Wagon September 1983 launch
1800 petrol- Displacement
- 1.8 L (nominal)
Mazda lists nine seats and a high-roof version.
Buyer's guide
12 min read
Mazda Bongo
Buyer's guide & specs
- Model span
- 1966-present
- For sale
- 9
- active now
On this page
Quick answer
Mazda launched the Bongo in May 1966. This site covers its regular third-generation van, wagon and truck, followed by the fourth-generation commercial van and truck. The Bongo Friendee camper and the larger Brawny are separate vehicles. Check each car's full model designation and build date before importing.
Background
Overview
Mazda launched the Bongo in May 1966 and says about 2.1 million or more Bongo-series vehicles had been built by May 2020. The third generation went on sale in September 1983 and the fourth on 16 June 1999. Mazda announced a new Bongo van and truck for sale from 11 September 2020. The Friendee and Brawny are not covered by these guides.
Quick read
Key takeaways
- The SD guide covers the regular third-generation Bongo, on sale from 1983; the SK82 guide covers the fourth generation, on sale from 1999 and reported to have ended production in 2020.
- Neither guide covers the Friendee camper. Mazda handed the passenger wagon to the camper when it planned the fourth generation.
- SD and SK82 are route names, not full codes. A car's full model designation and frame number identify it.
- The Brawny is a larger, separate model and its specifications are not used on either guide.
- Mazda's figure of about 2.1 million or more Bongo-series vehicles by May 2020 covers every generation, not one.
- US age is judged per car from its manufacture date; EPA engine and emissions requirements apply separately, and Canada counts 15 years from the build month.
Constants
Common across all Bongo generations
- Small commercial vans and trucks; the third generation also had a wagon
- Petrol and diesel engines in both generations covered
- 4WD added to third-generation vans and wagons in November 1984; fourth-generation 4WD vans had a selectable system
Chassis history
Generation timeline
Dates are Mazda's Japanese sale starts. Each generation page has its own specification tables, checklist and import notes.
SD/SE/SR/SS
Third generation, SD/SE/SR/SS (1983–1999; van and wagon on sale September 1983, truck January 1984; successor on sale June 1999)
SK/SL
Fourth generation, SK/SL (on sale from 16 June 1999; production reported to end in 2020)
Identification
Chassis-code reference
Generation names are broad families. The factory chassis codes below identify the variants represented in JDMBUYSELL's current Mazda Bongo guide data.
- Fourth generation, SK/SL (on sale from 16 June 1999; production reported to end in 2020)
- Chassis codes: SK82, SKF2, SKP2, and SLP2
Confirm the complete code on the vehicle's frame or VIN plate; drivetrain, body, and market variants can use different prefixes within one generation family.
Market
Differences between JDM & USDM
This guide covers Japanese-market Bongos and uses Mazda's Japanese ratings in PS and kW. Mazda's technical review says the third generation included export versions of the van and truck. Export specifications are not described here.
Specs
Technical specifications
Engine options
-
-
Wagon September 1983 launch
2000 diesel- Displacement
- 2.0 L (nominal)
Mazda lists nine seats and a high-roof version.
-
Van and truck September 1983 van, January 1984 truck
1400 petrol- Displacement
- 1.4 L (nominal)
Van with three or six seats; truck with an 850 kg payload.
-
Van and truck September 1983 van, January 1984 truck
2000 diesel- Displacement
- 2.0 L (nominal)
Van with three or six seats; truck with an 850 kg payload.
-
Mazda engine-change table July 1990
1500 petrol- Displacement
- 1.5 L (nominal)
Mazda's technical history records a change to a 1500 cc petrol engine. It does not say which bodies.
-
Mazda engine-change table September 1993
R2- Displacement
- 2.2 L (nominal)
Mazda's technical history records a change to the 2200 cc R2 diesel. It does not say which bodies.
-
Mazda engine-change table August 1995
F8- Displacement
- 1.8 L (nominal)
Mazda's technical history records a change to the 1800 cc F8 petrol. It does not say which bodies, or whether this was the first F8.
