1993 Mazda Rx-7 Base Coupe 2-door 1.3l on 2040-cars

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Mazda plans to launch an EV in 2020, plug-in hybrid by 2022

Thanks to an interview Automotive News Europe conducted with Mazda president and CEO Akira Marumoto, we have more insight on Mazda's plans to lower its vehicle emissions in Europe. This will undoubtedly bring changes to the U.S. lineup, too, but The Continent sees the first fruits in part because Mazda is well over the European Union's fleet CO2 emissions target for 2021 of 95 g/km. In response to how Mazda plans to achieve the necessary reduction, Marumoto said the carmaker will launch its first EV in 2020 and have a plug-in hybrid on the road in 2021 or 2022. First, some clarification on the emissions numbers and timeline. The 95g/km figure is based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) emissions schedule being phased out next year; the AN piece cites JATO Dynamics findings that Mazda Europe's fleet CO2 average is 135.2 g/km. The new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) schedule comes into full effect in 2020, the fleet CO2 target under that methodology translating to 114.9 g/km. The rules dictate that 90 percent of an automaker's range needs to meet the cap number by the end of 2020, the rest of the lineup must come into compliance by the end of 2021. Failure means enormous fines. Industry analyst IHS Markit estimates "average fines for those not complying could reach ˆ624 ($707) per vehicle at the end of 2020, with a further ˆ190 ($215) increase in 2021." The penalties quickly grow so large that Fiat will reportedly pay Tesla hundreds of millions of euros to pool their fleets and avoid an even larger bill. Mazda's most popular vehicle in Europe is the CX-5 with CO2 emissions ranging from 128 g/km to 150 g/km. On top of that, for a small automaker, the size of potential fines has material effect on the R&D budgets necessary to develop the technologies that will lower emissions, and whatever EV Mazda launches in 2020 needs to sway legions of customers into purchases to be of practical use. This will be challenging. A line in the IHS Markit summary about the industry in general states, "Once in 2021 and subject to full WLTP regulatory monitoring, only a seismic shift (over the baseline) in consumer demand for BEV ('Electric-Plug-In') and PHEV ('Hybrid-Full Plug-In) will result in the full mitigation of EU28 fleet level excess emissions premiums." Mazda hooked up with Toyota and Denso in 2017 on a joint venture called EV Common Architecture Spirit Co Ltd to develop EV technology.

2014 Mazda3 officially rated at 30/41 mpg, priced from $16,945*

It's hard not to be smitten with the 2014 Mazda3; after all, just look at it. But beyond its slick lines, we found the new compact hatch to be a pretty remarkable steer, offering up good levels of comfort and refinement, not to mention functionality and engagement. Now, there's more reason to like the 2014 Mazda3, as we've just learned that the car will officially be rated at 30 miles per gallon city and 41 mpg highway.
That 30/41 rating is for the Mazda3 sedan fitted with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G inline four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Opting for the manual transmission retains the 41-mpg highway number, but drops the city digits to 29. Hatchback models with the 2.0-liter engine achieve 29/40 mpg with the manual 'box and 30/40 with the automatic.
Mazda also offers a larger 2.5-liter inline-four in the 3, and while a six-speed automatic will be the only transmission available with this engine at launch, the automaker has confirmed that a manual is coming shortly. With the 6AT and 2.5, the Mazda3 sedan is rated at 28/39 mpg, or 29/40 with the company's i-Eloop regenerative braking system. Hatchback models shrink those numbers to 28/37 and 29/39 mpg, with and without i-Eloop, respectively.

Feds investigating Mazda CX-9 over suspension problems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation into the 2007-2008 Mazda CX-9 because the lower ball joint in the front suspension can potentially separate while driving. An estimated 54,000 examples of the crossover might be affected. The investigation was prompted by six complaints of this happening on the road. Because the complaints are coming more rapidly as of late, NHTSA thinks the issue could be getting worse. The problem also appears to be more prevalent in states that use salt on their roads in the winter. None of the failures caused any injuries, and all but one happened at 20 miles per hour or slower. NHTSA's preliminary evaluations "assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequence" of a potential problem and can sometimes lead to recalls. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Front Suspension Ball Joint Separation Date Investigation Opened: JUN 09, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15022 Component(s): SUSPENSION All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MAZDA CX-9 2007-2008 Details Manufacturer: Mazda Motor Corp. SUMMARY: The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received six (6) complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents of front suspension LBJ separation in MY 2007 through 2008 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. The reports appear to show an increasing trend. One of the separations allegedly occurred at 40 mph and the other 5 incidents occurred at speeds between 0 and 20 mph. The first VOQ was received in October 2013, followed by 2 reports in late 2014 and 3 reports in the first 5 months of 2015. Four of the VOQs are from states using high volumes of road salts (?salt states?) which, for purposes of this investigation, include: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The other VOQs were from northern Virginia, which borders the ?salt state? region, and South Carolina. ODI also identified EWR field report data related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. A preliminary investigation is being opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequence of the alleged defect. The six VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10717510, 10714469, 10695142, 10668978, 10640541, and 10546535.