MAZDA has clearly set the corporate sights high as it rolls out a revamped version of its handsome big saloon and estate car range.

As a spokesman said when the revised range of Mazda6 machines were unveiled: 'We're after something a little more premium.'

That's autospeak for a car that can tackle rivals with posher badges, most obviously in the company car market where the Mazda6 makes a living, cars with BMW or Audi written on the boot.

And it must show Mazda's confidence in this mildly tweaked and upgraded midlife refresh that it fearlessly quotes how much a company car driver will have to find each year if he chooses a Mazda6.

Because a BMW will cost him (or perhaps her) precisely the same £184 a month in benefit in kind. And the Audi chosen by Mazda as a comparison car is actually £15 a month cheaper.

Both German machines will cost the company more to buy and won't come as standard with all the bells and whistles of the top grade Mazda 6, but you get the point; here is a car fighting on level ground with its prestigious rivals.

Anyone contemplating a Mazda6 will not lack for choice; the 28 strong range stretches from £19,795 for a saloon with 2.0 litre petrol engine and manual gearbox to £28,795 for a 2.2 litre diesel Tourer estate with automatic gears.

There are five grades to choose from, with improved standard equipment levels, a revamped dashboard and a quieter, more comfortable time for driver and passengers. The top model also acquires a new grille and LED headlights and looks even smarter than the rest of a good looking range of cars.

Extra sound deadening has quelled some cabin noise, while detailed attention to the suspension is aimed at making the car feel more responsive to a driver's commands.

Inside, there's a big new touchscreen, whose functions are controlled from a rotary dial between the front seats. Every model now has an electronic parking brake instead of the old manual lever, while top level Sport Nav cars are available with an £800 Safety Pack, including LED headlights, blind spot monitoring (which warns of an overtaking car) and cameras that detect people moving behind as you reverse.

The top spec car driven here was made to feel plusher still with the stone-cream coloured leather trim (a no cost option instead of black) and a head up display that projects important details (speed, sat nav directions) on a little screen in the driver's line of sight.

So, especially in the most powerful, best equipped model in the new Mazda6 range, you have a car that punches its weight in one of the most closely fought parts of the market.

It outpunches its Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series rivals on load space, with the Mazda estate comfortably holding more shopping/kids toys/leisure pursuit gear than either of them, with the rear in use or folded flat.

The mechanical changes also bring a quieter car than before, although the big 19 inch alloy wheels on this top-of-the-ranger don't help on coarse surfaces.

The ride was fine on the motorway but some British road ripples had the car's nose bobbing a bit. Plenty of performance, though, from a well behaved diesel engine that returned 42mpg on a varied test route.

I hope a gearchange reluctant to move cleanly into top was confined to the test car; Mazdas are usually near faultless here.

It got better (or was noticed less) as the miles mounted in a car you'd be happy to adopt as your business transport for the next year to two and not feel shortchanged in the company car park.