-
SK82 petrol June 1999 launch; 95 PS from December 2003
F8-E- Displacement
- 1.8 L (1,789 cc)
- Power
- 90 PS at 5,000 rpm
- Torque
- 13.8 kg-m at 2,500 rpm
Inline-four, SOHC, EGI. Launch rating; Mazda does not label gross or net. Mazda raised the output to 95 PS (70 kW) in December 2003.
-
R2 diesel June 1999 launch
R2- Displacement
- 2.2 L (nominal)
- Power
- 79 PS at 4,250 rpm
- Torque
- 14.1 kg-m at 2,000 rpm (138 N·m)
Inline-four diesel with an electronically controlled injection pump. Mazda does not label gross or net.
-
SKF2 turbodiesel From 9 December 2003
RF-CDT- Displacement
- 2.0 L (1,998 cc)
- Aspiration
- Turbocharged
- Power
- 86 PS (63 kW) at 3,500 rpm
- Torque
- 178 N·m (18.2 kg-m) at 2,000 rpm
Common-rail direct injection with a particulate filter, based on the MZR-CD engine of European models such as the Mazda6. Mazda enlarged the filter and changed the compression ratio in August 2007; the revised output is not established here.
-
SKP2 and SLP2 petrol From 20 August 2010
L8- Displacement
- 1.8 L (1,798 cc)
- Power
- 102 PS (75 kW)
- Torque
- 147 N·m (15.0 kgf·m)
Water-cooled inline-four, DOHC. Mazda's release does not give the speeds at which these peaks occur.
Lineup
Variants & trims
| Generation | Trim | Engine | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third generation (Japan) | Wagon (September 1983) | 1800 petrol or 2000 diesel | Nine seats; high-roof version; three-row fully flat seats and rotating face-to-face seats on some variants. |
| Third generation (Japan) | Van (September 1983) | 1400 petrol or 2000 diesel | Three or six seats; two-row fully flat seats on some variants. |
| Third generation (Japan) | Truck (January 1984) | 1400 petrol or 2000 diesel | 850 kg payload; high-tensile-steel frame. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Van CD (June 1999) | F8-E 1.8 L petrol | Three seats; five-speed manual; low floor, standard roof. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Van DX (June 1999) | F8-E 1.8 L petrol or R2 2.2 L diesel | Three or six seats; five-speed manual; 2WD and 4WD. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Van GL Super (June 1999) | R2 2.2 L diesel | Mazda's Japanese release lists two/five-seat GL Super vans with four-speed automatic, standard or high roof, and 2WD and, in high-roof form, 4WD. Its English release instead labels the standard-roof 2WD diesel row GL with three/six seats. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Truck DX and GL (June 1999) | F8-E 1.8 L petrol or R2 2.2 L diesel | 0.85-tonne or 1-tonne payload; standard or long body; five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; 2WD and 4WD. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Van DX and GL (August 2010) | L8 1.8 L petrol | DX two seats; GL two or five seats; 2WD and 4WD; five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; roof and door choices vary. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Van DX, GL and Route Van (February 2016) | L8 1.8 L petrol | Five-speed manual or five-speed automatic; single rear tyres; four-wheel ABS and keyless entry standard; GL chrome grille; DX piano-black back-door garnish; Route Van in Cool White only. |
| Fourth generation (Japan) | Truck DX and GL (February 2016) | L8 1.8 L petrol | Standard or long body; 1,150 kg payload for 2WD and 1,000 kg for 4WD with two occupants; single rear tyres; four-wheel ABS standard. |
Gallery
In pictures
Editorial
The buyer's read
Start with the generation. The third generation (on sale from 1983) and the fourth (on sale from 1999) have different engines, equipment and records, and each guide lists them by date.
Then identify the car by its full model designation and frame number. SD and SK82 are route names, not complete codes, and Mazda's recycling table groups the cars under several series.
Make sure it is a regular Bongo. The Friendee camper and the larger Brawny are separate vehicles that these guides do not cover.
