While the MX-5, RX-7 and first-generation Cosmo earned the corporate some street (and track) cred, there’s a certain freak flag flying over Mazda headquarters. for nearly fifty years, it churned out light-weight, fuel-thirsty Wankel engines till stopping development in 2011. The rear-wheel-drive 929 sedan had a solar-powered sunroof vent before the Prius was a twinkle of code on a screen. and therefore the posh Millenia S featured the world’s initial production Miller cycle engine. Even the reskinned Ford Probe that was the MX-6 got four-wheel steering. Focus teams in Mazda’s hometown of Hiroshima should contains highly imaginative contrarians, the kind of individuals who drink French beer and Canadian wine.
Returning to the States once a mysterious one-year absence, the redesigned Mazda5 isn't any exception to the corporate-sponsored quirkiness. It’s a six-passenger van, however it’s engineered on an equivalent C1 platform utilized by compact cars just like the Mazda3, Ford Focus and Volvo C30. At 180.5 inches long, it’s nearly 2 feet shorter than a Dodge Caravan or Honda Odyssey, however it’s got ample space for four adults and 2 children. Mazda’s optimistic euphemism for the five is “the area van,” though those sliding rear doors may likewise wear a “Student of the Month” bumper sticker.
In Europe, compact MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) like these are huge sellers and nearly each automaker offers one. Those cars nearly never create it across the Atlantic, that is why the Mazda5 is that the solely automotive in its category within the U.S. till the arrival of the Ford C-Max next year. Yes, you'll be able to even order the five with a stick shift, though solely in bare-bones “Sport” guise.
Though I strive very arduous to stay unbiased — I’ve never worked for an automaker, I don’t make the most of press junkets, and that i even purchase my very own gas for the cars I’m reviewing — I even have to admit I fell pretty arduous for the Mazda5. I’ve additionally got a fridge choked with Kronenbourg and VQA Vidal, thus take my praise with a grain of salt.
That there are thousands of automotive deviants like me could be a truth not lost on company brass. At the vehicle’s launch — coincidentally, a happening I watched on YouTube whereas sitting on my couch, not live at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort where it absolutely was held — it absolutely was clear complete manager Tetsu Nakazawa takes pride within the 5′s niche standing. “I love to consider this as our hidden gem in our lineup,” he said. “This vehicle doesn't work into any ancient segmentation.” you'll be able to say that once more. Championing lost causes and automotive orphans should be a part of some unannounced business arrange. Heck, if Mazda had rescued them, Saab would have resumed production of shoe-shaped two-stroke coupes.
The five is additionally distinctive in that it’s the sole automotive to feature Mazda’s “Nagare” style language. The quickly discarded vogue was meant to depict motion, apparently through 3 creased lines that flow along the facet of the vehicle. they appear higher face to face than in images, however at the terribly least they’ll hide automobile parking space dings. From a distance, the van’s low ground clearance and wide rear finish provides it the design of a macrocephalic Mazda3 hatch.
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