The Mazda Étude is a three-door

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

version of the fifth-generation Familia that was only ever marketed by

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

in Japan, from 1987 to 1989. The name was also later used in South Africa for the seventh generation Familia.

History

The Étude looked similar to the 323/Familia, but was a bit longer and had a lower roofline, providing a generally more suave appearance - like a 323 in a tuxedo. It was marketed as a " personal coupé" and received very full equipment (sliding sunroof, two-tone paint, power steering and windows, etc.) coupled with a more comfort oriented suspension than did sedans. The B- and C-pillars were blacked out and the greenhouse had an entirely flush surface, helping to differentiate it from its more staid siblings. This styling feature was called "Terraceback" by Mazda. The car was first introduced in January 1987 with the 1.6-liter twin cam engine in three different trim levels, from the bottom Li via the Si to the top Gi spec. Target sales were 2,000 per month, but in the eleven months it was on sale in 1987 only about 6,000 made it onto the market. A lesser 1.5-litre base version (1.5 Sa) was added in July 1988, at which time a number of brighter colours were also added to the existing silver and white options. The Sa's spec was midway between the Li and Si. Nominally a five-seater, the rear seat was clearly only designed to be comfortable for two. Although Mazda had gone to some lengths to try to differentiate the car from the regular Familia, the interior in particular felt less than special.Tanuma, Akira, p. 2
/ref> When the Familia was redesigned in March, 1989, the Étude ended production, but sales of remaining stock continued for a while. When it finally disappeared without fanfare, just under 10,000 had been built. The car's de facto successors were the Mazda Familia Astina (323F) and Autozam AZ-3/Eunos Presso coupés (known as the

Mazda MX-3 The Mazda MX-3 is a four-seat coupé front wheel drive manufactured and marketed by Mazda, introduced at the Geneva Auto Show#1991, Geneva Auto Show in March 1991 and marketed for model years 1992–1998. The MX-3 was also marketed as the Mazda ...

in export markets).

Engines

* 1988-1989 - '' B5''

SOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

I4, carburetted, at 6,000 rpm. at 3,500 rpm * 1987-1989 - '' B6D''

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...

I4, EFi, at 6,500 rpm. at 4,500 rpm

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazda Etude Etude Front-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 1987