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Will Mazda sell diesel hybrids in Japan in 2016?

Could the "Zoom Zoom" automaker start making hybrids that go "glug glug glug"? Mazda, known for its fuel-efficient Skyactiv engine line, will be the first Japanese automaker to make a diesel-hybrid vehicle for Japan and Europe. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Mazda may start making its oil-burning hybrids as soon as 2016, and the powertrain may reach fuel efficiency levels of as much as 95 miles per gallon (one the more lenient Japanese driving cycle). That'd make such a vehicle line about 30 percent more fuel-efficient than standard diesels and about eight percent more fuel efficient that the Toyota Prius C compact hybrid (known as the Aqua in Japan). Mazda has been dismissive of hybrid and electric powertrains, instead focusing on Skyactiv technology to maximize fuel efficiency from conventional gas-powered engines. Diesel powertrains account for about half of the light-duty vehicles sold in Europe each year, while Japan's diesel sales of 76,000 vehicles last year were about three times as many as were sold there in 2012. In January, Mazda said that it would delay the introduction of its Skyactiv-D diesel engine from what was to be a spring 2014 debut. The reason was to fine-tune the engine's performance/fuel economy balance. Mazda representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from AutoblogGreen about the diesel hybrids.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata first in-car observations

We've had few days to digest the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata since the roadster was first revealed on Wednesday evening when we offered you our first impressions. Since that time, we've gone back and looked at the car a number of times in person here in California, and we've even seen it briefly run under its own power (okay, it was more of a saunter). What we didn't get the chance to do at the reveal, however, was sit inside the car. We've since been able to remedy that, and while we haven't been allowed to drive the new roadster, we do have some initial in-car impressions to share with you.
First, the location and feel of the major controls is quite excellent. The three-spoke steering wheel is an MX-5 specific item - it's not shared with any other Mazda. That's vital, because others would likely be too big in diameter or have the wrong rim thickness. The wheel's redundant controls seem to be well laid out and the airbag boss is very small. The column tilts, but unfortunately and somewhat inexplicably, it still doesn't telescope.
Pedals are well-spaced, and the six-speed manual has the same short throws and positive engagement that we've come to know and love.

Mazda boss says no to new-generation Mazda3 hot hatch

Mazda offered a hot, turbocharged version of the Mazda3 model during the car's first two generations, badging it either the MPS or the Mazdaspeed 3 depending on the market. The third generation car didn't get a hot-hatch variant, and now Mazda is saying there won't be one for the freshly revealed fourth-gen car, either. Mazda's new global boss, Akira Marumoto, told Australian motor journalists at the Los Angeles show that there won't be an MPS in the cards. As Drive quotes Marumoto: "Mazda is a small player, and if [you are asking whether] that segment has a high particular priority for Mazda, my answer would be no. Therefore we not planning for MPS in the future." Marumoto stated that Mazda would rather establish itself as a genuine premium carmaker comparable to its European rivals, stressing that this would be achievable through quality, comfort and refinement improvements in the existing lineup rather than expanding into other segments. As well as nixing the Mazda3 MPS, Marumoto also said that despite repeated queries, the function of the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show car RX Vision was to preview the evolution of the Kodo design language and not to herald the arrival of a new rotary sportscar. So, it's time to cue the Mazda Kills Rotary Sports Car Again headlines. Marumoto also told journalists that there won't be an EV sports car or a completely driverless car from Mazda either: He said he prefers the smell of gasoline to full electric power, and that Mazda will never build a car without a steering wheel. For Mazda, autonomous capabilities would serve to bring the car to a safe halt in the case of an incapacitated driver, instead of doing the driving. However — and there is a strong "however" — Mazda did tell us that the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine does fit into the new 3. Mazda representatives said that the header on the naturally aspirated version is big enough as it is, making it easy to shoehorn in the 250-horsepower turbo version without issue. They also said that the company is closely monitoring buyer demand, which originally led to the turbo being available on the Mazda6 and CX-5, along with justifying the introduction of all-wheel-drive in the new Mazda3. So: if there is a case for it, the turbo might come — just don't call it a Mazdaspeed 3, or view it as an overt hot hatch. But the shoe fits.