4dr Hb Auto Sport Mazda Mazda2 Sport New Hatchback Gasoline 1.5l I4 Fi Dohc 16v on 2040-cars

Auto blog

50 engineers kept the rotary alive at Mazda for 8 years

The Mazda RX-Vision concept is one of the standouts at this year's Tokyo Motor Show thanks to a drop-dead gorgeous design and a revival of the Wankel engine. The fact that the rotary is still in development at Mazda is thanks to a dedicated group of 50 engineers. According to Automotive News, their dream for the last eight years has been to bring this storied engine design back to the street. It won't be easy. Because of its design, the rotary suffers from poor fuel economy and high emissions. Making the challenge even harder, Mazda reportedly only gives them a small budget, but they continue to chip away at the problem. "These 50 engineers want to develop the rotary engine, therefore they joined Mazda," company research and development boss Kiyoshi Fujiwara told AN. "If I stop the rotary engine, probably they want to leave." For the Skyactiv-R under the RX-Vision's svelte hood, the team reportedly started from the 16X rotary project. Dating back to 2007, that 1.6-liter engine was supposed to improve torque and fuel economy thanks in part to direct injection. After additional development, insiders even suggested that the engineers might have finally solved the powerplant's issues. However, Mazda never put the mill into production, and the RX-8 remains the company's last Wankel-powered model to be offered in showrooms. "We have a dream that one day, this design with a rotary engine will achieve a level that customers will accept," CEO Masamichi Kogai said to AN. Mazda is quite clear that the RX-Vision might never go on sale without a suitable rotary. Although if it does see production, the coupe would likely use a stiffened version of the Miata's chassis, AN reports. Before anyone can place an order, these 50 determined engineers still have a lot of work ahead of them. Related Video:

2019 Mazda CX-5 Turbo First Drive Review | Two-row crossover perfection

Listen: If you're shopping for a crossover, and by all accounts most Americans are, there is no better option on the market than the 2019 Mazda CX-5. When we test drove the all-new 2017 CX-5, we were astounded by its marked improvements over the already-great previous generation. We noted then its biggest drawback was its average 187 horsepower. The CX-5 didn't feel slow, and it certainly made up for it in other ways, like by delivering superior road-hugging abilities. But, it was probably enough to turn off buyers who do their shopping by analyzing spec sheets. For 2019, Mazda addressed that exact issue with a vengeance. With an all-new 2.5-liter SkyActiv Turbo good for 250 horsepower, the CX-5 not only leapfrogs bestselling rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, but lands squarely in the realm of luxury stalwarts such as the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. When we drove the 2017 CX-5, we likened the handling to that of a Porsche Macan. Now it has the power to match. Among its direct competition, only the 2019 Toyota RAV4 breaks the 200-horsepower mark, ringing in at 203 (and the Hybrid makes an even more impressive 219 ponies), while the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and VW Tiguan all sit between 180 and 190. Now, to get the full herd you must fill the tank with 93 octane premium, but if you don't mind leaving a few ponies in the stable you can pump 87 octane for a slight dip to 227 horsepower. The engine adjusts with no ill effects. Even better, torque stays the same no matter what, and the stump-pulling 310 pound-feet of torque comes quick at just 2,000 rpm. The SkyActiv turbo is full of clever engineering tricks, too. There's an exhaust port restrictor, for instance, a narrower channel used only at low engine speeds. Mazda engineer Dave Coleman likened it to a thumb over a firehose, making more exhaust pressure at idle to spool up the turbo, and thus delivering more oomph when you take off from a standstill. Mazdafarians will recognize the mill as the same one that debuted on the 2018 Mazda6. It powers the CX-9 too, Mazda's highly acclaimed three-row crossover. The 3,825-pound CX-5 has 558 fewer pounds to shuffle around than its larger stablemate, making it downright snappy. However, that extra pep does come with a fuel economy penalty, 22 city and 27 highway mpg versus the naturally aspirated version's 24 city and 30 highway mpg.

Ford expands 'Do Not Drive' airbag warning to 33,000 more Ranger trucks

WASHINGTON — Ford on Monday warned an additional 33,000 owners of older pickup trucks in North America to stop driving them until potentially defective Takata Corp airbag inflators can be repaired. In January, Ford told 2,900 owners of model year 2006 Ford Ranger trucks to stop driving immediately after a second death was linked to inflators built on the same day. The expanded warning was prompted by additional testing, Ford, the second largest U.S. automaker, said in a statement, and now covers a broader time frame of production. Mazda Motor Corp said it was issuing a similar expansion for about 1,800 2006 Mazda B-Series trucks that were built by Ford after it had issued a warning for 160 trucks in January. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the vehicles pose "an immediate risk to safety" and urged owners to immediately schedule a free repair. Ford and Mazda have replacement airbag inflators available now and will tow vehicles to a dealership for repairs as well as provide loaner vehicles free of charge, the companies and NHTSA said. About 90 percent of the vehicles subject to the "Do Not Drive" warning are in the United States. Two U.S. senators in January questioned why Ford's warning only applied to a small number of the 391,000 2004-2006 Ranger trucks recalled because of Takata air bags in 2016 in the United States. Ford said last month the death in a July 2017 crash in West Virginia in a 2006 Ford Ranger was caused by a defective Takata inflator after a similar 2015 death in South Carolina. At least 22 deaths worldwide are linked to the Takata inflators that can rupture and send deadly metal fragments into the driver's body. The faulty inflators have led to the largest automotive recall in history. The other 20 deaths have occurred in Honda vehicles, most of which were in the United States. About a quarter of the 2,900 vehicles have been repaired since Ford issued the warning last month, the company said on Monday. Takata said in June it has recalled, or expected to recall, about 125 million vehicles worldwide by 2019, including more than 60 million in the United States. About 19 automakers worldwide are affected. Takata inflators can explode with excessive force, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks and have injured more than 200 people. The defect led Takata to file for bankruptcy protection in June.Reporting by David ShepardsonRelated Video: