Mazda5 minivans recalled over fuel pump concerns

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a safety recall on certain Mazda5 minivans from the 2009 and 2010 model year.
This recall focuses on the van’s fuel pump, with NHTSA citing that water may not have been completely removed from the pump’s harness connector before vehicle assembly. Thus, the connector pin may corrode, causing the pin to break. If the harness connector breaks, this could lead to an inoperative fuel pump. The Mazda5′s engine could stall, and the inability to restart the engine increases the risk of a crash.
Approximately 16,200 of the Mazda minivans are effected by this problem, and the safety recall is expected to begin on or before December 11th. Dealers will inspect the fuel pump connector and replace the harness free of charge. For the full details, follow the jump to read NHTSA’s official statement.

2011 Mazda Verisa

2011 Mazda Verisa goes on sale in Japan from today. The tall subcompact hatch, which is pretty much the Japanese equivalent of Europe’s Ford Fiesta (previous generation) -based Fusion.

Mazda MX6 Modified With Scissor Door

Mazda MX6 Modified With Scissor Door

Mazda RX-8 Elegant White Bodykit Edition

Mazda RX-8 Elegant White Bodykit Edition

The Mazda RX-8 offers four-seat practicality in an impractical-looking (ie, quite nice) coupe-thing. Suicide rear doors are a treat and the driving experience is one of a kind thanks to that manic rotary engine (sorry, ‘Renesis’ engine).
Comfort

Suicide doors allow easy access to small-ish rear seats, but you'll be able to get adults in there. Front-seat pilots will have plenty of room and the engine is super-smooth and rev-hungry - but heavy on fuel and oil. Firm suspension won't put you off either; this is one well thought-out car.
12 out of 20
Performance

Mazda's rotary ‘Renesis' comes in two flavours; 189bhp or 228bhp. The static measurement of 1.3-litres is a bit of a dodge really - the ‘rotary' part means that this isn't a classic bore-and-stroke mobile. There are three chambers, so it means that the engine is probably more like a 2.6-litre. It'll rev like a beast (well past 8,000rpm) and the 189bhp gets to 62mph in 7.2 and on to 139mph. Best to go for the 228bhp version though - 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and a 146mph top speed.
17 out of 20
Cool

We like it.
14 out of 20
Quality

Another well put together motor from Mazda. There were troubles with sticky revving on early 228bhp cars, so check that's been sorted, otherwise it's stress free. And it's supposed to use that much oil by the way.
13 out of 20
Handling

The rotary unit is very small and light, and the RX-8 takes advantage of that with a front-mid-engine layout and 50/50 weight distribution. There's little understeer unless you really throw it in, and the handling balance shades to oversteer in the wet. Otherwise you'll have trouble unsticking it. It provides bags of confidence - a bit like the MX-5 but on a bigger scale - so you can make the most of the rev-happy engine.
13 out of 20
Practicality

Rotaries use oil as part of their combustion cycle to lubricate the rotor tips, so be prepared to get under the bonnet a little bit. Other than that, suicide doors and proper four seats make such a difference when a car drives this well. The RX-8 carves out its own little niche - there's not much to touch it.

2009 Mazda Mazda5/Premacy in Japan

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced upgrades to its Premacy (known as the Mazda5 in overseas markets) compact minivan in Japan. Popular due to its sporty styling and driving performance, the freshened Premacy goes on sale today at all Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Mazda Autozam dealerships nationwide. Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (including sales tax) for front-wheel drive (FWD) models range from 1,820,000 to 2,195,000 yen(19,000 USD to 23,000 USD).

Since its debut in 1999, the Mazda Premacy compact minivan has earned plaudits for its efficient seven-seat packaging, outstanding driving performance and sporty styling. Ten years later, the Premacy is currently sold in over 60 countries and has become Mazda’s best-selling minivan, with total global sales surpassing 710,000 units.

The range topping 20Z model grade now comes with specially designed aluminum alloy wheels and seat and door trim that enhance its sporty appearance. To highlight its sharp lines, exclusive Dark Plum Mica exterior body paint is also newly available for this model grade. In response to high demand, the mainstay 20CS grade has been augmented with a new fuel economy gauge and a freshly designed center panel. With the addition of these features and a full equipment review, the upgraded Mazda Premacy 20CS is even more affordable than before.

All Mazda Premacy FWD model grades qualify for Japan’s eco-car tax incentives, with 50 percent reductions on both the automobile acquisition tax and the automobile weight tax.

Main features of the freshened Mazda Premacy

-Sporty, high-quality dark grey 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels which are exclusive to the 20Z model grade.
-Eight exterior body colors are available, including the newly added Aluminum Metallic and Radiant Ebony Mica. The special exterior color Dark Plum Mica is also exclusively available for the 20Z model grade.
-Newly designed fabric seat and door trim which is exclusive to the 20Z model grade.
-The 20CS, 20S and 20Z model grades are equipped with a trip computer that includes a fuel economy gauge as standard equipment.
-All model grades feature a glossy piano black center panel.
-Side and rear view cameras are available as a factory-installed option for the 20CS, 20S and 20Z model grades.