Nissan to Sell Rebadged Mazda5 MPV in Japan

Nissan and Mazda said Friday that they are expanding their original equipment manufacturing (OEM) projects to include the Mazda Premacy, otherwise known as the Mazda5 MPV in markets such as North America and Europe. Under the agreement, Mazda will supply a "clearly differentiated version" of the Premacy to Nissan for sale in Japan, starting from May this year, the two companies said in a joint statement.

No pictures or other details have been released at this point, but given the short timeframe, Japanese buyers shouldn't expect any significant changes over the Premacy.

The two Japanese automakers are currently collaborating through a mutual OEM agreement, which enables Mazda to provide the Bongo Van/Truck to Nissan (sold as the Nissan Vanette Van/Truck), while Nissan supplies the AD/AD Expert to Mazda (sold as the Mazda Familia Van).

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Mazda5 MPV gets New 115HP 1.6-liter Turbo Diesel in Europe, Returns 5.2lt/100km - 45 MPG

Targeting better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions, Mazda has announced that the European market Mazda5 minivan is now available with a new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine, which replaces the previous 2.0-liter unit.

“For the engine line-up of the new Mazda5, we placed emphasis on environmental performance and fuel economy. This aim led us to use Mazda’s 2.0-liter direct-injection petrol engine with i-stop, and to replace the 2.0-liter diesel engine with a newly developed 1.6-liter turbo diesel unit that leads the class in low CO2 emission levels”, said Hideki Matsuoka, Program Manager Mazda5.

Thanks to its smaller displacement and aluminum alloy block, the new powerplant is a whopping 120 kg (265 lbs) lighter than the 2.0-liter diesel it replaces, without sacrificing performance. In fact, with 115HP and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque, the turbocharged four-pot produces +5HP, while using 14.8% less fuel in the combined cycle (5.2 lt/100 km or 45 US mpg) and emitting 13.2 percent less CO2 (138 g/km).

The new engine is also Euro5 compliant. It does this by using a low compression ratio (16:1) and an efficient exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler and bypass system. Other features of the MZ-CD 1.6 unit are the piezo injectors, variable-geometry turbocharger and maintenance-free diesel particulate filter (DPF) system.

The Mazda5 MZ-CD 1.6 accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 13.7 seconds and can reach a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph).

All Mazda5s come as standard with power-adjustable side mirrors, manual air conditioning, driver seat height adjustment, power windows, power door locks and four-speaker radio. The safety equipment list includes six airbags, ABS, dynamic stability control (DSC), electric brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist and traction control (TCS).

By Csaba Daradics

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2012 Mazda5 Minivan Priced from $19,990

Following the 2012 Mazda5's U.S. market premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Japanese maker released pricing details on its new minivan. The redesigned Mazda5 will go on sale at dealers across the U.S. in January 2011 with a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $19,990, including destination and delivery.

There are three trim grades (Sport, Touring and Grand Touring), with all models powered by a 2.5-liter MZR I-4 engine delivering 157 hp at 6,000 rpm, and 163 ft-lb of torque at 4,000 rpm. The four-cylinder unit can be paired th either a six-speed manual (Sport models only) or five-speed automatic transmission (standard on Touring and Grand Touring).

Regardless of the specification level, all Mazda5s come with equipped with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), traction control, anti-lock brakes (ABS), tire-pressure monitoring, and dual front, front-seat and side curtain airbags as standard.

The base Sport model, which starts at $19,990, gets 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/55/R16 all-season tires, power mirrors, windows and locks, air conditioning, MP3 stereo with six speakers, audio auxiliary jack, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry system, 50/50 split fold-down third row seats and steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls.

Next up in the line is the Touring. Priced from $21,990, it is equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch alloy wheels with P205/50R17 all-season tires, sport side still extensions, rear liftgate spoiler, fog lamps, Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and trip computer.

The flagship Grand Touring model starts from $24,670 and adds a power moonroof, automatic on/off xenon headlights, heated door mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, anti-theft alarm system, driver's seat lumbar support adjustment, heated front seats, in-dash 6-disc CD changer, leather-trimmed seats and Sirius satellite radio.

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