Everywhere else this car was just the '626' — but in the UK it was sold as the Mazda Montrose, named after the little Scottish town with the local dealership.
Median 89 hp across 221 similar cars
Lead trim: NA 1.6 L (World, 75 PS) · up to 108 hp
Mazda 626 / Montrose CB second generationCB · 1978–1982
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mazda 626 / Montrose CB second generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactEverywhere else this car was just the '626' — but in the UK it was sold as the Mazda Montrose, named after the little Scottish town with the local dealership.
The rear-wheel-drive second-generation Capella, available from October 1977 to 1982 as a sedan and coupé. Exported as the 626 (the first use of the badge in some markets, replacing the "616"), except in the UK, where it was the Mazda Montrose, named for a local dealership and offered against the Ford Cortina; released in 1978, delayed to most markets until 1979. Front MacPherson struts and a coil-sprung four-link solid rear axle with Panhard rod, recirculating-ball steering, split-folding rear seat and a drag coefficient of 0.38. A November 1980 facelift brought flush headlamps and a new grille; the US facelift (1981 model year) added two catalytic converters that robbed the 2.0 of power, and a "Luxury" model. In Japan the 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 L (from March 1979) carburetted engines made 90, 100 and 110 PS JIS; Australia launched it in December 1978 with a 2.0 L making 63 kW, and New Zealand assembled it locally, with a 1982 Anniversary edition.
Collectors Spotted in the Mazda 626 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mazda 626 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
6 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA 2.0 L (Japan, 110 PS, from March 1979) | 1979–1982 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 108 hp | 123 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| MA 2.0 L (North America, 80 hp) | 1979–1982 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 80 hp | 105 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| MA 2.0 L (World, 90 PS) | 1978–1982 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 115 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| NA 1.6 L (Japan, 90 PS) | 1978–1982 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 94 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| NA 1.6 L (World, 75 PS) | 1978–1982 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 74 hp | 88 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| VC 1.8 L (Japan, 100 PS) | 1978–1982 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 99 hp | 110 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
In the Community
Open CommunityNo notes tagged with the Mazda 626 / Montrose CB second generation yet.
Photographs
In 2000 Mazda built a twin-turbo, 280-hp 626 concept called the MPS — only a handful were ever made, and the next 626 never got anything like it.
The CG Capella was built narrower than its export Mazda 626 twin on purpose — just enough to dodge Japan's size-based vehicle tax.
For the first time ever, Mazda built a 626 on US soil — the GE generation began rolling out of the brand-new Flat Rock, Michigan plant on 1 September 1992, for the 1993 model year.
This 626 beat Honda's Prelude to market with four-wheel steering by weeks in 1988 — and Mazda's electronic system was more complex than Honda's.
A handful of special customers in Indonesia could order this 626 with a nose job — the front end and pop-up headlights grafted on from Mazda's luxury 929/Cosmo coupe.
Everywhere else this car was just the '626' — but in the UK it was sold as the Mazda Montrose, named after the little Scottish town with the local dealership.
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Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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