1984 Mazda Rx-7 Gs Coupe 2-door 1.1l on 2040-cars

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Masamichi Kogai new Mazda president and CEO

There's some executive rearranging going on in the top suite at Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan, with current CEO Takashi Yamanouchi telling reporters there "I'd like to hand over the work to younger people" now that the company has returned to profitability. Yamanouchi became CEO on November 19, 2008 of an independent Mazda that had to fight for its future in the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis. What followed was four years of losses before finally getting back to black last year.
Masamichi Kogai (pictured) will be appointed the new president and CEO on June 25, pending approval at the company's annual general shareholders' meeting. Kogai assisted Seita Kanai with the production-efficiency initiative that Mazda called Mono Tsukuri Innovation, which worked to give export-dependent Mazda the best chance at profitability in spite of a rising yen. Kogai, lately in charge of production and purchasing, has been with the company since 1977 and worked in areas from R&D to logistics.
Kanai, who headed the Mono Tsukuri effort and was among the leadership on Skyactiv, will be promoted from executive vice president to vice chairman. Akira Marumoto will become executive VP of Mazda and assistant to new president Kogai. Yamanouchi will remain Chairman of the Board. There's a short press release below to make it official.

Mazda Slovakia brochure reveals Skyactiv-X Euro power numbers

After driving a prototype of Mazda's Skyactiv-X engine in a Mazda3 in January last year, we wrote, "If you want to talk numbers, they're understandably fuzzy. The Skyactiv-X tune isn't final yet, so horsepower and torque figures are a moving target." They're no longer fuzzy in Slovakia, where a brochure for the new Mazda3 sells final figures as 181 metric horsepower and 222 Newton-meters, or 178 horsepower and 164 pound-feet. We don't know the Slovakian engine's displacement. If that Skyactiv-X is a 2.0-liter, it compares to our 2.0-liter Skyactive-G in the Mazda3 that makes 155 hp and 150 lb-ft, or the tuned Skyactiv-G in the 2019 Miata that makes 181 hp and 151 lb-ft. According to the spec sheet on the Slovakian Mazda site, their 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G in the CX-3 makes 148 hp and 152 lb-ft, and in their Mazda6 makes 162 hp and 155 lb-ft. According to the brochure, those numbers will rise to 164 hp and 157 lb-ft in the coming Mazda3. The Skyactiv-X numbers are in sight of what reps at Mazda in California gave us for output during our drive, which was closer to 190 hp and 180 lb-ft. Mazda said at the L.A. Auto Show last year that the Skyactiv-X would launch in markets with stricter emissions regulations first, so a small European market with tighter controls doesn't define what we get. Given our less restrictive environment, tuning for more power shouldn't be a moon shot. Doing so would put the Skyactiv-X in with the optional 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the U.S. Mazda3, which makes 184 hp and 185 lb-ft. The real test will be gas mileage; the purpose of the Skyactiv-X is to provide those figures in company with 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy than the Skyactiv-G. Autoweek characterized Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto's comments on the engine as, "The Skyactiv-X variant will be positioned as the higher grade. It will have the driving dynamics of the 2.5-liter gasoline setup but the fuel economy of a 1.5-liter diesel." We have questions about this strategy, but we'll have to see how the pricing works out. Since the 2.5-liter serves as the base engine on the 2019 Mazda3, buyers can expect a meaningful premium to get into a Skyactiv-X. Right now, there's a $1,495 surcharge to go from the current 2.0-liter Mazda3 hatch to the 2.5-liter.

Mazda2 sedan debuting in Thailand this month?

Mazda is reportedly set to introduce a Mazda2 with a four-door sedan body. Unlike the upcoming CX-3, which is debuting at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show and is almost certain to be sold in North America, this other version's chance here are a bit more mysterious.
According to The Bangkok Post, the Mazda2 sedan will make its word debut at the Thailand International Motor Expo on November 28, and the traditional five-door hatch will be there as well. Both body styles will be built in Thailand with diesel engines and will be the first vehicles to adhere to the country's eco-car rules for oil-burners with a SkyActiv 1.5-liter diesel that will make 105 horsepower.
At this time, there's no indication whether the new sedan might also be sold in the US, but we're not holding our breath - remember, the previous Mazda2 sedan never made it Stateside, either.