1993 MAZDA 626 (Mk.5) Sedan 2.0i 5MT FWD (115 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The fifth generation of the Mazda 626 was introduced in 1991 in Japan and in the following year in Europe. The U.S. version was introduced in 1992 as a 1993 model.

In 1991, Mazda was already involved in a partnership with Ford Motor Co. and that led to jointly developed vehicles which, in some situations, seemed to be competitors in the same market. For instance, the Mazda 626 was introduced in Europe in 1992, but in the following year, the first Ford Mondeo started to compete against it.

The biodesign trend just begun and Mazda chose it for the 626. The rounded edges, narrow headlights and curved panels made the car look smaller than it was. The body-colored door-mirrors were new for the model. The 626 featured a short wheelbase for its size and that led to big overhangs.

Inside, the 2.61 m (102”) wheelbase led to a decent interior room for the rear passengers, but smaller than other cars from its segment. The instrument cluster kept the speedometer in the middle and sent the tachometer on the left, while on the right the constructor grouped with the fuel level gauge and the coolant temperature dial. Strangely, the cruise control buttons were placed behind the steering wheel, under the instrument cluster.

Despite being a long car, Mazda didn’t install the 4Wheel-Steering system which is developed in the ’80s and it was present on the previous generation. Under the hood, there was a choice of gasoline and diesel engines. For the former, there was an inline-four and a V6 for the U.S. market. In Europe, it was sold mostly with 4-cylinders only.