Test drive Mazda MPV 1995 - 1998

Mini-wen for the driver

December 1996. It seems that it was recently we went to Minsk to present Mazda Mazda Mazda Mazda. By that time, it was already a well -deserved veteran (without fundamental changes, the car was produced since 1988). In the end, he reached the expanses of the former USSR. Why Minsk? The answer is still relevant in Russia, there is still no official Mazda dealer. There is hope that the situation will change with the transfer of the company to Ford Ford. The first positive sign of this can be considered the appearance of the second-generation Mazda Mazda Mazda Mazda Mazda Mazda in Moscow.


The car is a fresh model of 2000. He reached the Russian consumer months after the debut (and not the years, as it was with his predecessor). The second generation of MPV is not just an update or modernization, the car is made from scratch. Now this is a purebred front-wheel drive mini-van, in terms of dimensions a little superior to the well-known Volkswagen Sharan.


The main external difference between the new MPV and the old in the proportions of the body. The changes are due to the features of the layout and platform. The previous (rear -wheel drive) model had an all -wheel drive version for the corresponding transmission required a place, so the body made the impression of a compressed below. Now the transmission is compactly accommodated in front, providing more volume to passengers.


A body with a large glazing area as if from a small bus. The appearance of the car is a demonstration of the new Mazda corporate style, in some places somewhat reminiscent of the Ford New Edge. (The strengthened cooperation of Ford and Mazda recently led to the creation of single-rooted Escape and Tribute SUVs, but whether the MPV twin will appear in the Ford line is still unknown.) In front of the radiator, an enlarged emblem is flaunted according to recent trends.


All the doors of the mini-wen have impressive dimensions, especially the fifth back. It is lowered low, and even in the bumper the cutout is made, so that the loading height is small. The rear side doors are shifting: you can’t do without such a modern mini-wen, especially in the American market. They open so easily that with habit, you can slam the door loudly. The electric drive is not provided even as an option.


A huge engineering space and a small four -cylinder 2 liter engine, which develops a power of 124 hp. and torque 175 Nm. With other engines to Europe, the mini-ven does not deliver. Power indicators for a car with an equipped mass of 1600 kg do not seem outstanding, but more on that below ...


In the engine compartment of such sizes, you can easily place the larger engine. Actually, this is what some markets, for example, American, mini-wen are supplied only with a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter V6 engine. Interestingly, this Fordovsky motor is from the Duratec family. Imagine, the motors are taken first from the USA to Japan, then back ...


We continue to get acquainted with mini-wan from the inside. The driver's door opens up before us a wide opening, through which you enter the car, and do not fit or squeeze. The cabin is very spacious. A high ceiling, a low even floor can take a walk between the seats.


The form of torpedo is quite modern, due to an increased height, it seems somewhat massive. On the beard of the central console there is a niche that can accommodate a bottle of water, so this is rather a dungeon.


The driver's seat has mechanical adjustments, quite comfortable and allows a convenient person to get a person of almost any height. The fact that you are not in a passenger car, but in a mini-wen, resembles a high landing and a long gearbox lever, which you still want to call a stiring. Sensitivity and long -terming, it looks like Raf and Gazelle levers. The pedals are conveniently located, there are enough legs for the legs. The clutch is quite informative, the pedal is light and with a rather long move. The steering wheel without comments. The column is adjusted along the angle of inclination, but the range, in my opinion, is not enough.


The visibility from the driver's place is simply gorgeous, the only drawback of the wide front roof racks that cover the side overview in corners. When reversing moves, passengers and baggage can worsen visibility (if you use the inner mirror), but you can successfully start with large external mirrors.


A console with internal lighting ceiling and two glasses for glasses are located above the heads of the front riders, apparently, so that the place is not empty: the hint that a sliding hatch can be installed here.


In the passenger part of the cabin, there are nominally five places: three in the middle row and two in the rear. In the test of the middle row we took off in the test, someone took off only one, in the middle, remained. The chair is comfortable, the legs for the legs and space above the head is not in excess, but enough. In the back row, this is worse with this, a tall man will not sit there for a long time.


All seats of the passenger compartment are the same, with the possibility of longitudinal movement and tilt of the back. The presence of many mounting points to the floor allows you to arrange armchairs in various combinations. On the right armrest of the back row, a handle of control of the fan was discovered, and in the left glove compartment. There are cup holders and ashtray.


To shoot, it was necessary to dismantle the central seat. It wasn’t there it was overwhelmed and all the time strove to fall to one side, but in the end we coped with him. The emptiness formed once again pleased the eye of a real van, only with glasses. They rejoiced early. It turned out to be more difficult to put the chair than pulling it out. We did not find any appropriate case of visual instructions on it. Perhaps Mazda MPV buyers read the course of a young fighter, but we had to take up self -education, and soon everything fell into place.


Closing the doors, we found a group of connectors in the opening of an unusual type. It turned out that this is the wiring for door windows. Having dropped glasses in the shift doors! We have not seen this yet. For considerations of glass safety, they are not completely lowered to the end, because usually children are sitting in the back in a mini-van ...


We start the engine. The most loud sound in the cabin from an air conditioner working on increased colors. With his task to cool the body red -hot in the sun, he coped surprisingly quickly.


Mazda MPV showed quite worthy dynamics unexpectedly (there were still fresh memories of the not too frisky Mazda 626 with the same volume, but more power by the engine). Most likely, the case is in other gear rates of the transmission and the subjective perception of mini-wen as something large. Although, on the other hand, what is subjectivity, if you can confidently perform overtaking and high -speed restructuring on MPV, not afraid that at the most inopportune moment there is not enough power?


The car confidently keeps the road and has good handling. This is not to say that the car has a sharp steering wheel, but its corresponding reactions are quite fast. At the same time, feedback with the driver is good. The creators of MPV claim that they took the Protege sedan for the standard ...


Inhibition is also at a height, its process is well predicted. Suspension work without serious complaints. It is worse than the average mini-wen, but this has a beneficial effect on running qualities. The road relief, regardless of its height and profile for MPV, is not a problem, the suspension is very difficult to break through, but again you have to pay for everything. In this case, increased fervor when crossing through borders and moving in corners. The car is swinging in a battleship, however, this does not last long. It is known that on the deck and especially on the mast, the pitching is more noticeable than in the hold, as already noted, the landing of the driver Mazda MPV is quite high ...


The first and second generations Mazda MPV is heaven and earth. On the go, the new mini-van is almost a passenger car. Only take seven. Or punching. Since the company sells MPV around the world, the size of the mini-van turned out to be less than most competitors, but this only increases its attractiveness for drivers. As for the capacity, the MPV is not much inferior to the rivals due to the competent organization of the internal space (the company called its design concept that the company). And relatively small dimensions in combination with excellent handling and good running qualities allow you to assign a Mazda MPV not quite ordinary mini-ven title for the driver. And, in any case, the offensive nickname of the mother, which in some countries has been borne by the mini-wenes, does not suit him in any way. Rather, this is a car for dad. Moreover, there is an all -wheel drive version on the way.
 
Fedor is small
 

Source: Motor magazine [July 2000]