1999 Mazda Neospace - AllCarIndex

Original name: マツダ ネオスペース

A "Functional Compact Car" with innovative features to enhance versatility in customers’lifestyles

Customers are increasingly choosing products with values that match their own. With this in mind, Mazda has developed the NEOSPACE, a“Functional Compact Car”with innovative attributes and features to enhance the versatility of compact cars. Within an efficient body size, the NEOSPACE highlights Mazda’s“insightful”approach by not only providing a spacious interior in which four adults can ride in comfort, but also a highly-flexible cargo space. The distinctiveness of the interior and exterior design is supported by the thoughtfully-designed equipment to deliver a high quality feel to the vehicle.

Distinctive design

Original exterior styling with a casual but high-quality interior The NEOSPACE was designed using Mazda’s“Contrast in Harmony” design theme to convey sophisticated styling, which expresses the customers’sense of value and taste.

An original exterior

The exterior was created on a“Dynamic Strong Wheel Oriented Design,” a design theme emphasizing solidity, creating a uniqueness with a distinctive, compact body. This is expressed through the trapezoidal form, while the front incorporates Mazda’s family face with the brand symbol in the center of the five-point grille. A massive hood and the large front grille provide the NEOSPACE with a sense of stability.

Seen from the side, thick doors and large wheel arches create a dynamic image of strength. The triangular shape formed by the belt line and the stylish character line adds a unique dynamism to the solid and compact body design. In the rear, the oblong combination lamps give a unified feeling with the quarter windows. This also provides excellent light distribution for superb visibility from the rear. Together with the square rear tailgate, the rear design boasts a unique appeal.

The silver color of the body emphasizes the unity of the design, while the front grille and side molding on the belt line feature an orange accent , high lighting its compact body.

High quality, casual interior

Design theme in creating the interior of the NEOSPACE was “Lightweight and Floating.”Carefully - designed combination of each material achieves a superior feeling of quality, while having excellent functionality. The“T-shaped”instrument panel provides more volume to the central section. An opening between the cowl header gives the feel of spaciousness around the front passenger, appearing as if they are floating in the cabin.

The highly visible Adjustable Center Meter is positioned on the upper portion of the instrument panel, which automatically adjusts its angle to accommodate the change of eye-point of the driver, when the driver’s seat is adjusted. This ensures excellent visibility at all times, regardless of the driver’s seat position.

The front seats are designed as“Floating Seats,”which look as if they are floating above the floor. Installed on rails which are attached to the center console, the brackets are eliminated from the floor, resulting in more space for passengers’legs and feet.

The interior color scheme is based on a combination of light gray and beige tones. The meter hood, instrument panel and door pockets use translucent orange acrylic, highlighting the casual atmosphere and providing a contrast between various materials.

The roof lining also uses a translucent material that allows natural light to enter the interior, adding a brightness and openness in the cabin.

Exceptional functionality

Ample cabin space and convenient equipment

Ample cabin space and excellent maneuverability

For excellent maneuverability, the exterior dimensions of the NEOSPACE are compact, with 3,900 mm of overall length and 1,695 mm of overall width. The overall height - 1,550 mm - is the key to providing a high level of comfort in such a compact body size, while the short front and rear overhangs and the 2,550 mm wheelbase contribute to the comfortable interior space for four adults.

Convenient equipment specifically designed for ease of use

The NEOSPACE has a comfortable cabin for four adults plus a large cargo space equal to Mazda’s 323-class sedan. Besides convenient daily use, the NEOSPACE’s flexible space arrangement has the versatility to carry larger items such as recreational equipment, including skis and bicycles. This flexibility not only extends its practical utility but also enhances the ability of the NEOSPACE to fit into its owner’s active lifestyle.

The NEOSPACE KARAKURI Seat enhances versatile space arrangement

The NEOSPACE provides ample cargo space behind the rear seat. It has the capacity to accommodate three large suitcases because the floor is formed using a sunken style, enabling tall items to be carried without obscuring rear visibility.

The rear seat has the NEOSPACE KARAKURI Seat mechanism, providing the versatility to respond to a variety of load-carrying needs. To create a large space with a flat floor, the rear seats can be pushed back and stored in the sunken floor. By folding the rear seats completely flat and storing them under a cargo board, a space can be created that is 1,400 mm long,1,100 mm wide (measured between the wheel housings) and has a floor-to-roof height of 950 mm, accommodating two mountain bicycles. In addition, the side of the cushion and seatback is adjustable in width. By narrowing the width of each side, a gap is created between the seats, accommodating long items such as skis and fishing poles. It also helps the passenger adjust the seat size for the best fit for each individual.

