1 Oct 2000
Six and a half years after its release, Mazda decided to introduce a facelifted and renamed 800M in the form of the (misspelt) Millenia sedan.
The upgrade included cosmetic and interior enhancements and a number of mechanical refinements targeting transmission shift quality, steering and brakes in particular.
Most obvious was the adoption of Mazda’s corporate grille, along with revised 16-inch alloy wheels and redesigned bumpers and bonnet.
All Millenias included re-trimmed leather upholstery, full electrics, climate control air-conditioning, anti-lock brakes, traction control, cruise control, remote locking with alarm, front foglights, sunroof and a smattering of chrome and woodgrain throughout the interior.
The 2.3-litre V6, which produces 149kW at 5500rpm and 282Nm at 4000rpm, was unchanged. The combined result from the supercharger and Miller combustion cycle (in simple terms, the latter shortens the engine's compression stroke) resulted in good performance from a relatively small capacity engine and high fuel efficiency.
But sales remained at a trickle, prompting Mazda to withdraw from the luxury class until the RX-8 sports coupe-cum-sedan arrived in the middle of 2003.
