Other safety features include two dual-action inflation "smart" front airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, plus optional side-curtain airbags - that were standard in my fully trimmed out test car. Additionally 3-point belts are fixed to all five seating positions, with pretensioners, load limiters and height-adjustable shoulder belt anchors up front.

The Sport comes equipped with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, actuated via a powerful audio system beautifully integrated into the center stack. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

Some of the Sport's more pleasurable features include a power, glass sunroof to let the rays pour in, and a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, actuated via a powerful audio system beautifully integrated into the center stack. That stack features one of the nicest HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) interfaces on the planet. It works efficiently and looks gorgeous, stunningly backlit in a soft red hue. The three main controls are large, especially easy to use if wearing gloves, and feature opaque plastic rings around their perimeters that also glow in red. Mazda's addition of haute couture design elements in what is normally a fairly staid and conservative vehicle segment is a breath of fresh air - literally.

During the first year of Mazda6 production it managed to accumulate over 60 domestic and international industry awards. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

I suppose the same can be said about the entire car. Mazda's 6 is so much better than the outgoing 626 that it hardly bears any resemblance in styling or dynamics. Now, with the addition of the handy 5-door Sport, as well as the wagon, the 6 delivers a 3-fold offensive in the midsize class that no rival automaker can match.

And it seems I'm not alone in my praise. During the sedan's first year it managed to accumulate over 60 domestic and international industry awards, highlighted by Car and Driver's "10Best," Automobile Magazine's "All-Star," Money Magazine's "Best Mid-Sized Sedan," and the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's "Best Pick." Adding to its trophy shelf was Mazda's honor of being picked as the highest-rated new vehicle nameplate in the entire 2003 JD Power and Associates' APEAL study.