Thankfully it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to get your Mazda maintained because the dealerships offer low servicing costs. Insurance costs are mid-range but your premiums will be quite a bit higher on the Sport models.

The previous Mazda6 Estate was worth between 35-40% of its original value after three years/36k miles depending on model and company bosses reckon that will improve by up to five percentage points with this new model because it won’t be discounting as heavily.

If Mazda6 Estate running costs are your top priority go for the low-powered diesel with the i-ElOOP brake energy regeneration system and the six-speed manual. Official stats say this model will do 64mpg on average, but we reckon you’ll get around 50mpg on normal day-to-day runs.

In 2013 an update to the diesel engine was announced which saw emissions drop to 110g/km and claimed fuel economy rise to 67.3mpg.

If petrol’s your thing then the low-powered petrol engine with a six-speed and i-ElOOP returns an official 50mpg. Again, expect that to be in the high 30s on normal trips.

Early 2.2-litre 148bhp diesels with the i-ELOOP system and start/stop technology emit CO2 at a rate of 116g/km, but later models will see that drop a few grams after Mazda has made the necessary modifications.

On 2013 models the diesel spews out CO2 at a rate of 110g/km.

The lowest-emitting petrol is the 143bhp version with CO2 spitting out at 131g/km. Across the board Mazda6 Estate emissions levels are competitive: even the highest-emitting car – the 163bhp SE-L version – has a CO2 reading of 136g/km.

You’d be extremely unlucky if your Mazda6 Estate reliability record was blotted by mechanical woes during the warranty period. The Mazda6 has a great history, with few complaints and this new model should follow that theme. The excellent interior build quality and a reassuring absence of rattles and squeaks suggest a trouble-free ownership will be the norm.