New Mazda Biante Available in Japan

Japanese manufacturer Mazda released today a revised version of the Biante (Ambient), an eight seater minivan sold locally for a little over a year. The new Biante has a MSRP of 2,131,500 yen ($22,156) for the 2.0l version and 2,699,000 yen ($28,050) for the 2.3l version.

No major engines tweaks have been made to the Biante, as it keeps the same powerplants seen on the current version. The vehicle is powered, as we said, by either a 2.0l or a 2.3l engine. The units are mated either to a five-speed automatic gearbox or a four-speed automatic gearbox.

The Biante FWD 20S now provides a seven percent improvement in fuel consumption over the previous version. This was accomplished by the addition of the i-stop system, which provides a 0.35 seconds engine restart.

To further enhance the eco-capabilities of the 20S, the model also comes with a trip computer with a fuel economy meter and an eco-lamp which lights up when the vehicle achieves the most efficient driving conditions. In addition, the dynamic stability control (DSC) now comes as standard. The revised version comes in six exterior body colors, including the newly added Radiant Ebony Mica.

All 2.0l FWD Biante models qualify for Japan’s eco-car incentive and tax reduction programs to promote sales of lower emission vehicles. Under the tax reduction program, the automobile acquisition tax and automobile weight tax are reduced by 50 percent for the 20CS model grade and 75 percent for the FWD 20S grade.

Mazda announced that the model is available for order starting today, at all Mazda, Mazda Autozam and Mazda Anfini dealerships throughout Japan.