Mazda lowers price of top-selling 626

Mazda Motor of America inc. is lowering prices on its best-selling car, the 626, by a sales-weighted 1% ($195) for '96. The U.S. subsidiary of financially ailing Mazda Motor Corp. says the sticker on the base DX model will remain the same at $15,495. The 4-cyl. LX price will drop by $200 to $17,695 and the V-6 LX also drops $200 to $19,895. The top-of-the-line EX will come in some $600 lower for '96 at $22,795. Mazda's pricing strategy clearly aims to retain momentum for the 626, which debuts with new front and rear styling that bears a close resemblance to the upscale Millennia introduced in April 1994. Separately, Mazda sources all but confirm the slow-selling 929 and MX3 will be dropped. "No orders have been placed" for either car for the '96 model year, a high-ranking official tells WAW