Manufacturer Mazda Production 1988–1992 Body style 4-door hardtop sedan | Also called Eunos 300 Class Mid-size | |
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Assembly Japan: Hiroshima (Hiroshima Assembly) | ||
The Mazda Persona is a mid-sized, front-wheel drive, four-door hardtop sedan produced by Mazda in Japan from November 1988 to 1992, and sold both within its main range and under its upscale Eunos brand, as the Eunos 300. It used Mazda's MA platform and was replaced by the ɛ̃fini MS-8 in March 1993.
The Persona was Mazda's answer to the Toyota Carina ED, Nissan Presea, and Mitsubishi Emeraude—a Japanese sedan that attempted to capture the hardtop look and proportion of large American sedans. Transposed onto a smaller Japanese sedan, this proportion often led to a small, low cabin in context of longer front and rear ends.
Mazda placed much emphasis on the Persona's interior. It featured lounge-style door trims that appears completely integrated into the rear seats when the doors are closed. It won a prize for "Best Car Interior" in 1988. Other unusual details included the absence of ashtrays (they were available as an option) and a regular glove compartment. The glove compartment was replaced by a pull-out drawer located underneath the passenger seat.
When Mazda launched the Eunos dealership channel in Japan in 1990, the Persona became available also as an Eunos 300. Along with the Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5 Miata). the Eunos 100 (Mazda Familia Astina), and the 1990 Eunos Cosmo, these formed the initial Eunos brand lineup. The Eunos 300 was a stop-gap solution until the January 1992 launch of the Eunos 500, also known as the Mazda Xedos 6.