Mazda Luce

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Mazda used the Luce (pronounced lu-che) name on its largest sedan in Japan from 1969 until 1990. It was exported under a variety of names, including RX-4, 929, and Cosmo. The Luce nameplate was replaced by the Mazda Sentia name in 1991. The name "Luce" was taken from the Italian word for "light".

The Mazda 929 (also sold as the Ẽfini MS-9) was originally sold from 1973 to 1987. Marketed over three decades, the 929 was originally the export name for the Mazda Luce. When equipped with a rotary engine, it was called the Mazda RX-4 in export markets. Later, after the "Luce" name disappeared in Japan, the "929" badge was applied to the succeeding Sentia for the few export markets which received the last two generations. The 929 has always been a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive vehicle, and usually the largest sedan sold by Mazda. Station wagon versions of the first and second generations were available.

The vehicle identified as the Luce remained in compliance with Japanese regulations concerning engine displacement and exterior dimensions for vehicles classified as a compact; when the platform was renamed the Sentia, the platform was no longer in compliance with regards to both exterior dimensions and engine displacement. This means that the Mazda 929 was both a compact and a mid-size car, while the Luce was always a compact and the Sentia was always mid-sized.