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Mazda keeping non-hybrid, non-electric Skyactiv strategy

Mazda still thinks that it can buck the trend of adding those fancy batteries and electric motors to its cars. At least for a little while longer. Hopefully. Speaking to Auto Express recently, Mazda's European boss, Jeff Guyton, said that he expects his company's cars to be able to get a lot more efficient without resorting to any of that fancy electrification stuff. "I think there's at least 20-30 percent better fuel economy by the end of the decade," he said. He said that he expected to get to Europe's low target of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer, "without any significant deployment of electrical drive." This part is all in line with Mazda's long-term Skyactiv strategy, as laid out back in 2011 and first mentioned publicly in 2010. Remember, this is the company that once proudly proclaimed, "Not Electric. Not Hybrid. Not A Drag To Drive." As explained back in 2011, Mazda hopes to wait until other automakers have done all of the heavy lifting on developing plug-in and hybrid tech so that when Mazda enters the market, things will be cheaper. Of course, Mazda has been quietly testing all-electric vehicles and Guyton said that there may be an Mazda EV at some point. "We are interested in electric technology and it will be in the distant future when it will be quite important," he told AE. "But we think it will take some time to be commercially attractive without tax payer-funded incentives." How much of a delay? Well, there is a gas-electric Mazda 3 hybrid available in Japan that uses some powertrain parts from the Toyota Prius, and we all know that the Prius has been around for ages. Maybe in 2025, Mazda will come out with a Leaf-based Mazda 2. Related Video: Green Mazda Fuel Efficiency Electric Hybrid skyactiv mazda skyactiv

Mazda still really wants to bring diesels to America

Mazda's Skyactiv program has delivered much of what it promised for the brand's latest crop of products, namely great fuel economy and excellent driving dynamics. However, the Skyactiv diesel engine has yet to reach our shores. It's been promised ever since the new Mazda6 showed up here for the 2014 model year. According to a new report from Automotive News, Mazda's CEO Masamichi Kogai said that the Mazda Skyactiv D diesel powertrain is still set to make an American appearance. He told Automotive News that there is an internal timeline to get it to the States, and while he didn't reveal the timeline, he said he wants it to come here before he steps down as CEO. The powertrain is offered elsewhere, so it fits in the company's current vehicles, but the US has specific regulatory hurdles, and the engine's extra cost has to make sense from a sales and volume perspective. We doubt VW's diesel scandal helped the engine's sales pitch, either. Automotive News also reports that the next generation of Skyactiv designs and engines are also on their way and will advance and improve on the current generation's strengths. Engineers revealed to Automotive News that they expect a 30 percent improvement in efficiency and are developing an engine with the sky-high compression ratio of 18:1. This impressive ratio could be a further indication of Mazda's pursuit of homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines. Mazda has had plenty of success with its strategy of making very efficient internal-combustion engines, but there are some concerns that the company can only improve so much. The main worry comes from the company's lack of investment in hybrid and electric powertrains. Even Mazda's North American CEO Masahiro Moro expressed concern about meeting a 54.5 mpg mandate for 2025. That mandate will no longer take effect, but increasing fuel economy requirements will always be an issue. Related Video:

2019 Mazda CX-5 debuts with turbocharged engine and near-$40K price tag

We've seen a couple different leaks concerning the 2019 Mazda CX-5, but now Mazda finally has official word on what's coming our way. One exciting development is the addition of the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine on higher trim levels. It's great to see Mazda sharing that engine to other models after originally debuting in the larger CX-9. In the CX-5, it makes 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on 93 octane. To get the boosted engine, you'll have to opt for one of the two new trim levels Mazda has added for 2019: Grand Touring Reserve or Signature. Of course, with higher trim levels and more powerful engines come higher prices. The Signature trim comes in at a whopping $37,885 including destination charges. For 2018, the highest trim level available was the Grand Touring, and that car costs $30,640. Mazda adds a bunch of new features for the expensive Signature trim, though. You'll get brown leather seats, real wood trim, a uniquely stitched leather steering wheel, 360-degree view camera, a frameless auto-dimming mirror, LED lighting throughout the interior and dark silver 19-inch wheels. These options are in addition to the new and still luxurious Grand Touring Reserve trim level. This trim has heated and cooled seats, a heated steering wheel and power folding mirrors as its highlights. For comparison, the Grand Touring Reserve with the turbocharged engine costs $35,865. Making the CX-5 more luxurious wasn't the only aim for 2019 — Mazda also gave it a new version of its G-Vectoring Control handling system. The updated G-Vectoring (now called G-Vectoring Control Plus) helps when the driver is unwinding the wheel by "adding a hit of braking to the outside front wheel," according to Mazda. This, in addition to some suspension refinements, are supposed to make for a smoother and better ride. Specifically, Mazda says it re-tuned the suspension to reduce friction and adjusted the steering geometry to achieve more natural feeling handling. Sweating over these small handling and feel things is why we typically end up liking the driving experience of Mazda vehicles. Mazda increased prices on the CX-5 across the board, too. The Sport trim is $1,600 more than before, with other trims following suit at similar increases. We'll see how the changes affect the sporty and now more expensive crossover when we get our hands on a 2019 model. For now, you can build them on Mazda's website, and Mazda says they'll be available sometime this fall.