The Eunos 500, aka Mazda Xedos 6 in Europe, is a mid-size luxury sedan with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout and designed by Takeshi Arakawa. Mazda began producing it in 1992 up until 1999 with a total of 72,101 Eunos 500 and Xedos 6 built.
It premiered at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, with production commencing in January of 1992. It used Mazda's CA platform, which was related to the one used for Mazda Capella or Mazda 626. While reviewers praised the external design, they also criticized the interior as uninteresting. There was a plan to brand the car as Amati 300, but Mazda eventually abandoned the idea.
The Eunos 500 had the following measurements:
- wheelbase length of 500 is 2610mm
- body length of 4560mm
- body width of 1700mm
- height of 1355mm
- kerb weight of 1190kg
- trunk capacity of 407 litres
- fuel tank capacity of 60 litres
It used a power-assisted rack and pinion system for steering, while for suspension, it employed independent coil springs with an anti-roll bar in the front and multilink coil springs with an anti-roll bar in the back. For the braking system, it had ventilated disc brakes fitted to the front and solid disc brakes to the rear.
Base trim level included an airbag for the driver, anti-lock braking, automatic aircon and climate control, alloy wheels, cruise control, central locking, front fog lights, leather steering wheel, leather trim, power mirrors, power steering, power windows, radio cassette with five speakers, height-adjustable driver's seat, PAS, metallic paint, remote locking, and steering wheel rake adjustment.
The LE trim level added an alarm system and remote anti-theft protection, as well as a CD player with 6-CD stacker.
Optional equipment included a power sunroof, traction control, and rear power windows.
The Eunos 500 was available in a single 2.0L V6 petrol engine producing 108kW (144hp) and 175Nm of torque, paired with a four-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual transmission. The powertrain was praised for its smooth, free-revving nature, capable of speeds up to 214km/h with manual gearbox, or 201km/h with automatic transmission. Mazda claimed this engine would do 8L/100km. It received its first update in 1994 to meet Euro 1 engine standard, and again in 1996 to meet Euro 2 standard.
Xedos 6 participated in the British Touring Car Championship in 1993 and 1994. It replaced 323F in the Mazda team, ran by Roger Dowson Engineering. Pattrick Watts would drive the car for one first place, three fourth places, and 15th place in the championship, while the Xedos was the eighth and last in the manufacturer's championship. In the following year, it performed worse, ranking tenth, and last in the manufacturers' championship.
Due to limited numbers produced and exported, finding parts for a used Eunos 500 can prove challenging and quite expensive. Fortunately, Carpart connects you to sellers of original car parts across Australia and gives you access to a wider marketplace! Come check us out today!
Author: Luka Kusic