10 reasons why the Mazda Lantis is more than just another playboy car of the nineties

The Mazda Astina made waves for every playboy in the nineties with its sleek looks and cool pop-up headlights. However, it is underpowered which is something that didn’t quite match its overall look.

At least its successor tried to fix that issue. The Mazda Lantis still brought all the playboys to Mazda’s dealers even with a pair of conventional headlights. Since we think it deserves as much love as the Astina, we found 10 reasons why.

1. It was powered by a V6 engine

When the Lantis was launched in Japan on September 1993, Mazda introduced the Astina’s successor with two engine choices – a 1.8-litre inline-four BP engine (135 PS/157 Nm) and a 2.0-litre V6 KF-ZE engine (160 PS/179 Nm). The V6 was never offered in Malaysia, sadly.

Both engines were paired to either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission. If being sporty was what the Lantis wanted to achieve, then it certainly did with those numbers.

2. Its shape had some Porsche elements

Even though the Lantis was sold overseas as a variant of the 323, the model was actually vastly different. It used a different platform and Mazda even officially called the five-door hatchback a “coupe”.

Incorrect definitions aside, the Lantis hatchback had a design element that was quite unusual for its shape at the time. It had pillarless doors and the design was credited to an ex-Porsche designer, Ginger Arnold Ostle. She helped to pen the Porsche 944 which might have some resemblance to the Lantis.

Also read: The Mercedes-Benz CLS wasn't the first 4-door coupe, but it helped revolutionise it

3. It had a unique-looking sedan variant

Though many fans recognised the Lantis hatchback (or coupe), there was a conventional four-door sedan available in the Lantis’ line-up. Though conventional is not what we call the styling.

The overly curvaceous body of the Lantis sedan really felt like a nineties time capsule and it used the same powertrains as its twin. Compared to the hatchback however, the Lantis sedan was rare and was only sold in Australia and Japan.

4. Its great handling was developed at the Nürburgring

The Astina embodied the whole Jinba Ittai philosophy way before Mazda marketed it and that handling prowess continued on with the Lantis. To improve on the Lantis’ handling, Mazda’s engineers brought a few prototypes to a place considered by many fans as motorsport nirvana.

That’s right. Way before most brands considered using the Green Hell as their handling proving grounds, Mazda was already getting the ball rolling on a car that wasn’t exactly a hot hatch. Perhaps it’s the Lantis that fueled Mazda to become the handling legend it is currently known for.

5. It was one of the safest cars tested

Though performance was one of the core marketing themes behind the Lantis, Mazda boasted it to be one of the safest cars on sale in a few of its commercials.

The curvaceous shape wasn’t just to keep up with the trend. the Lantis was one of the first vehicles in Japan to meet the country’s safety standards by performing well in crash tests. Granted, the J-NCAP (Japan’s ASEAN-NCAP equivalent) would only exist two years later, so there wasn’t a ratings score for the Lantis then.

6. There was a Type-R variant

Similar to how Proton “borrowed” the GTi moniker from Volkswagen (and Peugeot), so too did Mazda which “borrowed” the Type R name from Honda. Mazda bestowed the Type-R name to the most powerful variant of the Lantis and it was the only time the moniker was used.

The Lantis Type-R was powered by the same 2.0-litre KF-ZE V6 engine but power was boosted to 170 PS, paired only to a 5-speed manual. The Type-R also featured exterior bits including a rear spoiler and side skirts. It was only exclusive to Japan but speaking of the spoiler…

7. The Mazdaspeed version sprouted a fabulous wing

Remember Mazdaspeed? The performance arm of Mazda was mostly known for the Mazda 3 MPS and some pretty successful motor racing endeavours. The Mazdaspeed Lantis was merely just a visually-enhanced Lantis but that didn’t mean it was underwhelming.

Also read: Enthusiasts are wrong, reviving the Mazda 3 MPS could cripple Mazda’s future

In fact, the Mazdaspeed Lantis came with a great visual enhancement at the back with its rear wing. The wing won’t be adding more downforce on the car but who cares when it looked so cool.

Also read: Top Rank – 10 production cars with the wildest wings

8. It was officially sold in Malaysia

Just like the Astina, Mazda’s then Malaysian distributors, Cycle & Carriage Berhad brought the Lantis over into Malaysia in the mid-nineties. Sold as the 323 Lantis, buyers were given a choice of a 1.6-litre 16-valve DOHC B6 inline-four engine that produced 107 PS or the same 1.8-litre as seen in the Japanese Lantis. The V6 was never brought over.

The 5-speed manual transmission was only available for the 1.6-litre units while a 4-speed automatic transmission was available for both powerplants. Prices for the Lantis started from RM 80,182 (RM 143,465 in 2021) for the sedan which was really just a regular 323.

9. It competed in touring car races

Mazda scored an amazing win at the 1991 24 Hors of Le Mans, becoming the first Japanese car to win the legendary endurance race. However, in touring car races, its record was nothing much to shout about but it still deserved a mention here.

Mazda entered the Lantis in two touring car tournaments, the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC) in 1993 and 1994 respectively.

Also read: Proton's Adventure in the BTCC Part 1

The BTCC entry was short-lived when Mazda switched the Lantis for the larger Xedos 6 as part of a sales policy. Meanwhile, the Japanese entry lasted until 1996 with Mazda scoring a few points.

Also read: Proton's Adventure in the BTCC Part 2

10. It was an underdog

Even though the Lantis was very much coveted among Mazda fans in Malaysia and in some markets, it was considered a forgotten flop in Japan.

Though it was an ambitious car, especially with the V6 engine in a mid-size car, the Japanese Bubble Era was bursting at its seams when the Lantis was launched. Mazda was also in disarray at the time with a confusing sales channel (the Lantis was sold through three Mazda dealer channels - Mazda, Eunos, and ɛ̃fini) and a bloated line-up.

Also read: 10 weird Japanese cars that will blow your minds!

Sales of the Lantis ended in Japan in 1997 but production continued for overseas markets until 1998 when it was replaced by the next-gen 323/Familia. It is such a shame that the successor to the Astina and Lantis would turn out to be underwhelming.

Also read: Favoured among playboys, the Mazda Astina is a headlight-flipping 90s icon

It would take Mazda a few more years before its hatchback models started to be appealing. The current Mazda 3 Hatchback certainly brings Mazda to the forefront of beauty but one that attracts the general public and not just playboys.

Also read: What are the prettiest common cars ever sold in Malaysia?