NEW YORK, April 16, 2003: Mazda will unveil the Mazda MX Sportif, its new concept car, on April 17 during an 11:25 a.m. press conference on its stage at the New York Auto Show. Mazda also will feature its two new flagship vehicles—the iconic RX-8 sports car and MAZDA6 sports sedan—at the show, as well as its full lineup of vehicles, including the new MAZDASPEED Protegé.
“The MX Sportif truly embodies the next chapter in the story Mazda has been writing for the past two years,” said Mazda Design Director Moray Callum.
“This vehicle concept takes what customers now have come to expect from the new generation of Mazda products and accentuates it by proving the old cliché…good things come in small packages,” said Robert Davis, vice president of product development.
MX Sportif is Mazda’s newest example of distinctive design, exceptional functionality and responsive performance and handling—Mazda’s core product attributes. Although slotted into the compact segment of vehicle categorization, MX Sportif also offers customers far more in terms of overall vehicle roominess. A fresh and sophisticated interior ambience permeates through the spacious cabin with room for five adults, while the seats provide ample support for sporty driving. MX-Sportif’s power is harnessed from an MZR (Mazda Responsive Engine) 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder engine producing an estimated 150 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 140 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. It is mated to a close-ratio, short-throw five-speed manual transmission and aims to meet the PZEV (partial zero emission vehicle) standard in the United States.
The revolutionary new RX-8 sports car, also on display, houses a new 13B RENESIS rotary engine capable of 250 horsepower underneath its athletically sculpted hood. Mazda design engineers continue to raise the styling bar with a unique freestyle four-door design that proves a true sports car need not sacrifice space or convenience. A 210-horsepower, four-speed automatic and 250-horsepower, six-speed manual version will both be available in June 2003.
Continuing the Zoom-Zoom tradition is the highly touted MAZDA6, a sports sedan that pushes the definition of “sports” to the edge and completely redefines the word “sedan.” Available in a 220-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 or 160-horsepower, 2.3-liter I-4 package, MAZDA6 comes with one of the longest lists of standard equipment of any mid-size car and has already been named an Automobile All Star, Car and Driver 10Best and Money magazine Best Buy.
Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer service and parts support of Mazda vehicles in the United States. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO has more than 700 dealerships nationwide.
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