Mazda 626

Mazda 626 at a glance

In the United Kingdom the first 626 was called the Mazda Montrose. In Colombia, where the car was assembled for years, later generations got local names such as Asahi and Matsuri. Other models of the brand are in our Mazda catalogue.

Generations of the Mazda 626

CB (1978-1982): the rear-drive 626

The Capella CB appeared in Japan in October 1977 and was exported as the 626 as a saloon and coupé. It kept rear-wheel drive with MacPherson struts at the front and a coil-sprung live rear axle on four links with a Panhard rod. Gearboxes were a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic, and the drag coefficient was 0.38. Japanese engines had 66, 74 or 81 kW (90, 100 or 110 PS JIS); European 1.6 and 2.0 engines ranged from 55 to 66 kW (75 to 90 PS). A facelift followed in late 1980.

GC (1982-1987): front drive and awards

The GC of September 1982 switched to front-wheel drive with independent rear suspension and added a five-door hatchback. In Europe the 1.6 gave 59 kW (80 PS) and the 2.0 about 75 kW (102 PS); a 2.0 diesel with 47 kW (64 PS) followed in September 1983, and a 2.0 turbo topped the range. Ford's Telstar was built on the same base from 1983.

The GC was Japan Car of the Year in 1982, Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year and Wheels Car of the Year in 1983, and fifth in the 1984 European Car of the Year, the highest finish by a Japanese car at that point.

GD/GV (1987-1992): four-wheel steering and Comprex

Launched in May 1987, the GD came as a saloon, hatchback and coupé; the GV estate followed in 1988 and stayed in production until 1997. Some versions got four-wheel drive from July 1987, with a centre differential and a viscous limited-slip rear differential. In February 1988 Mazda added electronic four-wheel steering (4WS) for the five-door and coupé.

The Comprex was a pressure-wave supercharged diesel, unusual in a mass-market car. The coupé was sold as the MX-6 in North America and Australia and, with the Ford Probe, was built by AutoAlliance International in Michigan.

GE (1991-1997): V6 and Flat Rock

The GE was launched in Japan in November 1991 and exported as the 626 from January 1992, as a saloon and hatchback without an estate. North American 626s were built at Flat Rock from 1 September 1992.

Four-wheel steering remained available on the European V6 hatchback with manual gearbox until a mid-1994 update. Wheels magazine made the 626 its Car of the Year for a second time in 1992.

GF/GW (1997-2002): the last 626

The final generation came as a saloon and hatchback (GF) and, from 1998, an estate (GW) with a 60 mm longer wheelbase. North American cars from Flat Rock had their own bodywork. European engines were a 1.8 with 66 kW (90 PS), a 2.0 with 85 kW (115 PS) and 100 kW (136 PS) in the GSI SE and Sport, and from autumn 1998 the 2.0 RF-T turbo-diesel with 74 kW (101 PS). North America had a 2.0 with 93-97 kW (125-130 hp) and a V6 with 127 kW (170 hp). Mazda showed a 626 MPS concept with a 2.5 twin-turbo at the 2000 Geneva show, but it never reached production. The last Flat Rock 626 was built on 30 August 2002.

Fuel economy, running costs and practicality

Our sources give no reliable fuel consumption or dimension figures for each generation, so we do not quote them here. The V6 and the Comprex diesels were built in smaller numbers than the four-cylinder petrol engines, so finding parts for them takes more effort. Our cost of ownership calculator helps put numbers on a specific car.

Safety

The CB, GC and GD were designed before Euro NCAP began testing in 1997, and we could not verify a Euro NCAP result for the GF, so no rating is given. A car of this age offers far less crash protection than a current mid-size car.

Reliability and known issues

One documented weak point is the Ford CD4E four-speed automatic that Flat Rock fitted to four-cylinder 626s in North America from 1994. Wikipedia reports a higher failure rate for it and cites Mazda service bulletins. European manual cars are not affected. Our sources record no other model-wide faults.

Rivals

In Europe the 626 competed with the Ford Sierra and Mondeo, Opel Ascona and Vectra, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Carina and Honda Accord. It is long out of production, so new prices are not compared.

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