The Roundening Pt 2: The Mk4 Mesaia AKA Versatile Boi
If the Mk3 Mesaia was in the middle ground between the B and C segment, with its 3.82m, and went as low as offering trims without any amenities whatsoever just for the sake of offering a modern, cheap enough alternative to the Mk2 Plebia which was getting super old…
that purpose was defeated by the release of the Mk1 FAAL Dima in 1985. And if the small size and the lightness of the car was pure joy for the owners of GTI versions, ultimately, the Mesaia had to grow up into a full fat C segment compact car.
O, 1988 Tasia concept, l hereby baptize you by plunging you in a good ole cup of realistic, reasonable design.
Amen bruh.
Here is the brand new 1991 FAAL Mesaia IV. It’s… very, very round. But it retains all the design cues of contemporary FAALs. The classic vent wrapped license plate, the V-shaped grille…
… and the blacked out taillight bar.
It retains the general shape of the Tasia concept. The taillights are the same shape but a different design, and everything that’s left from the entirely plastic coated roof are the C-pillars.
FAAL made use of its years of research and development from having the Mk4 Foreia / Mk2 Klinos run on double wishbones all around for 9 years before that, determined to make it last and make use of it: The Mk4 Mesaia is fitted with double wishbone rear suspension! The front is still McPherson, though. A very fancy setup for a not-that-small-anymore car.
Yeah, not that small, as it gained 20cm compared to the previous verison, now at 4.02m long. As it is still made full steel it’s also not that light anymore, ranging from 931kg to 1181kg depending on versions and options.
But where it really shines, though, is in its versatility. The Mesaia is now offered in three or five door hatchback…
… sedan (4.24m)…
… wagon (same)…
… and even a small convertible variant!
No van variant, unfortunately, though some third party manufacturers did sell company conversion kits for the wagons, without rear seats and with a flat floor and appropriate drivetrain choices.
AND WHAT A TRANSITION BECAUSE speaking of drivetrains, the Mk4 Mesaia was offered with slightly bigger, and definetly more powerful engines than the outgoing Mk3. Because weight, and because constant improvement of competitors. Also, except the base engine, every single powerplant came from the SOHC-4V engine series. Something something today’s performance is tomorrow’s efficience.
- 1.3L 64hp 133S13Mpi Euro 1, 5 speed manual only
- 1.6L 82hp 204R16Mpi Euro 1, 5 speed manual only
- 1.8L 95hp 204R18Mpi Euro 1, 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic
Three months later, the already ready diesel engines were added to the lineup:
- 1.9L 65hp 194P19D3, 5 speed manual only
- 1.9L 90hp turbo 194P19TD3, 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic
And two months after that, the one every single FAAL enthusiast was waiting for, the GTI exclusive:
- 2.0L 150hp 204R20MpiS Euro 1, 5 speed manual only, of course.
Because of course FAAL wasn’t gonna stop the GTI, after the success of the Mk3 GTI, both 1.6L and 1.8L. Not after the image boost it gave them, and kept giving them after the end of Group B and the fall of the Coupe.
But anyway, the other trims deserve love and exposition too, so:
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BL: two speaker cassette radio. Cloth seats. 175/70R13 steel wheels. Unpainted bumpers. 1.3i or 1.9D engines only. Optional airbag, optional power steering. 3 door or 5 door hatch only.
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CL: two speaker cassette radio. Soft cloth seats. Standard power steering and ABS. 185/60R14 steel wheels. Painted bumpers. 1.3i, 1.6i, 1.9D or TD engines. Optional airbags, four speaker radio, front power windows, AC, central locking, front foglights, 14" alloy wheels. Available in 3/5dr hatch, wagon and sedan (1.9D unavailable on wagon and sedan)
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GL: Four speaker cassette radio. Soft cloth seats. Standard power steering, ABS, airbags, front power windows, AC, central locking. 185/60R14 alloy wheels. Painted bumpers. 1.6i, 1.8i or 1.9TD engines. Optional 8 speaker radio, rear power windows, front foglights, leather seats, heated front seats, power mirrors, sunroof, 15" alloy wheels. Available in 3/5dr hatch, sedan and wagon.
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CAB: Four speaker cassette radio. Soft cloth seats. Standard power steering, airbag, front power windows. 185/60R14 alloy wheels. Painted bumpers. 1.8i engine only. Optional AC, heated front seats, leather, 15" wheels, front foglights. Only trim for the Convertible variant.
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GTI: Two speaker cassette radio. Half bucket seats. Standard power steering, ABS, front foglights. 195/50R15 alloy wheels. Painted bumpers with aero package. 2.0i VVT engine only. Optional 4 speaker or 8 speaker radio, power windows front and rear, power mirrors, central locking, AC, heated seats, sunroof, airbags. 3/5dr hatch only.
Generally, people had no complaints about the Mk4 Mesaia. Its broad appeal made it sell well, and enthusiasts were glad to see the GTI come back with a performance boost (7s 0-100km/h, 215km/h top speed, 15.2s quarter mile) and a still relatively contained weight (1008kg). The general public, though, considered the GTI a scam. Indeed, most brands at that time offered sport hatchbacks with reasonable performance AND amenities that were standard. The FAAL, though, came bare bones, with a ton of extras that cost money. Then again, most brands didn’t offer their sport hatchbacks with a Torsen front diff, a fully clad underside and double wishbone rear suspensions all standard. FAAL’s priorities were starting to differ from the public’s priorities, and they were going to need to find a solution.
And since the main reason they sold the GTI bare boned wasn’t costs, but rather engine limitations and especially weight, FAAL concentrated their future researches on a new, lighter, more powerful engine for the future of their sports cars.
But two more cars before that. Coming next, the roundening Pt 3: The 1992 Foreia.
Extra pictures
