Technical Data
© Price as tested

2 door, 5 pass, coupe
* Layout
transverse front engine/fwd
« Engine
2184 cc 4 cyl., SOHC,
valve
w/electronic multi-port fuel
injection
e Horsepowe;
110 @ 4700 rpm.
© Transmission
5 spd. manual w/O.D.
(4 spd. auto)
© Tires
P185/70 SR 14 a.s.r.

12

a ; _ ~~
News photos Cindy Goodman

MAZDA MX-6

A well-built Japanese sports coupe

and zippy performance, but retain
two rear seats and a decent-sized
trunk for the times when you have
to be practical.

While ‘made-in-North-America’

MAZDA RECENTLY
jumped into the #3 position
in imported new car sales,
behind Toyota and Honda,
reflecting their recently up-
dated, and somewhat _in-
novative, line of cars.

The popular Miata sports car,
introduced last year, has been an

image leader for Mazda, helping
to spur sales of their bread and

44 On the road, the MX-6 has a solid,
well-built feel. There is virtually no
chassis flexing, suspension noises, or

body groans.99

butter models such as the
redesigned 323 hatchback and
Protege sedan, 626 sedan, and the
MPV mini-van.

The MX-6 doesn’t get as much
attention, but it belongs to a class
of cars that has become increas-
ingly popular in recent years:
sports coupes.

Compact, two-door sports
coupes usually have a sporty look

THE MAZDA MX-6 sports
coupe is based on a shortened
626 sedan platform. Available
with a turbocharged or non-
turbocharged 2.2 Sitre four-
cylinder engine, the MX-6 is a
well-built Japanese car with
reasonable performance. a
refined ride, and a good war-
ranty. Despite this year’s extra
standard equipment, the base
price of $17,000 is more than
many North American cars in
this class.

sports coupes like the Ford
Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro
started the sports coupe craze
more than 25 years ago, most of
the new sports coupes arriving
these days are coming from
Japan, or from Japanese
transplant factories in North
America. These include cars such
as the Toyota Celica, Honda
Prelude, Acura Integra, Eagle
Talon, and Nissan NX.

The Mazda MX-6 is based on
the 626 sedan and is about 2% in-
ches shorter overall. The most
obvious differences in styling are
its muscular fender bulges and a
racy profile highlighted by a roof
line that is about two inches lower
than the sedan, and a wrap-
around rear window treatment.

A rear spoiler and 14-inch alloy
wheeis are now standard equip-
ment on all MX-6s, increasing its
“sporty’ quotient. The
aerodynamic benefits of the
spoiler are questionable, but it
sure looks great.

MX-6s are available in SE
(replacing DX), LX and GT trim
levels. My test car was an SE,
finished in a particularly unique
shade of dark metallic green, a
nice change from the seemingly
endless parade of bright red or jet
black sports coupes on our high-
ways,

Two powertrains are offered, a
standard 2.2 litre four cylinder
with 110 horsepower avaitable in
the SE and LX models, and a
turbocharged version of that same
engine that develops 145 horse-
power in the GT. Zero-100 km/h
times are 9.7 seconds and 7.4 se-
conds respectively.

Sea orate Rees

Ta AE SIERO

Greg
Wilson

AUTOMOTION

On the road, the MX-6 has a
solid, well-built feel. There is vir-
tually no chassis flexing, suspen-
sion noises, or body groans. Apart
from some engine noise and reso-
nance during hard acceleration,
the MX-6 is a very refined sports
coupe.

The five-speed manual
transmission is well-placed for
grip and the gear ratios are well-
spaced, but it is sometimes stiff
going from first to second gear.
An_ optional (electronically-con-
trolled) four-speed automatic
transmission with driver selectable
modes for ‘Power,’ ‘Economy,’
and ‘Hold’ is available.

The turbocharged engine pro-
duces notable ‘torque-steer’ (the
power of the engine tends to
‘steer’ the car) when accelerating
hard, and [| would recommend the
normally-aspirated engine for
everyday driveability.

Interior fit and finish, on this
base model, were excellent, and all

Smad NE

gauges and controls are legible.

attest

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