Vlazda E1600 hits UK
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E MAZDA E1500 panel van, I seen at the Amsterdam tor Show this year, is now ailable in Britain reports EVE GRAY.
k forward control design, with iical Japanese looks, it is disguished by having twin rear 'eels which are smaller than )se at the front. This was done achieve a low floor weight Ih no wheel arch intrusions. rprisingly, the Mazda features separate -ladder type — assis frame.
3ower for the vehicle comes )rn a four-cylinder, single erhead cam petrol engine )ich has a capacity of 1,586cc. develops 53.7kw (72bhp) DIN 3ximum output at 5,000rpm. e transmission is by means of ;Ingle dry plate clutch and fiveeed gearbox which is ntrolled by a column mounted ar lever.
Top gear, with a ratio of 0.875 to 1, gives an overdrive capability for reduced fuel consumption, says Mazda. Certainly from the results we obtained, with the vehicle on a brief test round our light-vans route, the claim seems to be justified. The little van turned in 9.081it/100km (31.1mpg) fully laden at an average speed of 49.2km (30.6mph).
This was achieved with a payload of 1,000kg (19.7cwt) plus the driver's weight. Mazda says the all-up payload with two passengers cannot exceed 1,225kg (24.1cwt) within a gross weight of 2,490kg (2.45 tons). Unladen, our test van's consumption improved significantly to 8.241it/100km (34.3mpg). Average speed this time was up, at 50.8km/h (31.6mph).
The E1600 has a good useable 5.5cum (193cuft) payload area — with its flat floor — measuring 2.87m (9.4ft) long, by 1.48m (4.8ft) wide and 1.3m (4.26ft) high. However, the built-in bulkhead prevents the seat from being moved far enough back for drivers of average height or above to be comfortable.
Getting in or out of the van is not easy. Although the cab door has a wide aperture, the seat is placed well back over the wheel arch and a sliding type action is needed to assist entry.
The facia and layout is stan dard Japanese light van. Two recessed round instruments are the speedo and a fuel and temperature gauge. In contrast to the ISO standard, the indicator stalk is on the right with the combined wiper/wash stalk on the other side. The horn push is in the centre of the steering wheel where it is easy to press accidentally causing consterna01512023tion to unwary pedestrians.
Otherwise, the pendant pedals are light to use and well placed. Forward vision is good through a laminated screen and two large exterior mirrors with very long curly brackets providing good rearward coverage.
To assist loading, a side-sliding door is fitted and the rear door lifts up, providing weather protection. luckily, it goes up high enough to prevent even the tallest banging their heads on it.
Mechanically, the Mazda follows established tradition, with independent front suspension with disc brakes and conventional semi-elliptic leaf springs and drum brakes at the rear. The light-to-operate ball and nut steering gives the Mazda a turning circle of 9.4m (30ft) — tight by any standards.
With a list of standard equipment as long as your arm — from a clock to built-in head restraints — the E1600 is, at £4,145 excluding vat, a very competitively priced van. It must appeal to small traders looking for an economical, speedy and easy-to-load vehicle for local delivery work.
On the debit side it has a cramped cab and its forward control design makes access to the engine restricted. No doubt Mazda will be able to sell all it can import and it cannot be long before the chassis cab version is introduced.