It takes more than a pretty face to land a car on our 10Best list or to top the family-sedan segment in our Editor’s Choice awards, but a pretty face doesn’t hurt. Since the current-generation Mazda 6 arrived as a 2014 model, its handsome “Kodo” design theme has earned mention right alongside the sporty handling dynamics, the value-for-money content, and the strong and efficient Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter four-cylinder every time a Mazda 6 has visited our offices.

Now comes a mild update for 2016, but you’d be hard-pressed to see much difference from outside. Nor do the mechanicals change in any significant way; we’re still waiting for the U.S. market to see the diesel engine or the all-wheel-drive option available elsewhere. So what’s so sweet about the ’16? The cabin, where a new dashboard, center console, and detailing surround what remain some of our favorite seats in the segment. The design themes are new to the 6 but familiar to Mazda fans who’ve admired the smaller Mazda 3, which we called out for having the best auto interior available for under $30,000.

A LITTLE MORE UPSCALE

Where the previous interior wasn’t ugly, it was plain—not the car’s best asset. Now though, with the 7.0-inch touch-screen display mounted tablet-fashion and the surrounding instrument panel and console slimmed down, there’s a more open and appealing view. Our test example presented itself handsomely with a parchment leather interior and the top Grand Touring trim level (although the Grand Touring comes only as an automatic, negating the manual option we find so endearing in the Sport and Touring versions). It also had the $2180 GT Technology package that brings adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, active grille shutters, the i-ELOOP regenerative-braking system, and a few more features.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI

The MSRP is up about $300 compared with last year’s equivalent model, but what you see and touch from the driver’s seat would measure up against cars that cost 25- or 30-percent more. With close panel fits, nicely weighted controls, and rich-looking materials, our test example’s cabin seemed more Acura/Lexus than Honda/Toyota.

SAME STORY, DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR

At the test track, this car performed comparably to the last one we tested. The run from zero to 60 mph took the same 7.0 seconds; the quarter-mile went by in 15.5 seconds at 92 mph, where we’ve seen 15.6 and 90 in the past; the stop from 70 mph needed 175 feet, just 12 inches more than it did in 2014. It cornered at 0.84 g compared to 0.86 g in the earlier car, which had more miles on its tires and was tested on a warmer day. More importantly, it felt as good as ever: solid, tied-down, and responsive.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI

Our 2016 example weighed a little more, perhaps because it had the technology package the previous car lacked. We could have wished that the extra weight, 69 pounds to be exact, had been invested in more sound insulation for the prettier cabin. Compared to like-priced cars in our fleet that week, the Mazda 6 seemed to be louder inside, demanding more volume from the audio system to overcome engine noise and road roar.

Measurements seemed to support that subjective impression. At a 70 mph cruise, the 69 decibels measured is okay and the same as in 2014—a bit louder than some competitors, but not by much. The 41 decibels at idle and 83 at wide-open throttle, though, are louder than we measured for any of its direct competitors or for the smaller, cheaper Mazda 3. That wasn’t true in 2014, but we don’t have much explanation to offer. Despite this, the 6 retains the greatness that landed it on our 10Best list—and it has an even nicer interior than before.

A previous version of this story made mention of a digital-clock malfunction. Mazda was aware of the issue and assures us that the problem was isolated to this preproduction example.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io