2023 Mazda Cx-50 2.5 S Select Package on 2040-cars

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Will the Mazda2 be offered as a PHEV with a rotary engine range extender?

Every few months, it seems a rumor crops up about plans from Mazda to revive the rotary engine. Last November, its CEO said the only way another one could happen is if the project was profitable, and then a month later the automaker showed off the Mazda2 RE Range Extender with a 330cc Wankel engine mounted in the rear. Now, Australian auto site Motoring reports that the PHEV may actually make production in the next-gen Mazda2 sometime after it's initial launch.
Martin Benders, managing director of Mazda in Australia, spoke to Motoring about the company's future with hybrids and basically reiterated what the CEO said last year. The Japanese automaker only plans to offer electrified powertrains in places where they can sell in sufficient numbers to be profitable, like Japan.
Mazda has been playing with the rotary range-extender idea for years. In the RE prototype, the engine was exclusively used to charge the lithium-ion batteries when they were running low, and a 100-horsepower electric motor provided all of the propulsion. It gave the little hatch an estimated range of about 250 miles. The company reportedly took inspiration from its Skyactiv engines to make the Wankel have lower friction and a lighter weight.

Mazda CX-3 to be diesel-only in Japanese home market

Diesel power. It's not just for Europeans anymore. In fact, when Mazda introduces its new CX-3 compact crossover to its home market of Japan, the model will be exclusively diesel-powered, Reuters says, citing remarks made by Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai. Consistent with its recent push for better fuel economy, Mazda is embracing diesel power as a way to boost fuel-economy for cars that may be larger than the compact variety. Mazda, which plans to make about 150,000 gas- and diesel-powered CX-3s for global consumption per year, is pricing the diesel CX-3 at about $20,000 in Japan. Diesel sales accounted for less than three percent of new-vehicle sales in Japan last year, so there's a risk to Mazda's strategy. But the automaker, which is the fifth-largest in Japan, says performance and noise (and smoke) issues largely associated with diesel powertrains in the past have largely been eliminated. In all, Mazda expects worldwide sales for the year ending March 31 to rise almost five percent from a year earlier to about 1.4 million units. Mazda showed off an early version of the CX-3 at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November, though North American versions of the model will indeed be gas-powered. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Mazda CX-3: LA 2014 View 17 Photos News Source: Reuters Green Mazda Diesel Vehicles mazda cx-3

Mazda's game plan: Compression ignition, superchargers, EVs — and still fun to drive

Today, Mazda announced its new Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 initiative. Dumb marketingspeak name aside, this is Mazda's general plan to make its cars more efficient while still keeping Mazda's fun-to-drive character. The most notable part of this announcement is Mazda's new Skyactiv-X engines and the addition of EVs and electrified powertrains starting in 2019. As we reported back in January, this new supercharged Skyactiv-X engine family will be the first to use high-compression ignition, or HCCI, rather than traditional spark plugs. Each year, fuel economy and CO2 emissions standards grow ever tighter. Each and every automaker around is looking for ways to improve both factors. Initially, most have chosen to downsize engines and add turbochargers. That's why Mazda's new Skyactiv-X engines are going to be so special. They essentially work like a diesel engine, using extremely high compression to ignite the fuel rather than the flame from a spark plug. Adding a supercharger rather than a turbo retains a smooth and immediate engine response. Look for a 10 to 30 percent increase in torque and a sizable boost in fuel economy. Mazda's engine already have some of the highest compression ratios around, but these new engines will push well into diesel territory. The biggest issue so far with gasoline compression ignition is controlling when the gasoline ignites. Mazda claims to have solved this issue, seamlessly moving from spark to compression ignition. This new plan comes 10 years after the first Sustainable Zoom-Zoom initiative was announced. With Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030, Mazda wants to focus on the Earth, society, and people. Together with the new engines, Mazda hopes to create a sustainable future that still involves engaging and fun-to-drive automobiles. First, Mazda wants to consider emissions over the entire life of a car. That means reducing emissions generated while building the car or fueling and charging a car in addition to those released while it's on the road. The goal is to reduce emissions to 50 percent of 2010 levels by 2030, and a 90 percent reduction by 2050. New electrified models will debut in 2019 in markets that have a high ratio of clean energy for power generation. Mazda's focus on society aims to improve safety with the Mazda Proactive Safety philosophy. Like with Skyactiv, this ethos goes far beyond simply improving an engine or adding new active safety technology.