Mazda manifesto maps frugal future

Mazda has mapped out a greener future for its powertrain and vehicle development between now and 2015. In an announcement this week from the Ford-affiliated brand's Hiroshima (Japan) headquarters, the carmaker pledged to reduce its fuel consumption (and theoretically its greenhouse gas emissions) by 30 per cent, by 2015.

According to the carmaker, its 30 per cent reduction will come via reduced vehicle mass and new, more fuel efficient, petrol and diesel powertrains -- including new rotaries. It will further reduce its emissions via new paint processes and the use of carbon-neutral bioplastics, it claims.

Mazda's manifesto says it will have "renewed almost its entire powertrain lineup" by 2015.

Next year it will introduce a 'flexfuel' E85 compatible engine into the North American market and selected European countries' ranges. From 2011 direct injection petrol engines will be the norm for the carmaker, promising to increase power and improve fuel economy by up to 20 per cent.

Mazda's new-generation diesels are also less than three years away, the maker says, and its trademark rotary engine "will be substantially upgraded in the early 2010s".

Says the carmaker: "Currently referred to as the 16X, the next rotary engine will offer substantially improved performance and economy through use of Direct Injection Spark Ignition and high-speed combustion technology."

The first iteration of Mazda's techno push will, however, be a simpler addition -- the adoption of 'stop-start' technology. Indeed, a mass production version of Mazda's proprietary Smart Idle Stop System (SISS) will debut in "one of its cars" in the European and Japanese markets as early as next year.
 
Mazda claims SISS is the only idle stop system that restarts the engine using direct injection (ie: it injects fuel directly into the cylinder and ignites it, restarting the engine). The carmaker says it offers fuel consumption improvements of up to 8 per cent.

Mazda also states its environmental efforts will not only focus on its engineering. Significant carbon dioxide and volatile compound emissions reductions are promised via plant changes and new water-based paint systems. The company is also at the forefront of bioplastic development and utilisation, it claims.

Those enamoured with driving can relax, however -- Mazda's adamant it is not about to abandon its Zoom Zoom ethos in the search for better fuel economy.

New lightweight vehicle platforms that reduce the weight of new Mazda models by "100 kilograms or more" will assure "cars that continue to provide the fun-to-drive feeling that will keep them coming back for more, while still having the peace of mind that their Mazda is environmentally-friendly and safe to drive." So there!

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