Curbside Find: 1996-99 Mazda MPV All Sport 4WD – Mazda’s Active Minivan… Or An Early Crossover?

By
– Posted on May 30, 2025

Photos from the CC Cohort by J.C.

Here’s a photo that, with its graffiti and urban background, took me back to the 1990s. An era when cars were often shown in such “edgy” settings to sell an active lifestyle; nope, you weren’t one of the herd with the purchase of this “dope” MPV Mazda ride. Or so would be the idea. Marketing aside, the early MPV was a different kind of vehicle. A twist on the minivan concept eschewing the then expected sliding door for a 3-door setup; two for the passengers, one for the driver. Add tallsy boxy styling, plus a carlike ride and ambiance. Further options? How about 4-wheel drive, higher clearance, and an All Sport trim? Options that placed the model well into the desired active lifestyle connotations of the era.

So, a different kind of minivan. Or a tall station wagon? Maybe even a proto-crossover?

Not that the MPV was an altogether new idea; many had been toying with 4-door tall wagonish/hatchback bodies for a while by the time the MPV appeared. From Honda to Nissan, and even Mitsubishi. So it’s natural that Mazda would join in the fun. Plus, the success of Chrysler’s minivan was still a somewhat fresh event, with many chasing after the idea and adding a new spin to the concept.

So, the ’88 MPV was Mazda’s take on the minivan phenomenon, and with its car-like opening door setup, more car-like than others in the segment. Made expressly with the American market in mind, the MPV offered a tallish look, with clean and aerodynamic lines that fit well within the aero-spirit of those post-Taurus days. Despite its van-like shape, fender flares and side sculpting added new styling touches to the segment, appearing more “active” than other contenders.

From early on, the All Sport 4-wheel drive option had been available. A 1996 restyling with a new face and further cladding added to the model’s “active” pretenses. About which, and if you lived the period, “Active lifestyle” had become a defining trend by the 1990s, with the previous concept of dignified upscale living being tossed away. You were a trendy urbanite in the early 1990s? Sorry Bob, that Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser didn’t cut it anymore. SUVs were the hot thing, so why not a SUV-ified van thing? In appearance, at least.

So, there, let’s add 4WD and an All Sport package. A quite effective setup that brought all-weather capabilities to the vehicle.

The early MPV isn’t quite a CUV as we know it. However, it also fails to fit neatly into any auto category when pressed, more so with the “active lifestyle” All Sport setup. But such is the automotive evolution tree, with all kinds of transitional ideas giving hints of possible future directions; and the 1990s was a curious era where a series of new branches were sprouting, all while sharing space with many that would soon go extinct.

The MPV wouldn’t reach our days, as a nameplate or model, with the passing of the third generation in 2016; and with each generation feeling more van-like. But elsewhere, those active lifestyle genes would spread throughout Mazda’s remaining lineup (Say CX-5!).

 

Related CC reading:

Curbside Classic: 1989 Mazda MPV – A Flash In The Minivan Pan

Vintage Review: 1989 Mazda MPV – The Different Minivan – Or Is It A Crossover?