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The Mazda 323 (called the Mazda Familia in Japan) was a subcompact car produced by Mazda in Japan between 1976 and 2003. In the United States it was originally known as the Mazda GLC, and from 1989 as the Mazda Protegé. In South Africa, it was known as the Mazda Etude.
The model was built in Hiroshima, Japan, although they were also assembled in Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa, Colombia and New Zealand.
In North America, the 323/Protegé was always more expensive than its entry-level competitors such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, partly due to its manufacture in Japan, and therefore, is not as ubiquitous. A perenial favourite of US car magazines, the model is well regarded for its spirited handling.
It formed the basis of the Ford Laser and Meteor in Asia, Australasia and other markets, (known as the Mercury Tracer in the United States) and from 1989, the Ford Escort in North America.
1976
The first Mazda 323 was a rear wheel drive model. It was known in the United States as the Mazda GLC (which stood for 'Great Little Car') and was a version of the fourth-generation Japan-market Mazda Familia.
It was available in several body variants:
- Five-door four-seat hatch.
- Three-door four-seat hatch.
- Five-door four-seat station wagon.
- Three-door four-seat station wagon.
- Three-door two-seat van with an extended roof profile.
Several of these were available in several trim levels.
Engines:
- 1.0 L PC, 45 hp (33.6 kW)/51 ft·lbf (69 N·m)
- 1.3 L TC
- 1.4 L UC
Still later, a five-speed manual gearbox was introduced as an alternative to the original four-speed manual gearbox, and at the same time the original 7" round sealed beam headlights were replaced with square sealed beam units on all models except the van, together with a general styling and mechanical upgrade. A three-speed automatic gearbox was also available throughout the model run.
Production of the van variant only continued after 1980 (still with round headlights), as there was no front wheel drive replacement.
- Wheelbase: 2311 mm
- Front Track: 1295 mm
- Rear Track: 1311 mm
- Length: 3820 mm
- Width: 1595 mm
- Weight: 812 kg
1980 The 1980 323 featured a 1.5 liter engine, and was front-wheel drive. It was available as a hatchback and sedan. The 1980 Carol/323 was the first front-engine, front-wheel drive vehicle from Mazda. A wagon version, which was simply a facelifted version of the previous rear-drive model, was also sold. The 323 was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1980.
1985 The 1985 323 featured a 1.5 liter engine. It was available as a hatchback, sedan and wagon (this time also front wheel drive). The Ford Laser version of this model also formed the basis of the Mercury Tracer.
The model remained in production in South Africa until 2003, as an entry level model, also being sold as the Ford Tonic, and was briefly sold in the UK as the Sao Penza. A locally designed pick-up called the Hustler was also produced, and sold as the Ford Bantam.
This generation was sold through the 1989 model year in the United States. The station wagon continued in many markets and was not cancelled until 1995.
Engine options:
Dimensions: - Wheelbase: 2400 mm
- Length: 4194 mm
- Width: 1643 mm
- Weight: 936 kg
1990 The 1989/1990 BG 323 was available in hatchback or sedan formats, with front- or all-wheel drive and a 1.3 L, 1.5 L, 1.6 L, or 1.8 L liter gas or 1.7 L Diesel engine.
The GT model came with the 1.6 L B6 engine also found on the Mazda Miata.
The GTX model featured all wheel drive and a turbocharged 1.8 L BP engine. In 1992, the rare GT-R version was added, featuring a number of performance enhancements over the GTX model.
In Japan, the 5-door hatchback, featuring a distinct front end with pop-up headlights, was sold as the Mazda Familia Astina and Eunos 100. Trim lines in Japan included Clair, Interplay, Supreme, and GT-X.
The car shared its mechanicals with the 1989-1993 Ford Escort in North America, as well as the Mercury Tracer and Ford Laser.
Production of the 1994 model ended on May 24, 1994.
engine options:
Dimensions: - Wheelbase: 2450 mm
- Front Track: 1430 mm
- Rear Track: 1435 mm
- Length: 3995 mm
- Width: 1675 mm
- Weight: 955 kg
1995 The 1995 BH model was available internationally with both front wheel drive and all wheel drive. Production of this generation started on August 8, 1994, and ceased on June 18, 1998.
Models:
- 4-door sedan (called the Protegé in the US)
- 2-door hatchback (Familia Neo in Japan)
- A tall wagon, called the Familia Van, was also available in Japan. In South Africa, this model was known as the Mazda Etude.
- A five door hatchback and four door sedan, both featuring pillarless doors and distinct sheetmetal from other 323s was sold in Japan as the Mazda Lantis, in Australia and South Africa as the Mazda 323 Astina, and in Europe as the Mazda 323f. They were built on platforms distinct from the other 323s. The Lantis was on the CB, a minor update of the CA that underpinned the luxury Mazda Xedos 6 and Eunos 500. The European 323f was designated BA, but was actually almost identical to the CB, and had little to do with other B platforms. These models were sold with the 1.5 L and 1.8 L engines seen in the rest of the 323 range, as well as a 2.0 L V6 shared with the Eunos 500.
Engines:
1999 The 1999 BJ platform was updated with a 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback chassis based on the larger Mazda 626 and more engine choices. The Japanese Mazda Familia again got all wheel drive as an option.
Engines:
- 1.3 L B3
- 1.5 L ZL
- 2.0 L FS, 130 hp (97 kW)/135 ft·lbf (183 N·m)
- 2.0 L FS-ZE (2001 Sport 20)
- 2.0 L RF Diesel
A 2.0 L gas engine appeared in 2001 on the Japanese market Sport 20. An tall wagon version of the Familia called the Mazda Premacy was also available, and which was sold in Japan as the Ford Ixion. In 1999, Ford of Japan ceased to market Mazda-based models, and the Ford Laser, along with the Ixion, Telstar and Festiva, was dropped.
For the 2001 model year in North America, Mazda introduced two new variants of the Protegé, the Protegé5 (described as a station wagon but in fact a hatchback) and a limited edition model featuring a new sport-tuned suspension and a 450 watt stereo system with in-dash MP3 player (the Mazda MP3).
In 2003, Mazdaspeed introduced the Mazdaspeed Protegé, a variant with a 170 hp (127 kW)/160 ft·lbf (217 N·m) turbocharged engine, 17 inch wheels, larger four-wheel disc brakes, and the same Kenwood stereo as the MP3. This was also the last year for the production of the Protegé.
2003 Ford Activa sedan, Taiwan This generation went into production on September 29, 1998, and the very last model rolled off the assembly line on October 2, 2003. It remains in production in Taiwan, where it is also badged as the Ford Activa, which, unlike the Ford Laser, has no styling changes from the 323, except for the badges. (In Southeast Asia, a version of the last Laser is still assembled in Indonesia, Malaysia Thailand and the Philippines as the Ford Lynx.)
In Colombia, production of the Mazda 323 continued well until 2003, built by its local subsidiary, the Compañía Colombiana Automotriz. The 323 remains to this day one of the most successful cars made in the country and many models made across the years can still be seen in the streets of most Colombian and Andean cities. Oddly enough, the "boxy" look that characterized the vehicle during the early 90's and the 80's remained until production's end due to the demand of the local market for the car's lines.
2004- The 323 has been replaced in Mazda's lineup by the Mazda3, which shared a platform with the latest generation Ford Focus. The "3" comes in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback varieties.
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