MAZDA’S third-generation Mazda6 mid-sizer launched in Australia in late 2012 and followed the CX-5 SUV as the second product in Mazda’s line-up to adopt the brand’s Kodo design language.

Updated for 2015, the new Mazda 6 has landed with subtle styling tweaks inside and out, an increase in safety equipment, a revision of the suspension set-up for an improved ride and better handling, and a quieter cabin. Mazda said it has listened to customer feedback in fine-tuning the car.

The Mazda6 recorded a total of 5883 sales in 2014 coming second in the mid-size segment behind the Australian-built Toyota Camry. Mazda says it doesn’t see the Camry as a rival, preferring to compare its sedan and wagon to overseas offerings such the Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen’s Passat and Subaru Liberty.

At the model’s local launch, GoAuto had the opportunity to drive the facelifted Mazda6 wagon in diesel form and the petrol-powered sedan.

With new fare such as the Liberty and the imminent Hyundai Sonata, has Mazda done enough to keep its likeable mid-sizer at the top of the pack?

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