Mazda has today announced its long-term vision for technical development, which looks ahead to the year 2030. “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030,” as it is called, aims to use driving pleasure to help “solve issues facing people, the earth and society.” Lofty goals, certainly.
One of the most important components of the plan is the world’s first production petrol engine with compression ignition, in which ignition is achieved by compressing the fuel-air mixture using the piston, like a diesel engine. The long-awaited mill has now been given the name SkyActiv-X, and is said to combine the advantages of petrol and diesel engines to produce low emissions and increased performance.
Set to be introduced in 2019, the powertrain uses the company’s proprietary Spark Controlled Compression Ignition technology, which adds spark ignition to overcome the problems associated with homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI). Mazda says that it has worked to maximise the period of compression ignition, as well as to ensure a seamless transition between spark and compression ignition.
The lean burn enabled through the use of compression ignition increases engine efficiency by between 20 and 30% over the current SkyActiv-G engine and between 35 and 40% over a Mazda petrol engine of a similar capacity from 2008. The technology is so effective, the company says, that the SkyActiv-X engine achieves fuel efficiency that equals or even exceeds the latest SkyActiv-D diesel engine.
The mill is also fitted with a supercharger and is claimed to offer improved response and between 10 to 30% more torque compared to the SkyActiv-G mill. As a result, the engine is said to be highly efficient across a wide range of engine speeds and loads, enabling a much larger spread in terms of gear ratio selection – this, Mazda says, provides superior fuel economy and driving performance.
Apart from providing initial details of its newfangled engine, the company has also sought to redefine its conservation initiatives. For a start, Mazda will begin introducing electric vehicles and other electric drive technologies from 2019 in areas with a high clean energy ratio, and restrict the sale of certain vehicles to reduce air pollution.
Despite the move towards electric power, however, Mazda has promised to continue perfecting the internal combustion engine, which it says will remain the main source of power for vehicles worldwide for years to come and hence has the biggest potential of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This will go hand in hand with the company’s aforementioned electrification efforts.
Mazda is also expanding its measures in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from a simple “well-to-wheel” approach – from now on, it will consider emissions throughout the vehicle’s entire lifecycle. It also aims to reduce its corporate average “well-to-wheel” carbon dioxide emissions by 50% compared to 2010 levels by 2030, and by 90% by 2050 – and it will achieve this while following a policy that prioritises real-world efficiency improvements and emissions reductions.
In terms of safety, Mazda will move towards making its i-ActivSense suite of driver assists a standard feature on all of the cars its sells. It’s already done so in Japan, and the company will gradually offer it across its lineup in other markets starting next year.
The company will also continue to improve the driving position, pedal layout and outward visibility on its cars, which it says are fundamental to vehicle safety. In addition, it will develop more advanced safety technologies under Mazda Proactive Safety, as it works towards its goal of eliminating traffic accidents.
Mazda will also begin testing self-driving technologies and develop them for introduction in 2020 as part of the human-centred Mazda Co-Pilot Concept, with the aim of making the system a standard feature on all models by 2025. It also intends to create a new business model that will use connectivity to enable car owners to “support the needs of people in depopulated areas” as well as those with mobility issues.
Lastly, Mazda will pursue a greater emotional bond between its cars and the people who use them, by enhancing the Jinba Ittai driving feel and further developing its Kodo design language – the latter will “raise vehicle design to the level of art that enriches the emotional lives of all who see it.”
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Mazda seems very innovative in the last couple of years when it comes to further exploring the potential new technologies of I.C engines (it used to be Honda’s forte). I.C engines will still be around for a very a long time despite the advancement of the high-tech but boring full-electric powertrain stuffs.
State of art engine tech sharing across future Mazda & Toyota models.
Nothing to shout about
mazda using “green” marketing strategy to gain sales. its easy to sell low powered green engine to the masses.
look at other premium manufacturer, pushing engine design with significant power improvement. the audi tfsi green or not the 2.0 now getting more power and more fuel efficient. https://paultan.org/2017/07/28/audi-a6-and-a7-sportback-now-available-2-0-tfsi-quattro-variants/ . so stop selling us the so called high tech 2.2 diesel that can only produce 170hp when even a kia crdi 2.2 diesel easily gives you 200hp/440nm….what a joke mazda.
most ppl will still ignore all these tech and buy a civic instead…
They can do worse. They may go for dino altis.
now this is advancement
with that kind of power you will be advancing to the left side of the highway to make ways for optima gt 245hp350nm …sportage crdi 185hp/400nm and the sorento crdi 200ps/443nm
Looking forward to skyactiv D gen 2 !
In layman’s term, no need spark plug, but high pressure injectors needed and engine block have to sustain higher pressure for self combustion to occur. Lucky picture shows 95RON and 91RON stats in works, if RON 100 then sayonara.
Isnt that function like diesel?
Even diesels can run on lower compression now (around 14:1).
And why would running higher octane be any more harmful? That depends on the compression. If it was meant to be used with ron 100 then by default it would run a much higher compression and at higher pressure, and using a lower octane would actually be more harmful as it can knock much earlier. If it was made for ron 91, and you use a much higher octane fuel, the engine won’t magically raise its compression ratio or pressure.
think they realised diesel is not the way forward
This + Camless tech by Koenigsegg & Qoros = mind blown
Acceleration new engine 2.0 in mazda 3 same as 2.5 current engine, and FC similar tu mazda 1.5 engine. Thats awesome
Which graph tells you that?
It´s smelling CGI in the block if they can withstand these pressures
2019 only see new mazda kodo design…ZzzzzZz
It’s amazing how Mazda is now THE leading innovative Japanese automotive company. They’re doing things that are not mainstream & not bothered about being another “mee too”. They chart their own destiny by being unique.
They’re much better off now than when they were part of the Ford group.
Mazda loves engine! They persevere with the rotary engine and won the 24h of Le Mans (some say by luck), popularise the Miller cycle engine in the 90s, developed high compression gasoline engines, low compression diesel engines and now and now a “hybrid Spark Ignition – Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition” engine! Thumbs up!