Eunos Eunos 500 History

Previewed at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show and entering production in January 1992, the Eunos 500 (Mazda Xedos 6 in European markets) was a compact executive car positioned to compete with the BMW 3 Series and Alfa Romeo 155. Built on Mazda's CA platform, it was designed with a high-drag-coefficient-reducing body and marketed as a driver's luxury car.

Japanese models were offered exclusively with V6 engines: the base 1.8-litre K8-ZE V6 produced 140 PS and a top speed of 195 km/h, while the 2.0-litre KF-ZE V6 produced 160 PS with a 205 km/h top speed. European Xedos 6 models added a 1.6-litre four-cylinder for volume sales. Total production across both names reached 72,101 units.

When Mazda folded the Eunos dealership network in 1996 the car was briefly sold as the 'Mazda Eunos 500' before final production ended in 1999. The Eunos-badged Japanese run is documented here as 1992–1996.