EXTRA equipment is making its way on to Mazda's family sized saloon and estate cars as the models get a mid-life upgrade.

All new versions of the Mazda6 now include a new look touchscreen as well as an electronic parking brake freeing up space in the cockpit.

There are also improvements to the suspension and additional noise insulation to improve the all round driving experience.

Under the bonnet there is no change to the 28 model line up which features Mazda's highly efficient 2.0-litre SKYACTIV petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines in a variety of power outputs.

The new range is priced from £19,795 but move up to top specification Sport Nav models and the changes are more significant.

These are priced from £24,595 for a saloon and £25,395 for the highly practical estate and now come with a new look front which includes extra garnish around the grille giving the car a much more commanding appearance.

It sits on 19-inch alloys and also comes with adaptive LED headlights and fog lamps.

Inside there are major changes with additional leather trim across the facia, leather-effect coverings on the centre console and redesigned air conditioning controls which have smartened up the dashboard considerably. On the entertainment front a digital radio is now standard.

The instrumentation has been enhanced with the addition of a head-up display which shows the vehicle's speed in the driver's line of sight.

It is a much more complete car than before and well set to compete in the fleet market as well as with private motorists.

The 2.0-litre 150ps diesel Sport Nav Tourer we tried returned a shade over 50 to the gallon on a good run which was nothing to grumble about.

Officially it is rated at 64,2mpg with emissions of 116g/km making it very attractive to business users. The saloon is even more fuel efficient with a CO2 figure down to 107g/km.

Stop/start is standard and the six-speed manual gearbox has a nice, short throw.

For a diesel estate the drive is on the sporty side and the handling is above par - a Mazda trait.

The car can manage 0 to 60 in 9.2 seconds with a top speed of 130mph.

This particular model was priced from £27,195 and options included a new safety pack which for £800 adds blind spot and rear traffic warnings as well as cross traffic alerts when reversing. That is in addition to a reversing camera which is standard.

Luggage capacity at 506 litres is unchanged from the previous model and as estate cars go it is very accommodating. Maximum capacity is a cavernous 1,648 litres which is bordering on van-like proportions.

The upgrades to the Mazda6 range come only two years after the model was launched and are part of a product offensive by the Japanese brand which will see the introduction of a new Mazda2 supermini, a new compact SUV and the latest version of the very popular MX-5 roadster before the year is out.