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Mazda Skyactiv-X Review | The revolution begins with a squeeze-bang

The matte black Skyactiv-X prototype looks like a rough Mazda3, perhaps reconstructed after a bad wreck by an over-enthusiastic owner of a spot welder and lots of gaffers' tape. Ribbed ducts poke out of the dash sending two breaths of conditioned air to no one in particular. Even its revolutionary engine, the thing we're here to experience, is entombed in a massive, nondescript cover to mask its unseemly noises. It's a wild, strange way to meet a very unconventional vehicle that promises diesel-like fuel economy, a wide torque band, and an exotic method for burning less gas than ever before. It takes a few hours for Mazda's engineers to explain the fundamental principles of operation. For more detail, read our Skyactiv-X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition explainer, but here's a very brief overview. Skyactiv-X marries some traditional gasoline engine characteristics with a novel form of compression ignition called SPCCI. The key for Skyactiv-X is to use very high compression in the cylinder and an extremely lean fuel-air mixture. Squeezed right to the cusp of getting hot enough to blow up all on its own (which is very hard to predict), a squirt of extra gas and a spark interject to cross that compression-ignition threshold in a controlled and predictable manner. See the animation below: That takes a few essential components to get just right. One is a massive amount of computer processing power and some pressure sensors in the individual cylinders, because the ambient conditions change how and when these things happen. Skyactiv-X uses a clutched supercharger to pump in additional air when needed to nail the mixture precisely, and high-pressure injectors to get the low ratios of fuel to disperse properly in the chamber. And since it operates like a conventional gasoline engine sometimes, it uses valve timing to lower the very high compression ratio so it doesn't reach combustion ignition in that mode. In practice, the Skyactiv-X runs in compression ignition mode most of the time. In practical terms, that means it drives like a torquey gasoline Skyactiv engine. The torque curve is broad and flat — diesel-like in that respect. That also means it can get away with using a six-speed transmission and a lower final drive for better response. There's enough grunt and economy together that Mazda can let the engine spin faster — at 60 mph, it's running at roughly 1,000 more RPM than a similar gas engine, with greater efficiency.

2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

The 2014 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, which means it's high time we found out which cars and trucks would be finalists for the prestigious North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
The finalists - three in cars and three in three trucks/utilities - are dominated by American brands, with two-thirds of the finalists hailing from either General Motors or Chrysler (don't worry Ford, there's always next year), while outliers from Mazda and Acura can be found in each contest. Here now is the list of finalists for the big prizes:
2014 North American Car of the Year:

2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo starts at $31,000

In our review of the Mazda CX-30, we said that this crossover is so gifted dynamically, it was practically begging for more power. Mazda answered by adding a new turbo engine for 2021, and now we know how much the extra grunt is going to cost. Mazda has released pricing for the more potent CX-30, and the Turbo model opens at $31,000 (including the $1,100 destination charge), putting it above even the top-trim base-engine version. The turbocharged 2.5-liter engine makes 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque on regular gas, or 250 horses and 320 lb-ft with 93-octane (against 186 hp and 186 lb-ft for the standard 2.5-liter). Besides the extra output, the CX30 2.5 Turbo also comes standard with all-wheel drive, which is $1,400 extra on the regular CX-30. Other standard features of the CX-30 2.5 Turbo include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beams, and a driver alertness monitor. Also, heated seats, a sunroof, leatherette upholstery, 18-inch wheels with a black finish, a gloss-black grille and door mirrors, roof rails, LED exterior lighting, keyless entry, rear A/C vents, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring and a Wi-Fi hotspot. That features list is considerably longer than what you'll find in the $23,000 base model and puts the standard 2.5 Turbo somewhere between the regular CX-30's Select ($25,000) and Preferred ($27,400) trims. Only the $28,550 Premium has more kit. From there, the CX-30 2.5 Turbo can add the Premium Package for $33,400, which brings leather, navigation, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, a power liftgate, adaptive front lighting, satellite radio, Bose 12-speaker premium audio, and shift paddles. At the top of the heap is the CX-30 2.5 Turbo with Premium Plus Package for $35,000. Its finery includes a 360-degree-view monitor, parking sensors, automatic braking for the rear cross-traffic alert, Traffic Jam Assist (semi-automated lane-centering at speeds under 40 mph), auto-dimming side mirrors, and Homelink. Even with the Premium Plus Package, the CX-30 2.5 Turbo is less expensive than the CX-5 with the same engine. To get the turbo engine in the larger CX-5, you're looking at $36,385 for the Grand Touring Reserve. The CX-30 2.5 Turbo also represents a savings over the similar-sized and similarly powerful BMW X2, which starts at $37,595 with front-wheel drive and $39,595 with AWD for 2021.