20^th October, 2000

Millenia - new face, new name… okay, it’s new

Mazda Australia has opted for a new name for its Miller Cycle engine powered flagship saloon. Previously the Eunos 800, it will now be known as the Millenia.

As well there is a bold new face, larger and newly styled wheels, refined tail treatment, a revised interior and a host of engineering improvements to herald this ‘new Millenia.’

Mazda’s distinctive five point ‘family’ grille has been positioned between the integrated lamp clusters which incorporate headlights and turning indicators. Fog lamps sit under the redesigned front bumper in the air dam.

Behind the new grille is the 2.3 litre V6 DOHC Miller cycle engine which is fitted with a Lyssholm Compressor and which drives the front wheels. This environment-friendly powerplant produces maximum power of 148.5 kW at 5500 rpm and 282.3 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm.

Not just a facelift
The new Millenia incorporates improvements to its suspension, steering system, body, and brakes which are designed to achieve increased driving, cornering and braking performance, as well as improvement to ride and comfort.

Sixteen inch alloy road wheels are now standard and feature a bold new design. Each of the four wheels turns at the command of Mazda’s unique electronic four wheel (4WS) steering system to provide crisp and precise driver control.

The vehicle’s brake rotors are also greater in diameter which, together with higher performance pads, improve the stopping power of the four ventilated-disc ABS system as well as providing a lighter pedal feel and shorter stroke. The vacuum boosters have also been fine-tuned to provide more responsive and linear braking characteristics.

Internally the vehicle is extensively freshened with two-tone colour treatment of doors and leather wrapped steering wheel. The leather trimmed seats – power operated in the front - feature the lighter of the two shades resulting a more ‘spacious’ look and feel.

In the imposing dashboard a new and technologically advanced ‘Optitron’ instrument set is positioned in the main binnacle and illuminates when the ignition circuit is opened to display the speedo, tachometer and minor gauges.

Set into the centre console is a powerful new Bose sound system which incoporates an ‘in dash’ changer for 6 CD’s. This system is adjacent to the controls for the fully automatic climate system which now includes a special micro air filter.

Illumination of the audio system, door locks, and other items is now a refined white hue which provides both excellent legibility and a luxurious, high-grade look. The lettering on controls of systems such as the climate control system has been enlarged for improved legibility.

Driver and front passenger also benefit from side airbags in addition to the standard dashboard and steering wheel located SRS restraints.

Living in the lap of luxury
The centre console configuration has been completely revamped. Two new cup holders, with lids, are located behind the automatic transmission shift lever for easy access from the front seats.

There is a two-level leather–wrapped and oversized console box with the upper compartment having a convenient tray for storing a mobile phone, sunglasses or the like, while the main lower compartment is large enough to store ten CDs with their label sides facing upward.

The main compartment is also equipped with an accessory socket that can be used to supply power to a mobile phone or portable computer.

For the rear seat passengers cup holders are equipped with adapters that allow them to hold a variety of different types of containers, including plastic beverage bottles.

Rear passengers also enjoy extra comfort with a leather wrapped armrest which incorporates a useful console box and cup holders.

The body, which is filled in strategic spots with the world’s first high-strength resin foam plastic, has been substantially reinforced to achieve higher bending and torsional rigidity. In addition, the links between the four-wheel multi-link suspension and the body have been reinforced, the geometry modified, and the damping force optimised for even more precise and nimble responsiveness.

Straight-line stability and rolling feel have been improved and the steering system features more rigid torsion bars and further fine tuning of the power steering mechanism.

For the four speed electronic automatic transmission, revised ‘scheduling’ has now produced smoother shifting throughout acceleration.

The renowned quality of elements such as the exquisitely crafted instrument panel, created using powder slush moulding, has already been widely praised, and the new Millenia raises the level of quality still higher. Its doors, for example, now open and close with a more solid, quality feel, and the switches and other controls are easier to see.

The upper portion of the backs of the reclining front seats have an added depression to provide a closer, more comfortable match with the back of the person sitting in them, and to hold the persons more securely in place, while the configuration of the insertion blade and buckle for the front seatbelts has also been changed to make them easier to fasten.

Vibration damping sheets have been applied to the door panels to enable the outer and inner door handles to operate more smoothly. The internal mechanism of the door latches has been altered to provide a more solid sound when the door is closed, and the pillars as well as the front and rear headers are urethane-filled to further eliminate extraneous noise.

The sound the trunk lid makes when being closed has been improved, and enhancements have been added to prevent water from dripping into the trunk if being opened while it is raining.

Defroster ducts and grilles have been redesigned to improve the performance of the climate control system and improve the effectiveness of windshield defogging. Also, the windshield wiper blades are made of fluorine-coated rubber for improved visibility when raining.

The centre pillars are filled in places with high-strength foam plastic to prevent localised bending and more effectively disperse the forces of an impact. With very little increase in weight this design enhancement ensures better passenger protection in case of a side collision and the highly rigid and safe body has front and rear crush zones for greater cabin strength.