The late 1980s and early 1990s was a time when Japanese automakers experimented with exciting new technology and styling. Amidst this, Mazda launched its most beautiful 929 (Sentia) yet, a sleek, sensuous four-door sedan with styling more befitting of a Jaguar than a Mazda. Then, reality set in. In the wake of a Japanese economic crisis, the country’s automakers dropped many of their more interesting models and many of the cars that remained received conservative revisions. The 929 was no exception.
Japanese car buyers tend to be a conservative bunch, especially those who purchase luxury sedans. After an initial burst of enthusiasm in the Japanese market, the 1991 Sentia’s sales sunk and never recovered. In North America, too, the car’s sales performance was disappointing and it was dropped after 1995. It therefore seemed logical to Mazda that, given the nameplate was retired from North America, the car should be redesigned to receive a more traditional style that would help JDM sales. Squaring off the 929’s lines also had the advantage of increasing interior space, which was important as domestic flagship sedans were often chauffeur-driven and the outgoing 929’s sleek styling impeded headroom. The new 929 had a roofline 1.5 inches taller and 4.7 inches longer and the trunk was bigger, albeit with an annoyingly high lip that impeded access.
As mentioned yesterday, Mazda’s stillborn Amati luxury division was to be topped by a 12-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive sedan known as the 1000. While this never saw the light of day, its conservative design was used for the 1996 929.
Now, the Lexus LS400 and Infiniti Q45 – with which the Amati 1000 would have battled – were no style icons. But while the 1996 929 appeared suitably starchy for its luxury sedan role, its styling was very derivative. One wonders how the Amati 1000 or the Mazda 929 would have been received in North America had either been launched with its C-pillar reminiscent of the first-generation Mitsubishi Diamante and its rear having shades of Mercury Grand Marquis.
Dynamically, the 929 was little more athletic than a Diamante or a Grand Marquis. Smooth luxury was the aim of the game, as it was with the outgoing 929 with which the 1996 model was almost identical to under the skin. Just one powertrain was offered: a carryover DOHC 3.0 V6 with 185 hp at 6000 rpm and 200 ft-lbs at 3500 rpm mated to a four-speed automatic. The 929 cruised from 0-60 in just under 11 seconds. Despite the starchier styling, the 929 was no worse than its predecessor dynamically and yet, importantly, it was quieter and more refined to drive. Four-wheel steering also remained available.
1998 JDM Sentia interior. The Japanese often prefer cloth to leather in their luxury cars.
As with many contemporary Japanese cars, there was some cost-cutting made. Rear-seat air-conditioning vents were deleted, as was the automatic transmission display in the instrument cluster. However, there was more fake wood trim, again to facilitate a more “traditional” luxury ambience. Standard equipment was comprehensive, including keyless entry, power front seats, leather trim and the whole gamut of power accessories.
The outgoing 929, being a premium sedan with a non-premium nameplate, had been a niche performer in Australia. But while the new 929 saw a sales uptick in Japan, the 929’s already low sales figures in Australia truly tanked. It wasn’t just because luxury car buyers didn’t have Mazda showrooms on their list. It was also because the Yen had driven up the 929’s price to absurd heights. At $AUD 79,000, the 929 was priced right up against the BMW 520i and Lexus ES300. The latter saw massive price cuts in 1997, undercutting the 929 by a whopping $18,000 or the price of a new Mitsubishi Mirage.
So, while a nice car, the 929 had none of the snob appeal of a BMW, none of the sleek lines of its predecessor, and nothing additional to really offer over a Honda Legend (Acura RL) or Lexus ES. To further sabotage the 929, right across from it in the showroom was the sleeker Eunos 800 (Mazda Millenia). The 929 was priced smack bang in the middle between the base Eunos 800 2.5 V6 and the Eunos 800 M with its supercharged, Miller Cycle 2.3 V6.
Although the Eunos 800 never impressed Mazda with its sales performance, it stood to reason that having two similarly-priced luxury sedans in the same showroom was a bad idea. The 929 lost out and was axed from Australian showrooms after just two seasons. In Japan, it continued until 1999; it would, however, be discontinued without a replacement. However, the ugly duckling lived on: like the Amati 1000’s styling had been re-used for the 929, the 929 had its tooling sent to South Korea where it became the Kia Enterprise.
(While Australian sales figures for the 1996-97 929 are not available, I would speculate that they barely entered three digits – if that. I had spotted this 929 on the road and was gobsmacked to see such an incredibly rare car. Imagine my surprise when, a few days later, I saw it parked in the same spot I photographed the Mitsubishi Magna Elite wagon I wrote about. Is this a lucky parking spot?)
Related Reading:
Cohort Capsule: 1992 Mazda 929
Curbside Classic: 1986-91 Mazda 929/Luce
Curbside Classic: 2000 Mazda Millenia S
This is a car I was only vaguely aware of. It’s very good thing Mazda decided not to send it stateside. Ugh!
