Friday, April 24, 1992 — North Shore News - 43

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NEW STYLING, more interior room.and two new engines highlight the redesigned Mazda MX-6. The new 2.5-litre duai overhead cam V6 engine is the first V6 offered in a Japanese sporty car, offering more horsepower and better performance than the discontinued turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

ANOTHER NEW Mazda? It seems like Mazda Motor Corporation has been in- troducing a new model every other month!

Over the past year they've roll- ed out a new 929 ‘‘Serenia’’ lux- ury sedan, MX-3 ‘‘Precidia’’ sporty coupe, and RX-7 sports car. The newest Mazda model is a completely redesigned MX-6 ‘*Mystere,"’ soon to be followed by an all-new 626 ‘“Cronos’’ sedan.

Why the funny add-on names like ‘‘Precidia’? and ‘‘Mystere?’’ A Mazda spokesperson claims these names make the cars easier

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to remember and more iden- tifiable. I might agree if the names were a little less odd, but I don’t think these names are quite as memorable as names like Mustang, Accord or Camaro.

The new MX-6 remains a two-door, four-passenger sporty coupe with front-wheel drive, but apart from that, it is a completely different car from its forerunner. The styling is dramatically and refreshingly different, the interior has been redesigned, there’s a choice of two new engines, and there's a revised suspension.

The price has gone up, too. Base RS models now start at $19,000, while LS models begin at

THE INTERIOR is handsome, functional, and well finished with traditional round analogue gauges and farge push buttons for the

radio and ventilation controls.

X-6

$23,000. However, the level of standard equipment is higher. {tems such as power windows, power door locks, driver’s air bag and cruise control are now stand- ard on all models.

The MX-6 is built at Mazda’s plant in Flat Rock, Michigan alongside the new Ford Probe, which I will be reviewing in a few weeks. With 75% North American content, the MX-6 is the first Japanese car to be classified as a domestic car by the U.S. En- vironinentai Protection Agency. That's good for the North Ameri- can economy because it means jobs remain in North America and many parts are sourced from here, too. It also means that Mazda can sell as many of these cars as they want without facing import quota restrictions.

In my mind, the MX-6 is now the handsomest car in the compact sporty segment. The MX-6’s shape is Jow and wide with gentle curves, a flowing roof-line, ex-

Technical data.

Price as tested (LS) $23,000 Base price (RS) $19,000 Type Two-door, Passenger coupe Layout Transverse front engine/rear wheel drive

Engine 2,497 cc V6, DOHC, 24 valves, multi-port electronic fuel injection

four-

ystere

pansive ‘‘greenhouse,”’ and a long tail. It manages to look almost “shark-like,"’ streamlined yet ag-

gressive, with no add-on pro- tuberances like fender flares and chin spoilers to spoil its clean design. A rear spoiler is available, but I think the car looks better without it. Styling credits go to Mazda’s Irvine, California design studios.

The new MX-6 is longer, wider and lower than the previous model, and the cowl (hood at the lower end of the windscreen) is seven centimetres lower, resulting in considerably improved forward vision over the hood.

The interior is handsome, func- tional, and well finished with traditional round analogue gauges and large push buttons for the radio and ventilation controls. Reflecting the importance of a good stereo in a sporty car, the six-speaker AM/FM stereo

cassette player with 80-watt am- .

plifier is now standard equipment,

Horsepower 164 @ 5,600 rpm Torque 160 @ 4,800 rpm Transmission Five-speed man- ual (four-speed automatic) Tires P205/55 VRI5_ high- performance radials

Length 4,615 mm/181.5 in. Trunk space 351 litres/12.4 cu.ft.

Greg Wilson

TEST DRIVE

and a CD player is optional. There’s a surprising amount of headroom, even for the rear pas- sengers, and rear legroom is also

See Only page 48

Fuel economy City 11.7 L/100 km, 24 mpg; Hwy 8.6 L/100 km, 33 mpg

Warranty Complete three yrs/ 80,000 kms

Inquire about the Mystere at North Shore Mazda, 711 W 14th, North Van.