Mazda Millenia was launched in the autumn of 1993 in Europe (as the Xedos 9) and Japan (as the Eunos 800) under the Mazda brand. The car was launched in North America in 1995 as the Millenia, and replaced the 929 as Mazda's flagship sedan offering there. The 929 was rear-wheel drive, whereas the Millenia was front-wheel drive, giving rivalry to the Nissan Maxima at the time. Because of this, the 929 had no similar rear-wheel drive rivals, since it was V6-powered, and that happened when the Toyota Cressida was discontinued in 1992. The Millenia was facelifted for the 2000 through 2003 model years. There was no model link to the other Mazda marque Ẽfini.
In 1997 the Japanese Eunos 800 was also renamed the Millenia as Mazda folded the Eunos brand. This name change was accompanied by a significant facelift that included some cost-saving measures. For instance, the hood was downgraded from aluminum to steel. In the USA, the Millenia was available with or without the Miller Cycle engine (The "Millenia S" spec).