Low floor and sloping gate-ideal for loading cargo

The NEOSPACE’s innovative design makes loading and unloading cargo easy. The height of the cargo area is set low; when the cargo board is removed, the height of the floor base is just 250 mm. A folding, sloping gate is integrated into a retractable-type rear bumper so that when a large or heavy item such as a bicycle is being loaded, the rear bumper can be pushed down and the sloping gate can be used as a ramp.

FreeStyle Door System for easy access with center-opening structure

The NEOSPACE uses a“FreeStyle Door System”for ease of entry and exit. The front doors, which are used more often, are larger like those of a three-door hatchback. The smaller rear doors are hinged at the rear, to create a large center opening.

Without a B-pillar, a wide opening area is achieved when both the front and rear doors are open at the same time, making access to the rear seats extremely easy. The rear doors can be opened or closed from the outside regardless of whether the front doors are open or closed. It is convenient for loading and unloading groceries, or when placing a child in a child seat installed in a rear seat. For safety, the rear doors can be set to open from the inside when the front doors are open.

Responsive handling and performance

Brisk driving performance

Smooth driving and excellent fuel economy from a 1.5-liter direct injection gasoline engine with CVT transmission

The NEOSPACE is powered by a lightweight 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder DOHC direct injection gasoline engine with an aluminum block.* Its sophisticated electronic engine control system includes precise electronic control of the fuel injection, which helps deliver low fuel consumption during normal operation, and high power output when required. The transmission is a durable, metal belt-equipped CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), which eliminates shift shock and provides smooth stress-free driving, and excellent response to the driver’s input for enjoyable driving. An electronically-controlled torque converter ensures smooth starts and acceleration/deceleration. It is programmed to use the most fuel efficient engine speed range.

*1.5 - liter direct injection gasoline engine is featured on page 17.

Excellent handling stability and ride comfort

The suspension system uses MacPherson struts at the front, and a torsion-beam in the rear to deliver a brisk driving feel, excellent handling stability and superb ride comfort. The rear suspension uses transversely-placed torsion springs and incline-mounted dampers, enabling a towerless design that does not protrude into the cargo space.

Advanced safety and environmental considerations

The latest safety technology has been used in the NEOSPACE to create both active and passive safety measures. Active safety begins with excellent visibility and a rigid chassis designed to faithfully fulfil the driver’s intentions. DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) contributes to the excellent driving stability and the danger - avoiding abiliby.

The NEOSPACE is fitted with Michelin’s next-generation“PAX system” run-flat tires and wheels. Even when punctured, the“PAX system”has the ability to run for a full 200 kilometers at 80 km/h. An alarm warns the driver when the air pressure begins to drop.

For occupant protection, passive safety measures include Mazda’s Advanced Impact-energy Distribution and Absorption System, which ensures a strong, safe body, while impact on occupants is kept to a minimum through SRS airbags and other advanced passive safety measures. When the side doors are closed, the inner reinforcement extending from the upper door sash of the lower shell provides the security of a B pillar for protection in side collisions.

The rear seats are equipped with a mounting hook to securely attach ISO-FIX child seats. The NEOSPACE also incorporates ITS (Intelligent Transport System) and an emergency calling system in case of an accident. The ETC (Electric Toll Collection) provides automatic tollgate payments without stopping.

Reflecting environmental concerns, the 1.5-liter direct injection gasoline engine with the metal-belt CVT transmission enhances fuel economy while dramatically reducing CO2 and NOx emissions. Plastic parts used in the vehicle reflect Mazda’s commitment for recycling.

Major specifications

Overrall length: 3,900mm

Overall width: 1,695mm

Overall height: 1,550mm

Wheelbase: 2,550mm

Track (front/rear): 1,430mm／1,450mm

Passenger capacity: 4

Engine: 1.5-liter In-line 4-cylinder DOHC direct injection gasoline engine

Suspension(front/rear): MacPherson struts／Torsion beam

Brakes (front/rear): Ventilated disc

Tires and wheels: Michelin PAX System 195-630R460A

SOURCE: Mazda. Please mention www.allcarindex.com if you use this text.