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Mazda previews straight-six, affirms upcoming crossover with Toyota hybrid system

Buried in Mazda's generally bleak second-quarter earnings report were a few juicy nuggets of news. Though the company had an operating loss of $502 million and sales are down 21 percent in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hiroshima-based firm has big plans for the future. Enthusiasts and environmentalists alike should take note. Firstly, Mazda showed an image of its upcoming straight-six engine. Essentially, it's the SkyActiv four that powers all of Mazda's current lineup, but with two additional cylinders. Unsurprisingly, the company says that it can be engineered to fit any of the current SkyActiv guises — the standard octane-variable gasoline powered G, the diesel D, and the sparkless-ignition X. The big six will pair with a new eight-speed automatic and can be combined with either a plug-in or 48-volt mild hybrid system, promising big power and efficiency. Reassuringly, Mazda says it's committed to offering this six in a rear-wheel-drive platform, which will underpin the 6 sedan's successor, as well as a midsize SUV. Both the platform and powertrain are said to be compatible with all-wheel-drive layouts as well. Which brings us to the second bit of news. Mazda also pictured a four-cylinder engine with hybrid technology. The financial report confirmed that Mazda will employ  Toyota's wildly successful hybrid system in an upcoming SUV. It's not that Mazda is taking advantage of Toyota's free access to all its hybrid patents until 2030. Mazda and Toyota have a capital tie-up and are nearing completion on a $2.3 billion joint-venture factory in Alabama with a 300,000-vehicle annual capacity. According to the Huntsville Business Journal, the firms have hired 750 employees so far, with room for 3,250 more. In return, Mazda will launch a European compact based on Toyota's Yaris Hybrid. The move is necessary for Mazda, which has lagged behind in electrification and in meeting the fleet emissions requirements in the European market. In return, by 2022, Mazda may even share the inline-six engine with Toyota and Lexus. While the hybrid crossover and compliance with EU rules will no doubt help the environment, we not-so-secretly hope that these strategies will keep Mazda profitable enough to bring that straight-six, rear-drive sports sedan to market.

2020 Mazda CX-9 gets more torque and second-row captain's chairs

The 2020 Mazda CX-9 is here, and it’s even more enticing than the 2019 model year SUV. ItÂ’s not a full redesign, but Mazda shook up the features list to make it more competitive with other three-row crossovers. Most notable (arguably) of all changes comes from a small increase in torque — the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets bumped from 310 pound-feet of torque to 320 pound-feet. Horsepower remains the same at 250 horses. Those figures are only applicable when using 93 octane fuel. They go down to 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque when on 87. Another new feature is an off-road traction assist button, replacing the traction control button. This new feature is meant to help when navigating rougher terrain. HereÂ’s how Mazda describes its function: “When the diagonal wheels lose traction, off-road traction assist will stop reducing the engine torque and increases the brake force on the wheels without traction. This transfers power to the wheels still on the ground to help allow the vehicle to regain traction and continue the drive.” WeÂ’ll be interested to see how this helps the CX-9 on a snowy Michigan winter day soon. The number of standard features on the base Sport trim is up, too. Now all CX-9s get heated front seats, a power driverÂ’s seat, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated outside mirrors and auto high-beams. Additionally, Mazda made its full suite of i-Activsense safety features standard. This includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and other driver assistance niceties. Mazda is also adopting the new key fob design of the Mazda3 for the CX-9. Optional on the Touring and Grand Touring are second-row captainÂ’s chairs. Previously, Mazda only offered bench style seating for the CX-9, so this addition could be a huge turn-on for some folks in this segment. The chairs have armrests, and the lack of a center pull-down means Mazda had to redesign its cupholder layout in back. In CX-9s equipped with the chairs, the cup holders and USB ports are now integrated into the backside of the front center console. If you opt for the captainÂ’s chairs in the Grand Touring or Signature trims, the seats are heated.  Pricing does increase a fair amount for the 2020 CX-9. A base front-wheel drive Sport is now priced at $34,835 including destination, a $1,510 increase from last yearÂ’s base price. The top of the range only got $750 more expensive, though, as the Signature starts at $47,160.

Mazda5 may not be long for this world

The concept behind building a smaller but still useful minivan like the Mazda5 always seemed like such a good idea. However, since the little people hauler's introduction, there has been the rise of the compact crossover in the US, which fulfills a similar niche for many buyers. The future is not looking good for the utilitarian Mazda. Autocar from the UK reports that company officials confirm the Mazda5 is being discontinued there, with no replacement planned. Autoblog reached out to Mazda North America, but the company would not verify future product changes in this region. Though, the model's cancellation would hardly be a surprise to follow in North America, as well. The minivan market is a tough place these days, and dealers tend to prefer more expensive models for their high margins. Even FCA US is abandoning the inexpensive portion of the segment for the next-gen Chrysler Town & Country. The Mazda5 isn't exactly a sales standout, either. Mazda sold 11,613 of them in all of 2014, which was a 16.4 percent drop from 13,884 in 2013. To compare to larger, more expensive minivans, Honda moved 122,738 units of the Odyssey last year, and Toyota did 124,502 examples of the Sienna. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Mazda5 View 31 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Mazda Mazda Minivan/Van mazda5