Ugly indeed. And its predecessor 929 was really a nice looking car. I had a coworker who owned a ’95ish 929 and loved it, but did concede that it was not much fun in the snow with rear-wheel drive. Of course at that time the whole “front-wheel-drive is better than sliced bread” mentality was in full swing. I thought the 929 was a much nicer looking package than the Infiniti Q45 owned by our boss at the time. Considering how poorly the 929’s sold here I can’t imagine that Mazda (or Amati) would have moved any of these, especially considering the times and the competition. This thing is certainly no match for a Lexus LS, and with that styling it’d surely have trailed far behind even the somewhat polarizing styling of the Q45.
As I mentioned yesterday, Kia sold this in the KDM as the Enterprise. Never got much traction here either.
I’d love to see Mazda do this car again, only call it a Mazda 9, and give it the same design language as the current Mazda 6 and Mazda 3, as car brands are wont to do these days.
Oh, and give the new Mazda 9 a proper V6 or even V8, as the current Mazda 6, although a nice car, is a tad under-powered.
The 1995-older 929 is more gorgeous, it’s such a Taurus ovoid with a well balanced style:
That car looks like an odd mix between a mid-90’s 626 and several generations of the Ford Crown Victoria.
Very interesting, and a good miss for the U.S.
I always liked the styling of the ’92 to ’95 car, though it never really caught on. Small trunk, no glovebox, non-prestige nameplate all conspired against it. I remember visiting Maui in 1994 and the island was teeming with Mazda 929 rentals–they had to dump them somewhere I guess.
I ran across this example in a local wrecking yard several years ago. In spite of having stood under a tree with the passenger front door gone, the driver’s side doors still opened and closed with a nice upscale feel. The lack of body damage indicated that some expensive needed repair sent it to the boneyard.
Another car which went under my radar, but then neither the UK, Israel or Austria got these I believe, local importers obviously seeing it for the white elephant it would have been at the showroom.
Ex JDM examples are still seen here they wallow and bounce their way along, JDM comfort suspension tune on full display, prices are down though a tidy example might break three figures but Ive seen several for sale for hundreds of dollars locally the wrecking yards are well stocked with them.
Late 80’s/early 90’s Mazdas were probably as well built as contemporary Mercedes, both dropped their standards as the millenium approached.
In my discussions with an unusually frank Mazda chassis engineer, I learned that the optional rear-wheel steering unit (hydraulic assist connected to the front steering gear by a long slender shaft with ujoints) leaked in about every car made. And had significant warranty costs.
If I recall correctly, Mazda offered owners incentives to remove the feature.
It’s OK aft of the firewall, but something just looks really wrong with the front end. Looks sort of unbalanced, and perhaps too short for the rest of the car.
The rear view *strongly* reminds me of one I see every day, the ’95-’97 Crown Vic. Very similar taillights and rear fascia arrangement:
Mazda used some weird inscrutably-Japanese psychobabble to explain the design of these. I remember reading it quoted in Wheels, though I can’t get to my back issues to check. Something about having approached perfection and returning to the mundane.
I always took the reference to perfection to refer to the style of the previous model; this one sure was mundane.
It’s always saddened me how Mazda’s follow-up to the 5th generation 929 was this. I guess since there were no plans to sell it in the U.S., it made sense to make it more appealing to Japanese buyers. Still though, it looks like a sad caricature of the previous generation.
I wonder if the last sales of these were to corporate buyers hence the revisions that almost seem suited for livery service. That said, it was probably a great choice used for an understated upscale experience.
The 3.0 V6 had been revised with twin cams many years before but one wonders if a larger engine might have been more appropriate for the mission. Perhaps the Jaguar/Ford 4.0 V8?
I can’t quote exact figures, but I have heard that Mazda sold a total of just over 20 of these in Oz. I imagine most of those came with discreet and hefty mark downs…. Makes my old Citroen AX GTi look like a volume seller!
I worked for Mazda in the US. I was rather shocked how they used that ruffled/scrunched leather treatment (can see it on the door panels in one of the pics). It was very out of place. It also reminded me of casket liner. Anyway Mazda always made some boring cars but you would have been led to believe they were Bentley’s by the Japanese. I did buy a base 323 in ’88 as my daily driver. I even had to add my own radio. It was about $5500 brand new and it had those composite headlights. A rock hit one and it was over $200 to replace. The insurance claims writer said “I never thought I’d see the day when we’d be paying out claims for headlights”.
Thank god The discussion to get my parents into one of these when they couldn’t get their Mercedes didn’t work out as planned.To add insult this sat in the same showroom as a 121 Metro which was launched late in 1996.I can understand people buying Mazda at that end of the market but as an alternative to say a BMW OR AUDI you must be mad.
funny though times have changed.the flagship now is the CX9 at a much more affordable from $41,990 to $63,990 you include on roads for that anywhere between $45,000 and $68,000 depending on variant including alarm,you can for that buy a base CX9,A 2 MAXX as a runabout and still have change for other things.Mazda learnt their lesson the hard way in this class last time.had it not been for the e class mercedes which was 4 cylinder at the entry point in 1996 and the e39 5 series bmw priced too close to it and had the 929 being priced just above 3 series(320i provided you were sensible with the options list) bmw and holden caprice and ford ltd like the model before it was in the early nineties it might have stood a chance.
I currently own the 97 929 absolutely beautiful car here in sydney