The Mazda Millenia (stylized as millenia) is an automobile manufactured by Mazda in Japan from 1993 to 2002. The Millenia was originally planned as one of the first models for Mazda's proposed luxury brand Amati.
As it was targeted at a more upscale market from typical Mazda customers, the Millenia was engineered to far greater levels of perceived quality than the more mainstream Mazda cars, such as improved interior plastic quality, smaller panel gaps and a thicker, more even paint coating, thanks to a novel process of painting the body while it rotated on a massive spindle. Mazda claimed this attention to detail was intended to set "standards for at least ten years".
At the time of its release, it was the first and only production car in the world to employ a Miller cycle engine, a design which Mazda would not use again until the second generation Mazda2 in 2008, and in modern Mazdas using the SKYACTIV engine. In June of the same year, Amati produced a logo and announced plans for a $75 million marketing campaign with Los Angeles-based Lord, Dentsu & Partners planned to start at the end of 1993. Mazda expected to sell 20,000 vehicles a year in 1994 and to double that by 1995.
The recession caused by the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble led to the cancellation of Amati by October 1992, and by November 1993 it was decided to sell the Millenia as a Mazda instead.
"Millenia" is a misspelling of millennia, a multiple of one thousand years.
Branding post-Amati
As the company's finances dwindled due to the collapse of the bubble economy, Mazda scrapped the launch of the Amati brand. Instead, the car was rebadged and sold through Mazda's various sub-bands under different model names depending on the market. There was no equivalent version offered by Mazda's Ẽfini or Autozam.
Europe
Mazda of Europe sold the Millenia as the Mazda Xedos 9 the Mazda Millenia replaced the Mazda 929 as the brand's flagship sedan offering in North America. While the 929 had been the last non-luxury rear-wheel drive Japanese import sedan in the US, the Millenia was front-wheel drive. Unlike the other markets, there was no equivalent version of the Mazda Xedos 6/Eunos 500 sold in the US or Canada. which produced 50% more power than the base engine but also 50% better fuel economy. All Millenia models came standard with dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, and traction control.
Reception was generally positive, with reviewers praising the vehicle's combination of interior quality, engine performance, and overall value as superior to contemporary competitors like the BMW 3-series, Infiniti i30, Acura TL, Lexus ES300, and Mercedes C280. The Miller-Cycle engine specifically also received praise, earning a spot in Ward's 10 Best Engines every year from 1995 through 1998
To capitalize on the cultural hype around the start of the new millennium, for model year 2000, Mazda added a new, limited-run "Millennium Edition" trim level positioned above the previously-top Millenia S. Using the same 2.3L engine the Millenia S, the 3000-unit Mazda Millenia Millennium Edition cars came standard with faux suede upholstery, a Bose audio system with a six-CD changer, 17-inch alloy wheels and two special paint colors: Highlight Silver Mica and Millennium Red Mica paint.
US Market Sales
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|
|1994
|1995
|1996
|1997
|1998
|1999
|2000*
|2001
|2002
|2003
|2004
|-
|January
|0
|1,429
|998
|1,126
|1,114
|1,113
|unknown
|1,301
|1,904
|509
|7
|-
|February
|400
|1,450
|960
|1,173
|1,000
|1,203
|unknown
|1,665
|1,771
|450
|1
|-
|March
|1,874
|1,794
|1,036
|1,214
|1,031
|1,333
|unknown
|1,286
|1,925
|304
|7
|-
|April
|2,708
|1,494
|1,055
|1,346
|1,031
|1,399
|unknown
|1,455
|1,583
|192
|0
|-
|May
|3,236
|1,503
|1,153
|1,930
|1,085
|1,605
|unknown
|1,892
|1,707
|139
|1
|-
|June
|3,114
|2,467
|828
|2,086
|1,428
|1,487
|unknown
|3,761
|1,368
|86
|0
|-
|July
|2,338
|1,658
|856
|1,761
|3,686
|1,563
|unknown
|1,643
|1,432
|64
|2
|-
|August
|2,882
|1,504
|1,219
|2,018
|3,941
|1,536
|unknown
|1,407
|1,680
|29
|0
|-
|September
|2,593
|1,512
|1,138
|1,414
|600
|2,160
|unknown
|1,392
|1,407
|13
|0
|-
|October
|1,860
|2,992
|1,147
|1,684
|656
|2,746
|unknown
|1,594
|1,149
|13
|0
|-
|November
|1,698
|2,262
|1,375
|1,172
|568
|1,659
|unknown
|1,242
|1,223
|3
|0
|-
|December
|1,720
|1,496
|1,254
|1,096
|577
|1,394
|unknown
|1,211
|917
|10
|0
|-
|Total Millenia Sales
|24,423
|21,561
|13,019
|18,020
|16,717
|19,198
|16,558
|19,849
|18,066
|1,812
|18
|-
|All Mazda Sales
|375,416
|283,745
|238,285
|221,840
|240,547
|243,708
|255,526
|269,602
|258,213
|258,865
|263,882
|}
(* Note: Monthly sales data could not be found for calendar year 2000, however the total sales for that year can be found in a year-over-year sales comparison table in the Automotive News Market Data Book for calendar year 2001. Inside, the car added standard leather upholstery and a power lumbar support for the driver. in the United States there were still new Millenia sales reported as late as July 2004.
|-
|MSRP (2002)