The Eunos 500 was a compact executive car built by Mazda between 1992 and 1999 and sold in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia through the Eunos channel; in Britain and mainland Europe the same car wore Mazda badges and the name Xedos 6. It was presented at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show and shared its platform with the Mazda Capella.
Eunos 500 at a glance
| Also known as | Mazda Xedos 6 (Europe) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1992–1999 |
| Class | compact executive car |
| Platform | Mazda CA, shared with the Capella |
| First shown | 1991 Tokyo Motor Show |
| Japanese engines | 1.8 L V6, 2.0 L V6, 1.8 L four from 1994 |
| Power (Japan) | 140 PS (1.8 V6), 160 PS (2.0 V6) |
| Top speed (Japan) | 195 km/h (1.8), 205 km/h (2.0) |
| European engines | 1.6 L four (114 hp), 2.0 L V6 (144 hp) |
| Total built | 72,101 Xedos 6 and Eunos 500 together |
| Not sold | North America, where the larger Xedos 9 was offered |
The Eunos 500 is the Japanese-market version of the Mazda Xedos 6; the article is based on the English Wikipedia page on the Xedos 6 and covers the Eunos-badged car. Based on one source.
History of the Eunos 500
One car, several names
Mazda showed the car at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, and full production began in January 1992. Japanese, Hong Kong and Australian cars carried the Eunos 500 name because they were sold through the Eunos brand rather than as Mazdas; British cars were Mazda Xedos 6. Left-hand-drive Xedos 6 models for mainland Europe followed in 1993. Mazda also planned to sell it in the United States as the Amati 300, but the Amati brand never reached the market.
Styling and engines
Reviewers generally liked the exterior: the British site Honest John wrote that the car “could have been the prototype for a new small Jaguar – with Mazda reliability”, though the interior was criticized for being too dull. The Japanese range differed from the European one. There was no 1.6 in Japan: the base Eunos 500 used a 1.8-litre K8-ZE V6 with 140 PS and a 195 km/h top speed, and the 2.0-litre KF-ZE V6 was tuned to 160 PS and 205 km/h. In 1994 a 1.8-litre four-cylinder of 115 PS replaced the 1.8 V6 as the entry model. The European Xedos 6 was offered with a 114 hp 1.6 four, criticized as underpowered, and a 144 hp 2.0 V6 praised for its smooth, free-revving character; the V6 could reach 214 km/h with a manual gearbox.
The end of Eunos
Engines were revised in 1994 for the Euro 1 emissions rules and again in 1996 for Euro 2. In 1996, after Mazda decided to abandon the Eunos brand, the car was renamed the Mazda Eunos 500 and stayed in production under that name until 1999. The 1.6-litre versions and the 2.0 Sport were dropped in 1998, a year before the rest of the range. In total 72,101 Xedos 6 and Eunos 500 cars were produced.
Design and features
- Praise for the shape: reviewers compared the lines to a small Jaguar, with Mazda reliability.
- V6 engines: 1.8 and 2.0-litre K-series units in Japan, a 2.0 V6 in Europe.
- Capella platform: the CA platform shared with Mazda’s mid-size family model.
- Quietly upmarket: a compact executive package aimed at buyers of small European saloons.
Eunos 500 versions
- 1.8 V6 (1992–1994): the Japanese base model, 140 PS.
- 2.0 V6: 160 PS in Japan, 144 hp in Europe.
- 1.8 four (from 1994): new Japanese entry model with 115 PS.
- Xedos 6 1.6: the European four-cylinder version, sold from 1993 in Britain.
- Mazda Eunos 500 (1996–1999): the same car after the Eunos brand was wound up.
The 500 sat above the Eunos 30X and the Eunos Roadster in the Eunos range. More models are in the Eunos collection.
Sources
- Mazda Xedos 6, English Wikipedia: history, engines, production, reception
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