| October 13, 1998 |
Mazda Introduces New Carol
A new basic type micro-mini sedan with remarkably enhanced economy and functionality for its class
Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the introduction of its new Carol in response to the new standards required for micro-mini vehicles. The new model will be marketed through the Mazda Autozam dealerships throughout Japan.
In November 1989, the second generation Carol was introduced with a curvaceous design that earned it considerable appeal, especially among young women. In October 1995, the third-generation Carol was introduced, and maintains its appeal, still mainly among women but expanding across a wider range of customers.
This new Carol is the fourth generation model which meets the new collision impact safety standards for micro-mini vehicles and provides an enhanced level of safety. Features such as ease of handling for daily use and economy -- which micro-mini vehicles are expected to provide -- have been further improved.
The main features of the new Carol are:
| 1. | Basic performance in areas such as ease of handling for daily use and economy have been improved in comparison to previous models, through measures such as a reduction in the minimum turning radius, a more comfortable interior space and lower fuel consumption. |
| 2. | An enhanced level of safety has been maintained through the adoption of a complete range of safety features such as a newly developed impact-absorbing body which efficiently absorbs the energy from impacts, and four-wheel ABS with assisted brake. |
| 3. | Interior and exterior design provide an improved feeling of quality, including a standard two-box styling with a distinctive front-face and full-interior trims. |
Three-door and five-door body styles are available, with three grades for 2WD models and two grades for 4WD models.
New Carol Product Summary
1. Improved basic features such as ease of handling for daily use and economy
Improved ease of use
| - | The body is larger than previous models. The overall length is 100 mm longer (3,395 mm), the overall width is 80 mm wider (1,475 mm) and the overall height is 30 mm higher (1,450 mm for 2WD models, 1,455 mm for 4WD models). Despite the longer size, turning performance is improved, and the minimum turning radius has been reduced from the previous 4.4 m (for 2WD models) to 4.2 m. |
| - | The hip point has been raised by increasing the thickness of the seating, thus achieving a better commanding position. |
| - | The luggage compartment is specious enough to hold two golf bags, and the tailgate opening has also been enlarged to make loading easier. |
Improved comfort and convenience
| - | Ample headroom has been provided for the front and rear seats and more leg space for the rear seats, thus providing truly outstanding a level of seating comfort for a sub-compact vehicle |
| - | In addition to the high hip point, the difference in height between the floor and the side sill has been reduced to make it easier to get in and out of the vehicle. |
| - | The anti-bacterial air conditioning system includes a pollen filter to prevent particles such as pollen and dust from infiltrating the vehicle. |
| - | Numerous conveniently located storage areas are available including front door pockets, a passenger-seat instrument panel tray and a cup holder. |
| - | Power door locking is provided as a standard feature. (MeLady and MeLady-S models) |
| - | The electronically remote-controlled retractable door mirrors are the same color as the body. (MeLady S model) |
| - | The auto-response keyless entry system flashes the interior lights to indicate when the doors have been locked and unlocked. (MeLady and MeLady-S models) |
Improved fuel consumption and cleaner exhaust emissions
| - | The engine is an in-line, water-cooled 3-cylinder SOHC 12-valve engine. Fuel consumption in "105" mode has been improved from the previous 18.0 km/l (2WD/MeLady/3AT) to 19.4 km/l (2WD/MeLady S/3AT). |
| - | Toxic emission levels have been reduced, earning the vehicle an environmentally friendly LEV (Low Emission Vehicle) rating. Vehicles with DOHC engines feature improved combustion efficiency and computerized air/fuel mixture control. The use of a new kind of catalyst has significantly reduced the emission of toxic substances such as nitric oxides and hydrocarbon. |
| Engine | Max. power (ps/rpm JIS net) | Max. torque (kg-m/rpm JIS net) |
| SOHC | 46/5,800 | 5.8/4,500 |
| DOHC | 55/6,500 | 6.2/4,000 |
| *DOHC engines are only available for 2WD (MeLady S) models. |
| - | Despite the increase in size, all vehicle components have undergone detailed re-evaluation to minimize weight increase. Improved fuel-consumption tires with low rolling resistance have also been utilized. |
2. Superior levels of safety
Impact-absorbing body structure
| - | A newly developed impact-absorbing body has been adopted. This impact-absorbing body combines a collapsible structure which crumples during impacts in order to absorb the energy from the impact more effectively; a frame structure which distributes the impact loads; and a cabin structure for greater rigidity. This structure thus maintains safety in the event of front, side or rear impacts. |
| - | The side doors are now thicker, and side-impact bars have been added. In addition, the front doors have new impact-absorbing pads built in to help cushion the shock of side impacts. |
A full complement of safety features
| - | The brakes incorporate large 8-inch vacuum booster to increase effective braking force. |
| - | If the brake pedal is suddenly depressed force fully, the braking force is increased in order to boost the ABS performance. This brake-assistance feature is available in the 4W-ABS models. |
| - | The "Safety-pack," a set of four safety equipment - 4W-ABS with assisted brake; driver-side and passenger-side SRS(*) air-bag systems; front seat belts with pre-tensioner mechanism which retracts when an impact is detected to increase restraint performance; and passenger-side force-limiter seat belts (standard equipment for driver-side seats in all models) which protect the upper body by loosening slightly while maintaining effective restraint if excessive loads are applied - is available as a set option (standard equipment on the MeLady S and 4WD MeLady models). |
| - | A high-mounted stop light is fitted as standard in order to increase the viewability . |
| (*) SRS: Supplemental Restraint System |
3. Interior and exterior with improved feeling of quality
Exterior
| - | The front face produces a sense of integration between the body and the bumper. |
| - | The standard two-box styling creates a comfortable, easy-to-drive impression. |
Interior
| - | The instrument panel's curved surfaces create a sense of integration. In addition, switches have been made larger to improve operation, and a large speedometer and A/T shift indicator have also been employed to improve visibility, contributing overall to an increased feeling of quality, greater ease of use and enhanced safety. |
| - | The seats are made from molded urethane to fully support the back for good posture, and the seat covering extends from the sides right through to the rear, thus increasing the feeling of quality. In addition, the front seats have been made larger in order to strengthen the feeling of stability. |
| - | In addition to full interior trims, a molded ceiling has also been employed. |
4. Model Lineup
| - | Two types of body are available: 3-door and 5-door. |
| - | The standard SG model is equipped with accessories such as an air conditioning and an AM radio. In addition, the core grade MeLady and the highest grade MeLady S models provide a total of three grades. |
| - | 2WD vehicles are available in the three grades of SG, MeLady and MeLady S, and 4WD models are available in MeLady and MeLady S grades. |
Suggested Retail Prices (consumption tax not included):
| (In thousand yen) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| * | Cold area version is standard on all 4WD models and it is available as an option on all 2WD models for \10,000. |
| * | The optional price of the "Safety-pack" is \50,000. |