Finally, work out the car's age from its date of manufacture. The US age exemption is 25 years per car, EPA's engine rule applies separately, and Canada counts 15 years from the month and year of manufacture. Registration is a separate state or provincial matter.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Which Bongo generations does this site cover?
- Two: the regular third-generation van and wagon went on sale in September 1983, with the truck following in January 1984. The fourth-generation van and truck went on sale on 16 June 1999. Production was reported to end on 13 May 2020 for the fourth-generation van and 31 August 2020 for the truck.
- Is the Bongo Friendee covered here?
- No. Mazda's technical review says that when it planned the 1999 model it handed the passenger wagon to the Bongo Friendee and made the Bongo a commercial-only model. The Friendee needs its own specifications.
- Did Mazda stop making the Bongo in 2020?
- It ended the fourth generation: the van on 13 May 2020 and the truck on 31 August 2020, as reported. Mazda announced a new Bongo van and truck on 17 July 2020, on sale from 11 September 2020.
- How many Bongos has Mazda built?
- Mazda says about 2.1 million or more Bongo-series vehicles were produced from 1966 to May 2020. It gives no split by generation, body or market, so the figure is not a total for either guide.
- Can I import a Bongo to the US or Canada?
- US safety eligibility is 25 years from each vehicle's manufacture date. EPA separately requires at least 21 years by calendar-year subtraction and the original unmodified configuration; engine equivalence means the same model and configuration. EPA describes a restricted exception for equivalent or newer EPA-certified engines with their emission-control systems; confirm swaps with EPA first. Canada uses 15 years by manufacture month and year. State registration varies, and some Canadian provinces will not license right-hand-drive vehicles.
Citations
Sources & references
Sources (31)
- Mazda Virtual Museum: Chapter 5 chronological history — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda corporate history, 1980 to 1989 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda Technical Review 2016 No. 33, paper 26: 50th Anniversary of Mazda Bongo — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda recycling charge table: Bongo — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release 1566: new Bongo Van and Truck, 16 June 1999 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release: new Bongo Van and Truck, 16 June 1999 (English) — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release 1761: Bongo with DPF diesel engine, 9 December 2003 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release: Bongo series and Titan Dash partial improvement, 24 August 2007 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release: Bongo Van and Truck partial improvement, 20 August 2010 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release: Bongo series improvement, 4 February 2016 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release: new Bongo Brawny Van, 23 April 2019 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda news release: new Bongo Van and Bongo Truck, 17 July 2020 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda Bongo Van owner's manual: 4WD — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda notice: propeller-shaft inspection for Bongo, Bongo Brawny and Titan — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda recall 2484: Bongo and Bongo Brawny parking brake, 11 March 2010 — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda voluntary improvement: Bongo and Brawny van lift-gate latch — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- Mazda recall and improvement vehicle search — Mazda Motor Corporation Verified
- MLIT recall notification of 15 April 2004: Bongo, Vanette and others — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Verified
- MLIT recall 1821 vehicle specification table — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Verified
- MLIT recall 3838: Mazda Bongo and Nissan Vanette airbag inflator, 30 June 2016 — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Verified
- Response: recall of Mazda Bongo and Nissan Vanette, 14 December 1999 — Response.jp Verified
- Best Car: Mazda Bongo production ends, 20 May 2020 — Best Car Verified
- Kuruma no News: Mazda Bongo production ends, 3 September 2020 — Kuruma no News via carview Verified
- 49 CFR 591.5: declarations for importing motor vehicles — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Verified
- NHTSA form HS-7: import declaration — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Verified
- EPA: Learn about importing vehicles and engines — US Environmental Protection Agency Verified
- EPA: Importing vehicles and engines, detailed guidance (420-B-11-015) — US Environmental Protection Agency Verified
- Transport Canada: importing vehicles purchased outside the United States, FAQs — Transport Canada Verified
- Transport Canada: importing older vehicles into Canada — Transport Canada Verified
- EPA Form 3520-1: Importation of motor vehicles and engines (July 2020) — US Environmental Protection Agency Verified
- Motor-Fan: Mazda Bongo, history of the generations — Motor-Fan Verified
Sources last verified: