In 2014, the Ford Motor Company was the world’s 6th-largest automaker with 6.32 million unit sales. In January of this year, this same global juggernaut announced it was pulling out of both Japan and Indonesia. The Japanese market, in particular, seems to be a frustrating one for Ford to figure out. The Japanese are thought to like their American cars flashy so Ford offered the Mustang. Sales remained low. Perhaps smaller cars like the Fiesta were in order? Oh, they didn’t really sell much, either. Even restyled Mazdas like this Laser Lynx couldn’t save Ford Japan.
The story of Ford’s Japanese operations is an interesting one. Ford had been the first American automaker in Japan, but withdrew from the market when World War II broke out. They returned, belatedly, in 1974. Left-hand-drive models like the Mustang and Thunderbird sold in very modest numbers during the 1980s but the Big 3 regularly lobbied the U.S. government to impose tougher standards on the Japanese automakers and to break open the Japanese market. It was a market dominated by its domestic automakers and was perceived by the American Big 3 as being extremely protected.
Ford had purchased a 25% stake in Mazda in 1979, and would eventually purchase further shares. This purchase was made in part to gain further access to the Japanese market but predominantly for Mazda’s expertise in engineering class-leading small cars. The two automakers established the Autorama dealership network in 1982, which featured a lounge-esque dealership style targeting younger consumers.
By the mid-1990s, Ford’s Japanese operation had a strong Mazda-based lineup: the Festiva, a restyled Mazda 121; the Laser range, based on the Mazda 323; and the Telstar, a restyled Mazda 626. Although Ford had often leveraged Mazda for engineering expertise to create cars like the 2005 Ford Fusion and 1990 Ford Escort, Ford actually utilized Mazda’s production lines for the manufacturing of cars like this Laser Lynx. These Japanese-built Fords were then exported throughout the Asia-Pacific region including Australia.
The Laser Lynx was the flagship model of the KJ-series Laser range of 1994. Although every generation of Laser in Australia from the nameplate’s genesis in 1981 had been based on the Mazda 323, the KJ-series was the first generation to be imported entirely from Japan as Aussie manufacturing of small Fords came to an end. This offshore production, coupled with a rising yen, meant the Laser range saw a corresponding bump in price, around $AUD 3k difference for the base models. Sales of the new, imported Laser were weaker than its Aussie-built, US Escort-related predecessor and the Laser nameplate would never again reach the heights of popularity it had soared to in the 1980s and early 1990s. It also didn’t help that inexpensive South Korean vehicles were taking the market by storm, with the keenly-priced Hyundai Excel (Accent) even seizing the number #1 spot briefly.
The daringly-styled Lynx was around 30% more expensive than the base-model Laser sedan, at around $AUD 30,000 and with the price increasing each year. It was available only with a 5-speed manual and a Mazda 1.8 four-cylinder engine (123 hp, 118 ft-lbs) while the more conventionally-styled sedan and Liata hatch were available with an optional 4-speed automatic and an available Mazda 1.6 four-cylinder (107 hp, 105 ft-lbs). In features, the Lynx was equipped to an even higher level than the Ghia sedan and hatch with keyless entry and dual airbags; like the Ghia, it also came standard with power windows and mirrors.
Slow sales led to the retirement of the Lynx from the Australian Ford lineup in 1996, coinciding with the arrival of the facelifted KJ II Series. Perhaps it was the controversial styling or the niche appeal of a highly-specified three-door hatchback in a market that favored five-door hatches. Ultimately, the same engine and enjoyable handling were available in the more practical sedan and Liata hatch.
the 1998-2002 Laser KN/KQ-Series
Ford would eventually divest its shares in Mazda in the 2000s upon encountering financial difficulties. By this point, however, Ford’s Japanese lineup was switching to imports. The Laser was gone after 2002 in Japan and the Telstar axed after 1999. Ford Australia had also switched to importing European models like the Focus and Fiesta.
The KJ-Series, the penultimate Laser, was a well-built, high-quality vehicle and therefore there remain many on local roads. Although this generation was not the sales success its predecessor was, there are still plenty around because of the car’s inherent reliability.
The Lynx, though, has always been a rare sighting. In fact, I hadn’t recalled seeing one of these rock-shaped hatchbacks in many years when, all of a sudden, I spotted one near my mechanic. Obtaining photographs proved futile but later that week, I spotted another one a few miles away. I was only able to get one shot as the owners appeared.
Frustrated at not being able to obtain any photographs of Laser Lynx #2, I drove off… Only to see something in the corner of my eye, down the very same street, that didn’t seem right. Turning back, I found the third Laser Lynx of the week – hell, probably only the fourth I’d seen in my life – and joyfully snapped photographs. It even had the original alloy wheels!
Three Laser Lynx sightings in one week has to go down as one of the most peculiar coincidences I’ve ever experienced. Of all the Japanese compacts of the 1990s, the Lynx has to be one of the most uniquely-styled and memorable. It just wasn’t appealing enough to get Japanese consumers into Autorama dealerships.
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Curbside Classic: 1981-85 Ford KA/KB Laser
Curbside Capsule: 1985-87 Ford Telstar TX5 Turbo
The front nose of the 2 Door Hatchback looked like the ones taken from the same era late 1990s E110 Toyota Corolla which had a similar looking headlights and were marketed elsewhere.
It did get a facelift rather quickly…
Thankfully. I remember the original E110 being called “the frog” at launch
A funny face looked better on the contemporary cute little Yaris. Not so much on a bigger and more serious family hatchback.
Toyota tried it in Brazil in 1998 to replace the best seller previous gen., it was a complete disaster, people refused it, choosing for Civic or the more expensive Corona. People used to call it “Corola with glasses” or “Corolla frog” and Toyota quickly changed the front for the Corolla Sprinter to repair the low sales. It worked quite well, the only positive effect of the Corolla frog was the increasing sales of its bigger brother Corona.
The improved front nose of the Corolla now resembled those of the similar sized 1G Lexus IS/Toyota Altezza shown on the left.
That’s true! It’s a shame Toyota never brought that Lexus IS to Brazil, the closest we knew were some units as Toyota Altezza by tourists from Paraguay. That’s the first time I knew a car with cristal clear rear lights. Right after it popped out cristal rear lights for any model of cars in the market, people used to call them “altezza lights” in Brazil, maybe in allusion of that Altezza.
It was generally the same car both the Toyota Altezza and the Lexus IS (First Generation only) except that it was still considered Toyota in many markets especially in Japan.
Looking at the first photo I can’t stop seeing the original Honda CR-X.
Although the Fiesta market failure is harder to explain, it’s incredible to me that Ford thought their N. American range should sell well in a country where even the Fox Mustang would be considered a large car (wider than the Toyota Crown), & registration depends upon having a place to park. Furthermore, the Japanese dealer system is very different from America’s.
But then, understanding of foreign ways, esp. Asian, has never been an American strength.
Well, that’s a new one for me. Thanks for the education.
Ford Lazer Lynx….sounds like 3 different vehicles.
As a lover of cars it is unfortunate but sometimes a brand just can’t “make it happen” in a market. And when there are instances of 2 makes “sharing” the platform of any car, I would think 1 of them better have something REALLY special to entice prospective buyers, it would seem that Ford never really understood that.
The Lazer Lynx was actually a BA series Mazda Lantis, and sold in very small numbers as a 323 in Europe. The 4-door Lantis was very rare indeed, as Europe got the BA Familia as a 323 saloon instead. The Lantis range didn’t sell well in Japan, but the 5-door hatchback “Coupe” version proved very popular in Europe. Such a pity Mazda never replaced it.
Those alloys on the red car are particularly grotesque BTW.
Ugly little bombs they got very little traction in the market place, the Lantis range is here ex JDM even used they dont sell very well, Hyundai did take the market in OZ by storm but five years as the best selling car is hardly brief $13,999 drive away no more to pay put an Excel in many many driveways, a friend bought a Barina during this time new for the same money a total stripper no air radio only crank windows,where the Excel came loaded and $7,000 cheaper than the equivalent Corolla or Laser and having driven all three here I’d argue the Accent/Excel is more fun to drive than the stuffy Corolla or ugly Lynx.
In recent decades I have liked Mazda better than Ford. I has the sads when I think about the well used 626 that was centerpunched by a learner driver a few years ago. I seems to me that this car should have been a raging success, if not there, then here in the US. I have come to know that I don’t know what I don’t know and should not invest my money in the market.
You guys are making a fundamental mistake here by comparing apples to oranges. And this is not the first article in which it has happened.
An Excel/Accent (depending on the market) cannot be compared on the same level to a Corolla or Laser or Astra or… (all of them C-cars) because: 1) it’s a B-Car 2) it’s much smaller 3) interior appointments are not as nice and 4) it will never have an equivalent powertrain/performance. The difference in price HAS to be big between them.
Exactly. It may be a big B, but that makes it a small C. And that’s enough to rule it out of contention for C-car buyers, no matter how keen the pricing.
The Excel may be a big B, but still a B. I can put money on the table that an Elantra of the same vintage has more power/space + nicer interior.
“and Hyundai promoted it heavily on the basis of low price, not drawing your attention to its smaller size”
The above is in my opinion the genius of Hyundai. They probably didn’t attract a lot of attention to the interior either. The car itself was robust and reliable enough to do the rest.
In the Australian market at the time we weren’t so aware of the distinctions in size classes. Many people would have still thought of the Laser as the 1.3 or 1.5 litre hatch it had been in the first generation, and not realised how much it had grown. Most people didn’t change cars often enough to have noticed.
The Excel was the size the Laser had been, and Hyundai promoted it heavily on the basis of low price, not drawing your attention to its smaller size – and it was wildly successful for a time. Besides, Hyundai didn’t sell a Laser-class car in Australia; they did offer some bigger models but you rarely saw them. Even today you rarely see a bigger Hyundai than the i30.
There was the Lantra but it was sedan-only in a hatch-heavy segment, and didn’t get a hatch until the 2000s.
I don’t think William said the Excel was in the same class as the Laser, just that it was a popular car that was the highest-selling car in the country for a month or two; which would have been when they were having one of their influential “drive away no more to pay” sales campaigns.
The Excel was also on the large side for a B-segment car (as was the Ford Festiva/Aspire at the time), and comparable in size to the earlier generation Lasers, which I’m sure saw it gain sales.
The failure of this car was in the overwrought styling, I don’t think it succeeded anywhere. Not having higher-performance halo models hurt it too, previous generations had turbo and awd options.
Previous generation Lasers/323 were still C-Cars, and yes, they were not called like that. There were smaller cars even back then. And yes they were smaller, but what wasn’t, take a look at a second gen Camry and the current one. The latest Camry has a footprint very similar to my VT.
My take on what killed this model is not styling, but price. The small car part of the market is very price sensitive here, and at $3K+ on top of their previous price (Will dixit), it wasn’t going to cut it.
The previous Escort-based Laser is ubiquitous (although in declining numbers) because it was built in Ford’s old Sydney site – AKA Aussie made. No tariffs slapped on it. Mid 90’s is an era where, although going down, still saw high tariffs on car imports.
And Australia got it good on those Escort-based cars: better engines -all of them OHC or DOHC, turbo+AWD TX3 version…
The Lasers were Mazda Familias built in Aussie as Fords totally unrelated to any Escort.
Well, yes. Technically a B-segment car can’t “promote” to a C-segment car, no matter how much you dress it up with all the options available.
Apples to apples, that’s why the segmentation is a handy tool. Compare an Opel Corsa with a Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo, and so on. Plenty of folks simply prefer a fully loaded smaller car (with leather seats, the top-engine, etc.) over a more basic bigger model for the same price. In that case you can compare cars that are all in the same segment.
The Lynx was never a common sight. I don’t know why Ford bothered selling it here. The previous generation Laser didn’t come as a three-door, and earlier Laser three-doors were never great sellers. At least they were good-looking though.
It’s one of those peculiar cars that looks better in hindsight than it did at the time. The round headlights with separate indicators looked strange, and some of the angles around the taillights were awkward at a time when smoothness and integration was the fashion. And then there were those wheels…..
It has aged surprisingly well for a controversial design, in my opinion. It’s quirky and I love it: yes, even the wheels.
Wasn’t there a three-door version of the previous Laser? An imported, performance trim? I want to say TX3 Turbo…
The Mazda Familia range always featured a two door version some turboed some also 4WD there was a TX3 my exs Dad had one and loved itbut it was an imported rebadged Mazda model not actually an Aussie built Laser.
Great article. Having been in Japan during the 90s and here for the past ten years, I’ve seen a number of US manufacturers attempt to sell their cars here – there are a variety of reasons for their failures – but the main one in my view is that all their efforts were half-hearted. They all failed to judge the competitiveness of the auto market here – and as a consequence, never put in place the number of dealerships or amount of advertising to capture the average Japanese consumer. Sure, typical US cars have a poor reputation in Japan, but not all – like elsewhere outside the US, Jeeps are viewed positively and could have sold well here. But Chrysler (or FCA) would only put a few dealerships in most major metropolitan areas – and Japanese consumers are used to having a dealer nearby – not 3 hours away. Further, Japanese manufacturers bombard the public with advertising – everywhere – print, TV, internet – none of the US manufacturers spent the money to market their offerings. Lastly, Japanese consumers had to overcome a fear that US manufacturers would “pull the plug” and leave them stranded without a dealer to perform warranty work. As current owners of new Mustangs, Focus, and Explorers now know, that fear was well-founded.
Near our house here on the outskirts of Tokyo was a Chrysler dealership that sold Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat products. It was small, had few models in the showroom, and looked “drab” compared to the immaculate Toyota, Nissan and Honda dealers – it’s now closed
Those fantastic Mazda “Familia” family came in the wrong time, their style was too advanced for early 90’s. Maybe that’s the reason Ford didn’t bring them to Occident.
Another one which would be a fantastic Ford Escort is the 92′ Mazda Lantis Sedan, one of the most beautiful Japanese car ever made by Mazda.
Ford actually brought the Laser to the West. In Venezuela they assembled 2 generations of the 4 door sedan. Pictures 9 & 8. With 1.6 and 1.8 engines. The style may have been a bit out there for the mid 90’s, but Chrysler would prove that ‘futuristic’ can and does sell. The second gen Neon did quite a splash at launch… still couldn’t topple the Corolla. That would be achieved by the Optra some years later.
Not the biggest sellers, but not uncommon.
Cool, I didn’t know Mazda assembled cars in Venezuela, in Brazil there were these two generations called “Mazda Protegé”, although they used to be reliable, the government increased the import taxes in 1999 and Mazda left the Brazilian market and never came back. However there are still some units still in service until today!
I didn’t say Mazda assembled cars there. Ford does.
Mazda site was in Colombia and they produced the Mazda version, called Allegro, which was imported into Venezuela. They didn’t sell many.
I know Ford had used the Laser name and also Lynx, but putting them together really sounds distractingly like a children’s TV character of the period. “Laser Lynx! With Laser-Action Whiskers! Batteries not included.”
Odd-looking little guy, but in an endearing way. The styling is most certainly not for everyone though! From what little I know of the Japanese market, it does seem to be a very tough nut to crack–but if you think of how very many JDM-only models, sub-models, and trim levels there tend to be, the domestics do seem to have that market covered top to bottom!