Mazda’s SkyActiv movement has taken another step forward with the introduction of the SkyActiv-G-equipped Mazda3 at the 2011 Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.

The 2.0 litre petrol engine option, together with the SkyActiv-Drive automatic transmission, will make its way into the North American market sometime in the fall. A diesel SkyActiv pot is expected to make its debut next year.

The SkyActiv model will offer not just higher torque at low- and mid-range engine speeds, resulting in better drivability, but will also offer around 20% better fuel economy than the existing standard fare Mazda3.

The company has stated that its goal is to improve fuel efficiency by 30% by 2015, compared to 2008 levels, through its host of SkyActiv technologies, which currently focus on improving the efficiency of internal combustion core technologies and vehicle weight reduction but will expand to incorporate more items on the list as it goes along.

In addition to the new SkyActiv engine and transmission, the 2012 model year Mazda3 slated for North America features exterior updates in the form of new front and rear bumpers with a redesigned front grill, fog bezels and front headlamps, as well as new 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels.

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Okay, so they didn’t wait till a million before breaking into the really big song and dance, but 900,000 is kinda good enough to pop the bubbly, in this case.

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That’s the number of MX-5s Mazda has churned out in the past 21 years and 10 months, which makes it the best selling two-seater sportscar in the world. Actually, that’s a title the roadster has held for a while now – back in 2000, it was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s best selling two-seater sportscar when production reached 531,890 units in May of that year.

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Since then, Guinness updated the record when production passed 700,000 and 800,000 units, and now Mazda is reapplying to have the record updated to acknowledge production of the 900,000th vehicle. The car remains the longest-running model in Mazda’s global line-up.

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Since its introduction in February 1989, the MX-5 has undergone two complete product redesigns and a series of upgrades. As it heads toward the next production milestone of one million units, Mazda says it is committed to further evolving the roadster, and will refine its fun-to-drive character and further enhance its environmental and safety capabilities as it makes its way toward the mark. Do we hear 1.5 million, then?

The Mazda2 is full of Zoom-Zoom in its design. Besides platform buddy Ford Fiesta, the supermini class is mostly made out of more matured designs – the Volkswagen Polo is a good example. Since it already looks racy in stock form (we’re just talking about the hatchback, by the way) the 2 doesn’t need much work to look really hot. These SEMA concepts – Evil Track and Street – show some possibilities.

The grey Evil Track car was envisioned as a fully equipped car for series racing and was inspired by the Evil concept from last year’s LA show. Besides race-inspired graphics, the Evil Track sports a Mazda Design body kit, including side skirts, front and rear air-dam and carbon fibre rear deck spoiler. Mods include H&R race suspension and coil over kit, AWR full custom safety cage, Sparco Circuit pro seat, steering wheel, safety harness and fire system, AIM MXL Pista data acquisition system, race-tuned Magna-flow exhaust, 949 6UL 15×9 lightweight wheels and 225/45 Hoosier race rubber.

The Mazda2 Street meanwhile is a “streetwise, urban sport inspired version” of the B-segment hatch. It uses the same lightweight wheels as the Evil Track but with Toyo Proxes RA-1 R-compound tyres. Aesthetics are enhanced through the use of a light gray, superfine metallic body color and matte graphic accents.

“The versatility of Mazda vehicles is extraordinary. With just minor modifications to a stock Mazda, it can be ready for the track or a car show. Our SEMA cars demonstrate this ability; taking a vehicle from the dealership and making it a truly unique piece,” said Derek Jenkins, director design, Mazda North America.

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This is the Shinari, the first concept to feature Mazda’s new Kodo design language

We know for a fact that Mazda is sticking with the rotary engine, which the company sees as a vital part of its identity. A new sports car is also due for the Zoom-Zoom brand, as the RX-8 is about to enter its eighth year in production. The company showed off its latest Shinari four-door coupe concept few months ago, but now a report from Autocar UK points in the direction of an “RX-9″.

It was said that Mazda new-generation rotary engine is already in a late stage of development, and that this “16X” motor uses an electric supercharger and is bigger in capacity than the current RX-8 engine. 16X will be friendlier than the Renesis, which has a big appetite for unleaded and engine oil and does not meet Euro 5 standards.

The RX-9 will be a spiritual successor to the sexy RX-7, which we last saw in 2002. No four-doors or suicide doors apparently, as this will be a more focussed two-door coupe riding on the platform of the next-gen MX-5. It will have a kerb weight of around 1,250 kg, which isn’t much for over 300 bhp to haul.

The report adds that Mazda is still thinking whether to let the 16X engine run on petrol and sold in volume or become a flagship clean-air project running on hydrogen. We sure hope it’s the former they’re leaning to!

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Mazda has officially unveiled the name for its new generation of improved efficiency technologies – SkyActiv. The new moniker encompasses the previously-named SKY series of engines and transmissions, as well as bodyshells and platforms that will be launched in 2011 with the promise of making major reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The programme will initially concentrate on lightweight construction as a core value of the brand, along with the optimisation of conventional powertrain technologies. As it goes along, efficiency improving technologies, such as regenerative brake systems and hybrid power systems, will be successively introduced. The goal of the company is to lower the fuel consumption of its global fleet by 30% by 2015.

In terms of powertrains, the SkyActiv-G petrol engine is expected to make its debut in the Mazda2 in Japan early next year, and the promise is that it will achieve fuel consumption levels comparable to that of hybrid powertrains.

The high-efficiency direct-injection petrol engine, with a 14.0:1 compression ratio (the highest in the world for a production engine, the company says), will bring a 15% improvement in both engine torque and fuel economy, so the company says. The same compression ratio is to be found in the SkyActiv-D turbodiesel, with a 20% improvement in fuel consumption and Euro 6 emission standards coming from the two-phase turbocharger-equipped pot.

Other SkyActiv gear includes a new SkyActiv-MT manual box and a SkyActiv-Drive automatic transmission, which is the former SKY-Drive. The latter features a significantly widened lock-up range, which increases the efficiency of the torque converter, improves torque transfer efficiency and offers a direct driving feel comparable to a manual transmission. Best of all, it also delivers an improvement in fuel economy of up to 7% compared to a current, conventional torque-converter automatic transmission.

Elsewhere, the programme also includes a body structure called SkyActiv-Body and a vehicle platform named SkyActiv-Chassis. The newly-developed, high-strength bodyshell is 8% lighter and 30% stiffer with the use of high-tensile steels and optimised bonding materials. As for the SkyActiv-Chassis, it comes with a newly-developed suspension that’s 14% lighter than the current suspension system used by Mazda.