Mazda Millenia
Encyclopedia
The Mazda Millenia is an automobile
which was manufactured by Mazda
in Japan
from 1993 to 2003.
The Millenia was originally planned as the second of three models for Mazda’s proposed luxury brand Amati. As the company’s dwindling finances prevented the launch of the Amati brand, the Millenia was released in the autumn of 1993 in Europe
as the Mazda Xedos 9 and in Japan as the Eunos 800. The car was launched in North America
in 1995 as the Mazda Millenia and in 1997 the Japan
ese market Eunos 800 was also renamed to Mazda Millenia as Mazda discontinued the Eunos brand. There was no model link to the other Mazda marque, Ẽfini.
Having been developed for a separate market from typical Mazda customers, the Millenia boasted a myriad of finer details. It was engineered to far greater levels of perceived quality than existing Mazda cars, such as interior plastic, panel gap and thicker paint coating. The Millenia/Eunos 800/Xedos 9 was assembled along with the smaller Eunos 500
/Mazda Xedos 6 in a new production line, presumably set up for Amati cars.
The Millenia does not have a predecessor or replacement in the Mazda product line. It appears to have received a brand-new platform, although the multi-link suspension at both ends strongly resembled that of the 1991 Mazda Sentia
, with minor changes such as replacing the lower I-arm with an A-arm for front wheel drive. It was the only production car in the world to employ a Miller cycle
engine
(The current Demio/Mazda2 features Miller Cycle on one of its engines). Yaw-sensitive 4-wheel steering was available as an option in Japan; Mazda claimed that with this feature, the Millenia was capable of passing the elk test
at speeds comparable to the BMW 850i
and Nissan 300ZX
.
The 1997 Japanese market name change from Eunos 800 to Mazda Millenia was accompanied by a significant facelift that included some cost-saving measures. For instance, the hood
was downgraded from aluminum to steel. The Millenia was again facelifted for the 2000 model year.
9 was a luxury car for Mazda of Europe
. Sold between 1993 and 2002, the Xedos 9 was the export version of Mazda's upscale Eunos 800 on the Mazda T platform.
Engines:
800 was a luxury car from Mazda
's Eunos marque in Japan. Sold only from 1993 through 1998, the Eunos 800 exported as the Xedos 9 and used the Mazda T platform.
Engines:
in 1995 as the Mazda Millenia, and replaced the 929
as Mazda's flagship sedan offering there. The 929 had been the last rear-wheel drive Japanese import sedan since the discontinuation of the Toyota Cressida
in 1992, whereas the Millenia was front-wheel drive
, and thus only capable of giving rivalry to the Nissan Maxima
at the time. The Millenia was available in the USA with (The "Millenia S" spec) or without the Miller Cycle engine.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
which was manufactured by Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1993 to 2003.
The Millenia was originally planned as the second of three models for Mazda’s proposed luxury brand Amati. As the company’s dwindling finances prevented the launch of the Amati brand, the Millenia was released in the autumn of 1993 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as the Mazda Xedos 9 and in Japan as the Eunos 800. The car was launched in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1995 as the Mazda Millenia and in 1997 the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese market Eunos 800 was also renamed to Mazda Millenia as Mazda discontinued the Eunos brand. There was no model link to the other Mazda marque, Ẽfini.
Having been developed for a separate market from typical Mazda customers, the Millenia boasted a myriad of finer details. It was engineered to far greater levels of perceived quality than existing Mazda cars, such as interior plastic, panel gap and thicker paint coating. The Millenia/Eunos 800/Xedos 9 was assembled along with the smaller Eunos 500
Eunos 500
The Eunos 500 was a luxury car from Mazda's Eunos marque. The 500 was first shown to the public at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, and Japanest launch followed soon in early 1992....
/Mazda Xedos 6 in a new production line, presumably set up for Amati cars.
The Millenia does not have a predecessor or replacement in the Mazda product line. It appears to have received a brand-new platform, although the multi-link suspension at both ends strongly resembled that of the 1991 Mazda Sentia
Mazda Sentia
The Mazda Sentia is a large rear wheel drive luxury car sold in Japan in the 1990s. It replaced the Mazda Luce nameplate on the Mazda H platform cars for Japan in 1991 and was retired in 1999 after two generations.-1991:...
, with minor changes such as replacing the lower I-arm with an A-arm for front wheel drive. It was the only production car in the world to employ a Miller cycle
Miller cycle
In engineering, the Miller cycle is a combustion process used in a type of four-stroke internal combustion engine. The Miller cycle was patented by Ralph Miller, an American engineer, in the 1940s.- Overview :...
engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
(The current Demio/Mazda2 features Miller Cycle on one of its engines). Yaw-sensitive 4-wheel steering was available as an option in Japan; Mazda claimed that with this feature, the Millenia was capable of passing the elk test
Moose test
A moose test or elk test is a test to determine how a certain vehicle acts when the driver evades a suddenly appearing obstacle...
at speeds comparable to the BMW 850i
BMW 8 Series
The BMW 8 Series is a V8- or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW from 1989 to 1999. While it did supplant the original E24 based 6 Series in 1991, a common misconception is that the 8 Series was developed as a successor...
and Nissan 300ZX
Nissan 300ZX
The Z31 chassis designation was first introduced in 1983 as a 1984 Nissan/Datsun 300ZX in the US only. The 300ZX, as its predecessors, was known as a Nissan in other parts of the world. This continued in the US until 1985 model year when Nissan standardized their brand name worldwide and dropped...
