and a near 150mph maximum are sufficient to trouble its Japanese counterparts; similar performance from a German marque would cost ten grand more. In-gear performance is perhaps more impressive. The engine is smooth and refined and only lets itself down by lacking a more inspiring sound track, perhaps more befitting of a model of this ilk. The gearshift is swift and accurate and the ratios are well-spaced to balance outright pace with excellent motorway cruising manners.

The MPS deploys its power through a sophisticated multi-mode four-wheel drive system that senses various parameters around the car and distributes the torque accordingly to maximise the traction and grip. During our time with the test car it barely stopped raining and the four-wheel drive proved its worth time and again on some of our favourite test routes in soaking conditions. In normal circumstances it drives much like its front-wheel drive relatives, but when the going gets tough it takes things to a higher level of ability.

Spirited driving across some of the challenging roads around the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks revealed tremendous levels of grip, even in the pouring rain, along with great composure and body control. The MPS masks its bulk well and remains unflappable on the road under heavy braking, turns in sharply and corners hard and fast with the minimum of body roll. That comparison with a WRX, and even one with a Mitsubishi Evo, is hard to ignore, as the MPS has the ability to traverse such routes as quickly and safely as both of those cars in most contexts.

The cars execute a very similar brief in very different ways with perhaps alternate audiences in mind, but there is a large overlap between their appealing qualities. The MPS probably lacks the last 10% in terms of pure driver entertainment and involvement that you may find in its more illustrious rivals, and also the desirability and rally legend image some find so irresistible, but for 80% of people 80% of the time, the difference between the cars would be all be undetectable. Not once during our time with the car did I find myself cursing it for not being an Evo or a WRX. Indeed on some long motorway journeys I was glad to be in its company as opposed to the less cosseting others. We also tried the Mazda at Castle Combe race circuit and it coped well, though its tyres and brakes soon tire of the abuse, and body roll seems pronounced under these conditions in comparison to the harder-riding rally replicas. #p##04# For all this extra power and performance the Mazda6 retains all of the qualities of the already capable basic car. There is a small price to pay in terms of practicality, in that the rear seats no longer fold down and the boot floor is marginally higher in order to accommodate the drivetrain for the driven rear wheels, though it's still a large luggage area. The interior is spacious and of a good quality, although some material choices, such as the overly shiny and reflective plastic could maybe do with a rethink.

Overall, the Mazda6 MPS is a great success when it comes to spreading the Zoom-Zoom factor to a more mainstream model. It is a genuine, more sober alternative to the established performance saloon market and a very capable competitor. Interestingly, one of its rivals in my eyes is the Mazda RX-8, which is curiously cheaper, although not as spacious. The 6 MPS offers a deal more grunt as well.

For those looking at cars like the Subaru Impreza, an unexpected detour is recommended; take a trip to the Mazda dealer. A most unlikely and capable rival has arrived in the shape of the 6 MPS. It may not be as hardcore or entertain as much as some at the extreme, but it strikes back with talents such as comfort, refinement and ease of ownership that make it a better car in some ways and that will attract many new buyers.

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2007 Mazda6 UK range overview

- Mazda6 1.8 5dr S : £14,150
- Mazda6 1.8 4dr TS : £15,150
- Mazda6 1.8 5dr TS : £15,150
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr S (121) Diesel : £15,250
- Mazda6 2.0 4dr TS : £15,650
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS : £15,650
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate S : £15,650
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS (121) Diesel : £16,250
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate S (121) Diesel : £16,250
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS Automatic : £16,650
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate TS : £16,650
- Mazda6 2.0 4dr TS (143) Diesel : £16,750
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS (143) Diesel : £16,750
- Mazda6 2.0 4dr TS2 : £17,150
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS2 : £17,150
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate TS (143) Diesel : £17,750
- Mazda6 2.0 4dr TS2 Automatic : £18,150
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS2 Automatic : £18,150
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate TS2 : £18,150
- Mazda6 2.0 4dr TS2 (143) Diesel : £18,250
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr TS2 (143) Diesel : £18,250
- Mazda6 2.3 5dr Sport : £18,650
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate TS2 Automatic : £19,150
- Mazda6 2.0 5dr Sport (143) Diesel : £19,250
- Mazda6 2.0 Estate TS2 (143) Diesel : £19,250
- Mazda6 MPS 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo (4WD) : £23,995