Given the MPV's conservative shape it's difficult to believe that it was introduced after the more radical Premacy, but a hole existed in Mazda's range that only a proper seven seater could fill, so introduced it was. The car that we received landed on these shores in October 1999, barely registered on the sales charts and has ticked over the odd few units in just one guise ever since. There was a predecessor in Japan, a nasty slab-sided affair that did nothing particularly well, but we were fortunately spared this clumsy effort. The MPV doesn't have a great deal of history, in this country at any rate. (5 dr MPV 2.0 petrol, 2.3i petrol, 2.0 diesel) History With the Mazda's residuals not holding up as well as its more successful rivals, a low-mileage MPV represents something of a bargain in a market where asking prices are usually pretty stratospheric. It's certainly not the laughing stock its somewhat Vauxhall Sintra-like looks may suggest. As long as you can live with the underpowered 2.0 engine, the Mazda MPV is a thoroughly thought through method of transporting seven in reasonable comfort. It probably didn't happen like that, but it has served to sell the Mazda somewhat short. Leaving it until Monday is opted for, whereupon the boss has popped in and thought, 'Mazda MPV - what a masterstroke' and had the promo material printed. It's Friday night, the pachinko parlours and karaoke dens are calling and under the heading 'MPV' is a blank flip chart page where the creatives should be brainstorming names. It's an endearing image to picture a bunch of disillusioned Mazda marketing executives charged with naming their new MPV. Mazda MPV - shorthand for generic, unexceptional Japanese product. Few could visualise the shape, fewer still would know what the asking price was or how good, bad or average it is. If there was ever such a thing as the invisible car, the Mazda MPV would be a pretty good contender for the crown.

Mazda mpv 2003