.
The 1997 Japanese market name change from Eunos 800 to Mazda Millenia was accompanied by a significant facelift that included some cost-saving measures. For instance, the hood
Hood (vehicle)
The hood or bonnet is the hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. In British terminology, hood refers to a fabric cover over the passenger compartment of the car...
was downgraded from aluminum to steel. The Millenia was again facelifted for the 2000 model year.
European designation
The Mazda XedosXedos
Mazda Xedos was a range of executive cars launched by Japanese manufacturer Mazda in 1992.The original model was the Mazda Xedos 6, which was similar in size and in engine to the BMW 3 Series. The Xedos 6 has 2 types of engines - 24 valve V6 @ 144hp named KF and 16 valve L4 @ 107hp named B6...
9 was a luxury car for Mazda of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Sold between 1993 and 2002, the Xedos 9 was the export version of Mazda's upscale Eunos 800 on the Mazda T platform.
Engines:
- 2.5 L KL-DE V6
- 2.25 L KJ-ZEM V6 (Miller cycleMiller cycleIn engineering, the Miller cycle is a combustion process used in a type of four-stroke internal combustion engine. The Miller cycle was patented by Ralph Miller, an American engineer, in the 1940s.- Overview :...
) - 2.0 L V6, same as the unit found in the Xedos6
Japanese designation
The EunosEunos cars
In the late 1980s, Mazda diversified in the Japan market with the launch of three new marques. The company created Autozam, Eunos, and Ẽfini, in addition to the Mazda and Ford brands already marketed there...
800 was a luxury car from Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
's Eunos marque in Japan. Sold only from 1993 through 1998, the Eunos 800 exported as the Xedos 9 and used the Mazda T platform.
Engines:
- 2.5 L KL-ZE V6
- 2.25 L KJ-ZEM V6 (Miller cycleMiller cycleIn engineering, the Miller cycle is a combustion process used in a type of four-stroke internal combustion engine. The Miller cycle was patented by Ralph Miller, an American engineer, in the 1940s.- Overview :...
)
North American market
The car was launched in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1995 as the Mazda Millenia, and replaced the 929
Mazda 929
The Mazda 929 was originally a mid-size car from 1973–1987 and as a full-size car thereafter. Marketed over three decades, the 929 was originally the export name for the Mazda Luce. When equipped with a rotary engine, it was called the Mazda RX-4 in export markets...
as Mazda's flagship sedan offering there. The 929 had been the last rear-wheel drive Japanese import sedan since the discontinuation of the Toyota Cressida
Toyota Cressida
The Toyota Cressida was a mid-size sedan marketed by Toyota from December 1976 to February 1993 through four generations. It was the flagship sedan of Toyota in the United States. The same chassis with slightly different bodies was available in other countries as the Toyota Mark II, Toyota Chaser...
in 1992, whereas the Millenia was front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
, and thus only capable of giving rivalry to the Nissan Maxima
Nissan Maxima
The first car to wear the Maxima name was introduced in 1981. It was essentially a Japanese-market Bluebird 910 with a longer nose. The car was offered as the 810 Deluxe or 810 Maxima that first year, and all 810s became Maximas for 1982...
at the time. The Millenia was available in the USA with (The "Millenia S" spec) or without the Miller Cycle engine.
Specifications and performance
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $35,595 |
| Price As Tested | $36,345 |
| Engine Type | 2.3 Liter V6 |
| Engine Size | 2255 cc/2.3 L |
| Horsepower | 210 hp @5300 rpm |
| Torque | 210 lbft @ 3500 rpm |
| Wheelbase/Width/Length | 108.3 in (2,751 mm)/69.7 in (1,770 mm)/189.8 in (4,821 mm) |
| Transmission | Four-speed automatic Automatic transmission An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually... |
| Curb Weight | 3410 pounds (1,546.7 kg) |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded |
| Fuel Capacity | 18 US gal (68 l; 15 imp gal) |
| Tires (F/R) | P215/55R16 |
| Brakes (F/R) | Disc (ABS)/Disc (ABS) |
| Drive Train | Front-engine/front-wheel-drive |
| Vehicle Type | Five-passenger/four-door |
| Domestic Content | 4% |
| Coefficient of Drag (Cd.) | 0.29 |
| Performance | |
| EPA Economy, miles per gallon city/highway/average |
20 miles per US gallon/28 miles per US gallon/23 miles per US gallon |
| 0-60 mph | 7.8 Seconds |
| 1/4 Mile (E.T.) | 15.9 seconds @ 89.2 mi/h |
| Top Speed (Est.) | 142 mi/h |