The award-winning Mazda 6 has added a little style and flair to the family car market.

At first glance, it is sleek and elegant, with more than a hint of sportiness, and was particularly striking in a vibrant ‘soul red’.

It is also one of the lightest cars in this sector, having been developed using Mazda’s Skyactiv technology, which focuses on reducing weight, emissions and improving fuel economy.

Now in its third generation, the all-new Mazda 6 comes as either a saloon or a tourer, and there are two petrol engines and two diesels to choose from. The petrol is available with 143bhp and 163bhp, and diesel comes with 148bhp or 173bhp.

There are three trim choices: SE, SE-L and the top-of-the-range Sport that I drove and which includes 19-inch wheels, xenon headlights, leather seats, a Bose stereo, a very useful reversing camera and keyless entry.

It is a good-looking motor, and the drive does not disappoint either – smooth and rewarding for the most part, with responsive steering and refined handling, although sometimes it felt a bit fidgety at speed.

To help you avoid accidents, though, there is an impressive array of active safety technologies, such as radar-based Rear Vehicle Monitoring, Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) and a Lane Departure Warning System.

Even when a collision is unavoidable, passive safety technologies work to reduce its severity for occupants and pedestrians – and even the vehicle itself.

The SE-L and Sport models are fitted with SCBS as standard, meaning a significant drop in the insurance group rating – up to five groups lower for diesel-powered models and six groups lower for petrol-powered versions than the previous model.

I particularly liked Mazda’s i-ELOOP feature (Intelligent Energy Loop), which cleverly gathers electricity from braking and stores it in a capacitor to power on-board systems.

Door openings have been widened to make getting in and out easier, while the rear seats split 60:40 when they fold down for maximum loading flexibility.

The interior, while not quite as smart as the exterior, is spacious, and there is 483 litres of boot space.

The Mazda 6 has received an array of awards since the beginning of this year, most notably the prestigious ‘Best Family Car’ award in the 2013 Auto Express New Car Awards.

Fact File:
Car: Mazda 6 2.2D Saloon Sport Nav
Price: £25,595
Top speed: 139mph
0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
Fuel: 62.8mpg
CO2 emissions: 119g/km