Visually, the 626 provides no surprises. Though built in the United States, it follows the near-universal Japanese sedan design theme: In profile, it has a subtle wedge shape, a rising line that extends from rounded nose to rounded tail. The roofline is a cross between formal and rounded aerodynamic. In the front, headlights are faired in and, in combination with parking and turn-indicator lights, flow into the front fender. Between the lamp units is a small grille, large enough to hold a badge, while the primary air intake is integrated into the front bumper face. In back, simple taillights flank the license plate. A low coefficient of drag reduces wind noise and aids fuel economy at higher speeds. The most striking aspect of the 626's appearance is its simplicity. Trim is minimal, and there are no indentations, lines or other unnecessary styling gimmicks added for the sake of dressing up the car. Nor are these things missed. This is a quality design that looks good, is assembled well, and is topped by a paint job worthy of a car with a price tag double that of the 626. Few visual clues are provided to differentiate the base DX model from its progressively upgraded LX, LX-V6 and ES siblings. The latter pair have larger wheels (15-in. diameter vs. 14-in.), the top three have body-color rearview mirrors (the DX mirrors are black), and the ES model has foglamps installed in its front bumper.
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