Mazda 626 GC Series 2

Introduction

In September 1982 the second-generation Mazda 626 (third generation Capella for the domestic Japanese market) was released using a new front-wheel-drive “Mazda GC” platform. The new model 626 was a big step forward, in layout, design, drive configuration and style – so much so that it was named Import Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine. It won the “Car of the Year Japan” award in 1982, and Car of the Year by Wheels magazine for 1983. It came in fifth in the 1984 European Car of the Year, the highest finish so far for a Japanese car. With the press falling over themselves with praise for the new model, it was a shoe in to sell well throughout the world. Sales were particularly good in Europe and Australia.

As was the case with the Series 1, both sedan and coupe body styles were offered and – due to demand – a five-door hatchback variant was added. Inline-four engines displacing 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 litres were offered, with the 2.0-litre also available with a turbo and 145 PS (107 kW). In September 1983 a 2.0-litre diesel was added to the line-up. In other regions including Finland, the 626 offered 101 PS (74 kW) with a twin barrel carburettor. The Swiss market only received a 95 PS (70 kW) 2-liter version, with the lower power a result of different emissions standards. In addition to the commonly seen model, there was also a short-nosed version with smaller headlamps and a larger grille, which necessitated a different bonnet as well. This model was sold in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The rear suspension was now independent, and though the wheelbase remained the same as the previous model, it was an entirely different car. A SOHC non-turbo diesel 2.0-litre RF 66 PS (49 kW) engine was made available; twenty examples were imported officially into Australia from 1983 to 1987. The diesel also benefitted from ventilated brakes up front and a variable ratio steering rack, to minimize the effects of the (slight) additional weight. European markets also received a 1.6-liter F6 80 PS (59 kW) engine. The placement of the power window controls was on the centre console, ahead of the gear shift/automatic transmission gear selector, as opposed to the traditional installation of the window switches on the respective doors.

Mazda 626 rebadged As Ford Telstar

Ford Asia Pacific (FASPAC) also sold the 626 as the Ford Telstar from 1983 (complete with slightly different styling and dashboard) in place of the European-sourced Sierra, although Ford New Zealand did offer the Sierra wagon (in both 1.6- and 2.0-litre versions) from May 1984 after the long best-selling Cortina estate car was discontinued, in lieu of the Mazda's lack of an equivalent model.

Mazda New Zealand initially assembled 626 "short nose" 1.8-liter four-door sedan and a "long nose" 2.0-liter five-door model with a higher trim level including a digital instrument panel. A small number of two-door coupés were imported built-up from Japan. Laminated windscreens were now standard. A midlife facelift for the 1985 model year brought a completely new dashboard with orange digital LCD electronic displays in top models (in place of the earlier luminescent green) and the sedan now had the long nose and 2.0-liter engine. Ford's Telstar received similar changes.

The new 2.0-litre FE engine was up to 83 hp (62 kW) for the North American market, where the car received larger bumpers and sealed-beam headlights as per federal regulations. A 626 GT (also called the Turbo in Canada) was introduced in 1986 using the 120 hp (89 kW) and 150 lb⋅ft (200 N⋅m) FET engine. The rest of the line got a new front clip with dual (rather than quad) headlights and an entirely new interior, and fuel injection on the base engine meant 93 hp (69 kW). A new four-speed automatic was introduced for 1987, the last year of this series.

Overseas Assembly

The Mazda 626 Series II, locally assembled by Sigma, was released in South Africa in 1983. Due to a local content programme then in force, a facelifted version continued in production by Samcor until 1993. This featured the front end of the GD coupe, but with amber lens indicators and a blanked-off grille, as well as the rear lights from the Ford Telstar, which was not sold locally, Ford still offering the Sierra.  The GD was not sold in South Africa, although it was assembled in neighbouring Zimbabwe by Willowvale Motor Industries in both sedan and wagon versions.

The 626 L entered production in Colombia with CCA (Compañía Colombiana Automotriz) in May 1984, as a four-door sedan equipped with the 92 PS 1.8-litre engine. The LX (five-door) and GLX (coupe) versions followed in 1985, with the GLX coupe receiving the 102 PS 2.0-liter engine and more luxurious equipment including power steering and windows, as well as digital instrumentation. In the first quarter of 1986 the range was facelifted: the taillights were revised and the hatchback and coupe received new, larger bumpers. The L (sedan) was the only model left with the 1.8 engine as the LX (hatchback) was now a 2-litre, closer to the coupe in its specifications. The GC-series continued to be available until the beginning of 1988, when the next and arguably the best ever generation 626 replaced it.