Mazda 626 - GE (1993-1997)

GE (1993-1997)

In 1993 the Mazda 626 saw big changes in body style and powertrain since the 626 moved to an entirely different platform. It was now based on the GE platform. The 626 was again Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for a second time in 1992. The very first 1993 Mazda 626 was assembled in Flat Rock, Michigan on September 1, 1992. The car was known as the Cronos in Canada, but dropped the Cronos for the 1996 model year.

New transmissions were designed to give the car more of a "sports car" feel, and production was moved to AutoAlliance International alongside the MX-6 and Ford Probe. This, and the car's component sources, allowed the 626 to be certified as the first official Japanese-branded U.S. domestic automobile. The wagon and hatchback models were not offered in the U.S. but were well received in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Mazda's 2.5 L V6 engine debuted to rave reviews. The Japanese MX-6 KL-ZE later became a highly sought-after upgrade by 1993–1997 626 owners, as it supplies 200 horsepower compared to the U.S. version KL-DE's stock 170 hp. Though the 626's manual transmission was highly regarded, 4-cylinder 626s from 1994 onwards used the Ford CD4E automatic transmission (designated by Mazda as LA4A-EL), which was an attempt to solve some of the 1993's transmission related issues.

It wasn't until a few years later that the 1994 to 1997 CD4E became known for their extremely high failure rate, making the change to the CD4E an irrelevant one. It is widely known to transmission specialists that the CD4E overheats due to a poorly designed valve body and torque converter. Mazda issued a couple of Technical Service Bulletins (0400502, 01598, 003/97K, 006/95) regarding the transmission and torque converter. Dealerships were briefly instructed to install an external transmission cooler, but at cost to the owner and only if requested. No recall was ever issued for a single year of the CD4E, causing a loss of confidence from the general public in years to come.

Also in 1994, a passenger side airbag was added, and the V6 spread to the LX trim in addition to the leather ES trim. Some models of the 1994 and 1995 Mazda 626, Mazda MX-6, and Ford Probe 2.0L automatics were outfitted with Ford's EEC-IV diagnostic system. New for 1996 and 1997 models were a redesigned hood (raised center portion), chrome grille fairing (attached to the hood), and the introduction of the On Board Diagnostics II revision (OBD-II).

In Colombia the car was named 626 Matsuri to differentiate from the past version that was sold at the same time.

• 1996-1997 Mazda 626 sedan (US)

• 1992–1994 Mazda 626 sedan (Australia)

• 1994–1997 Mazda 626 liftback (Australia)

• 1994–1997 Mazda 626 liftback (Australia)