Mazda Capella - 1993

1993

The fifth-generation Capella was introduced in 1993 in Japan. The Mazda Cronos and Efini MS-6 had taken the GE platform that the Capella might have used. So Mazda introduced a new Capella on the CG platform designed for the upscale Mazda Lantis and Eunos 500. This vehicle lasted just three years, and the Capella name returned to the G platform after 1996. This was the first Capella with a V6 engine.

The Capella Cargo (station wagon) remained on the old GV platform until 1996.

Mazda New Zealand assembled this generation for four years with few changes. Ford's variants (since 1987 all built in the same Ford-Mazda joint venture Vehicle Assemblers of New Zealand (VANZ) factory in Wiri, South Auckland) had minor styling and equipment differences (the top Telstar hatchback had an electric sunroof) and anti-lock brakes were now standard on some models, for which factory engineers had to build a special test rig at the end of the assembly line. These were also the first 626/Telstar models to have factory fitted air conditioning, though only on the top Limited (626) and TX-5 Ghia (Telstar) five-door hatchbacks.

The previous generation wagon was carried over by both Ford and Mazda and Ford also built a manual-only previous generation sedan, called the Telstar Classic, aimed at fleet customers.