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Mazda CEO says rotary not viable, so don't look for a new one

We have some very sad news to report, rotor-heads fans: Don't expect a new rotary-powered vehicle anytime soon. This comes straight from Masamichi Kogai, the CEO of Mazda, which is the only company to ever market a commercially successful rotary-powered automobile in the world. The issue, as it has pretty much always been, is environmental.
While the Wankel rotary engine does indeed make a lot of power in a small, lightweight package, it does so while burning lots of fuel and emitting lots of noxious gases into the atmosphere, at least when running on gasoline. And that means the rotary engine will likely only ever be able to power niche vehicles. And that, in turn, means that it is very difficult to turn a profit on vehicles with rotary engines, particularly for a small automaker like Mazda.
"It has to be a viable commercial proposition. If we are going to adopt it, it has to be a product that can generate at least sales of 100,000 units a year. We have to be able to achieve a profit," said Kogai in an interview with Automotive News. Mazda sold 56,203 RX-7 models in the United States (the automaker's biggest market) in 1986. Sales of the RX-8 peaked in 2004, its first full year on the market, with just 23,690 units.

Mazda bringing electric car to the Tokyo Motor Show

In June this year, Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto told Automotive News Europe that "the first Mazda battery-electric vehicle will hit the market next year." Earlier this month, Mazda invited journalists to Oslo, Norway, to learn more about the automaker's EV plans and drive a prototype of the e-TPV powertrain, the letter designation standing for electric-Technology Prove-out Vehicle. Mazda had dressed the e-TPV production-intent powertrain under bodywork from the carmaker's new CX-30 compact crossover. Automotive News reports that Mazda will unveil its actual EV at the Tokyo Motor Show next month, which a Mazda spokesperson confirmed.     Mazda developed the powertrain in-house, engineered for buyers in dense urban environments. A 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery powers a single electric motor wiith 141 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Range is said to be 200 kilometers (124 miles) on the city cycle, but that's likely on the Japanese or WLTP cycle that returns larger numbers than the U.S. EPA. The mechanical figures lie between the 28-kWh battery of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric and the 40-kWh battery of the standard Nissan Leaf. The EPA rates the less-powerful Ioniq for 124 miles of range, while the more powerful Leaf can go 150 miles. AN writes that Mazda's initial planned markets include Japan, China, and Europe where 124 miles is plenty for day trips. A version serving markets known for urban sprawl would employ a rotary engine range extender, a tech tidbit Mazda's spoken about regularly over the past year.   Iain Curry of Australian outlet Chasing Cars had good things to say about the e-TPV prototype he drove. Curry said the experimental car didn't offer strong regen braking and piped a mild four-cylinder soundtrack into the cabin to give drivers a connection to the ICE experience they're familiar with, but there's no word on whether the production vehicle will be set up the same way. Curry praised the handling, saying the e-TPV felt similar to a Mazda3 on the go and around corners. We'll get more concrete info next month in Japan. The show car in Tokyo will be a "brand-new model" on a new EV-specific platform, and don't be surprised by a compact crossover shape since the carmaker CEO said, "Our global crossover mix is currently about 60 percent."

New Mazda CX-4 teaser shots emerge ahead of Beijing debut

The Kodo styling language seen on last year's Koeru concept seems to translate well to a production car, judging by these teaser images of the upcoming CX-4 from Mazda's Chinese press site. And, as has been seen on several recent Mazdas, concept cars can be quite close to their eventual production versions. An earlier press release implies the CX-4 should be seen as a more coupe-like counterpart to the CX-5, with some of the MX-5's characteristic and often emphasized jinba ittai feel injected into it – if the MX-5 is all about the rider and horse being one, the CX-4 would just be a slightly bigger steed. The 19-inch wheels and LED headlights are some of the more attention-grabbing details on the car. Inside, there's a head-up-display and a MZD connect infotainment screen as seen on other current models. The hardware on the "Exploring-Coupe SUV", as Mazda call it, should match the CX-5: 2.2-liter SKYACTIV-D turbodiesels in some markets, 2.0 and 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G gasoline engines in most. There will also be a choice of front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. The Beijing Motor Show opens to the public on April 29th, so we won't have to wait a whole lot longer to see the whole thing. Related Video: