Hybridisation of its road cars is not what Mazda aims for going forward. According to Autocar UK, Mazda is instead committed towards delivering a further 30% improvement in fuel economy by 2020 from its conventional engines under the ‘SkyActiv’ brand.
Jeff Guyton, Mazda’s European president, told the publication that hybridisation is ultimately going to permeate into every road car, but for the time being he feels that ultra efficient SkyActiv engines remain the best bet.
“I’ve driven prototypes of our next-generation engines, and they are everything you’d hope for in power and smoothness,” said Guyton. He went on to explain that these next-generation engines have even wider power bands than current models and that they do not need expensive multi-speed transmissions as they are perfectly compatible with orthodox six-speed gearboxes.
“We have a real passion for efficient combustion,” said Guyton to the publication. “You could equate it to the passion we have for the Mazda MX-5 sports car. There’s huge heat wastage in conventional engines: surely it’s better to do something constructive about that then adding weight with extra power units?” he added.
Interestingly, Mazda recently patented a range extender with a baby ‘Wankel’ rotary engine as the generator motor and in a related development, Mazda’s president, Masamichi Kogai, also told the publication at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show that the company has a special engineering team that is solely focused on rotary engine development.
He said the team is working diligently to elevate the technology to be on par with modern piston engines. Autocar UK speculates that a successor to the RX-8 could even appear by 2018, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic RX-7. But as we reported back in November of 2014, this may not be happening after all. But it’s always nice to live in hope though.
It should be noted that we reported on an alliance between Toyota and Mazda back in May this year, and the speculation back then was one Toyota providing fuel-cell and hybrid technology to Mazda, while Mazda will transfer its know-how of Skyactiv petrol and diesel technology with Toyota. Currently, Toyota already supplies its Hybrid Synergy Drive system for the Japanese market Mazda 3 Hybrid. It’s essentially the same system as one found in the Prius but Mazda uses its own combustion engine.
So it remains to be seen just how Mazda will go about its hybridization process in its upcoming models. To put things in perspective, a whole bunch of automakers are going down the hybridization path not just for better fuel economy but also for performance. Companies like Mercedes, Renault, Volvo, BMW and Porsche are all looking into it, and one can only feel that Mazda will join suit, but just how exactly are they going to pull it off? As they say, the devil will be in the details.
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Good that Toyota and Mazda are working together. Btw, where is Proton? Still using Honda’s platform?
Proton straightaway jump to EV with IRIZ EV.
EV Proton, you dare to drive? I don’t wanna get electrocuted in the car. It is a PROTON!
Proton better stick with rebadged models, which they sell the best. Don’t do useless things like design competition or R&D those lousy crap (campro, gearbox).
You are good in making roti canai, you don’t suddenly change business go make moon cakes. Understand?
Thats like saying Lexus only known to make cars, what business do they have making hover boards.
Dun need to do useless things like designing or R&D those lousy crap (bamboo surface, levitation mechanism).
Since you say they r so good at making cars, dun suddenly change business go make hoverboards. Right? right? right?
You made my night! Hahahaha!
Hover board was created as an inspiration and not for sale. Honda also created robot and also not for sale. Mazda created Kodo bike, chairs, tables etc also as an art and not for sale.
Who cares whether it is new or not, for sale or not, they can’t even get the airbags right (takata) still want to create hybrid shit? Then after this what, hybrid engines creates haze? Come on.
rotary is so ancient dude..should stay extincted..
no doubt the skyactiv powertrain and drivetrain are one of the best i’ve ever had..keep it up mazda!
Please lar, zoom zoom my ass. It’s the most lethargic engine i ever tried. For driveability sake, turbo engine is the way forward and it’s much economical than your Jap zoom zoom syok sendiri (just like the proton fansi).
You aint know what is driving till you drive a GTI.
gti? zaman apa ni…lol
He refers to vw gti la bro…. Not proton satria gti. Lol
He refers to vw gti la bro…. Not proton satria gti.
You bodoh rempit. People talking about vw gti not your mat rempit satria gti
Go and test yourself exora turbo has better drivebility than mazda5
Yeah, you ain’t know what’s driving a gti till you zoom to workshop every other day and get conned by VW.
Reliability wise satria GTI ftw. VW husband can get divorced after 3 months
finger crossed for the hybrid rotary. Brilliant engineering!
with additional motor, saving 30% is easily.
no need to wait till 2020.
I am more interested if they can save 30% without any add on. This is more engineering challenging and advanced.
If you read correctly 30% improve on existing skyactiv engine. Rotary engine for another development that works with hybrid.
How about reducing car price 30%? I think that is more economical.
I second, thats all we need :)
Soon we could see turbocharged skyactiv hybrid. Rotary turbocharged for rx models.
I just got a Mazda brochure from Langkawi :
Mazda 2 CBU – 6x,xxx
Mazda 3 – 8x,xxx
Mazda 6 2.0 – 9x,xxx
Mazda 6 2.5 – 11x,xxx
CX-5 2.5 4WD – 13x,xxx
Thank you BN, we enjoy making your cronies rich.
Still expensive, have you checked prices in Thai?
mazda RX-9 with SkyActiv Renesis engine
mmmmmm