PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Another 30 per cent economy gain from Mazda

Mazda has revealed it will slash the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of its model range by 30 per cent by 2020 – beyond the 30 per cent higher fleet-average economy target it previously targeted by 2015.

If it does so, the mainstream Japanese brand will increase the efficiency of its vehicles more than German luxury brand BMW, which is targeting a 25 per cent fuel consumption reduction by 2020, in addition to the 25 per cent cut it achieved between 1995 and 2008.

Speaking to Australian journalists at last week’s Paris motor show, Mazda Motor Europe’s Vice-President of European R&D Ichiro Hirose said new powertrain technologies will realise another 30 per cent gain in efficiency between 2015 and 2020.

“This time the maximum is 30 per cent reduction compared to the previous model, but for the next generation we are developing we are migrating [to] new technologies and continuing the next-generation technologies.

“If we apply such technologies [there will be] an additional 30 per cent improvement. Our target is five years or so [beyond 2015].”

Mazda says it is on target to reach its previously stated goal of slashing fuel use and CO2 emissions by 30 per cent between 2008 and 2015, by which time it will have renewed its entire passenger vehicle line-up, which will employ variations of the same 100kg-lighter SKYACTIV platform and more efficient direct-injection SKYACTIV petrol and diesel engines seen in this year’s all-new CX-5 SUV.

In recent months the company confirmed it will release eight all-new SKYACTIV-based models by 2015, including the CX-5, the third-generation Mazda6 mid-size sedan and wagon due here early next year, the redesigned Mazda3 small sedan and hatch expected to appear late next year, and replacements for the Mazda2 light hatch and MX-5 in 2014, and the overseas-only Mazda5 people-mover, CX-9 seven-seat SUV and, potentially, an all-new ‘CX-3’ compact SUV in 2015.

While Mazda’s BT-50 ute will not employ SKYACTIV technology, Mazda has committed to releasing its first hybrid model next year in Japan, matching a small SKYACTIV petrol engine with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

As motoring.com.au has reported >>>>> /news/2012/small-passenger/mazda/mazda3/new-mazda3-hybrid-due-next-year-32724 <<<<< , the Japanese brand’s first hybrid will be based on the next-generation Mazda3 due for domestic release in 2013 – despite the fact the current Mazda3 is less than four years old. Australia was one of the world’s first markets to receive the current Mazda3, in April 2009.

Meantime, despite the fact the Mazda2 was launched here in September 2007 and is already five years old, an all-new SKYACTIV version of Mazda’s smallest model is understood to have been pushed back at least a year because of its late debut on the US market – and the greater volume and profit potential of a redesigned version of Mazda’s top-seller globally, the 3.

Mr Hirose would not reveal the efficiency targets of next year’s Mazda3 hybrid, but said all new SKYACTIV models would achieve the same 100kg weight and 30 per cent efficiency savings as the CX-5 and Mazda6, making the petrol-electric Mazda3 likely to be more fuel-efficient than the Toyota Prius (3.9L/100km), with which it will share its electric motor and power controller.

Mazda has not revealed which SKYACTIV powertrain will be paired with Toyota’s HSD system, but it is likely to be the smallest 1.3-litre petrol engine and its new six-speed automatic transmission, rather than Toyota’s CVT.

Japan’s Demio (Mazda2) is already powered by the SKYACTIV-G 1.3, while a 2.0-litre version and the new SKYACTIV-D 2.2-litre diesel powers the CX-5. The latter will also power the new Mazda6 – and that car's larger SKYACTIV-G 2.5 will also be available in the CX-5 next year.

Mazda is also believed to be working on a 1.5 or 1.6-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine and a SKYACTIV-D turbodiesel engine displacing around 1.6 litres. All will be matched to new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions with fuel-saving idle-stop systems, while the Mazda6 will debut the new capacitor-based i-ELOOP regenerative braking function.

However, Hirose-san said that to achieve a further 30 per cent efficiency improvement in its next generation of models, Mazda would need to employ more advanced technologies, including sparkless homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) – a type of technology Mercedes-Benz (with DiesOtto) and Hyundai/Kia are known to be developing.

“In the second generation we will need HCCI combustion, which several companies are also looking at,” he said. “Looking at how to control combustion is the key.”

Mazda says its quest to develop the conventional internal combustion engine will not include European-style downsized turbocharged engines, which might reduce official combined fuel consumption figures in a laboratory, but are not as efficient in the real world.

“In real-world economy there is a discrepancy from the peak (claimed) value,” said Mr Hirose. “What we are looking for is to provide the customer with real-world economy – that is one of the reasons we are sticking with naturally aspirated engines.

“According to our test results, we have a wider range of real-world economy with naturally aspirated engines. Most of the reason is that we have wider range of fuel economy with naturally aspirated SKYACTIV. Turbo only gives an economy benefit at low engine speeds, not at wide open throttle.”

Mr Hirose said it was “technically possible” to produce turbocharged versions of its SKYACTIV petrol engines – including a successor for the 2.3-litre DISI turbo engine in the Mazda3 MPS – but a SKYACTIV turbo was “not planned at this moment”.

As for a SKYACTIV rotary engine, he said: “There is a dream inside Mazda that if this kind of SKYACTIV technology is well received and getting more sales then we’ll have a chance to restart rotary program.

“Yes, we are working on it. At this moment we are not in a position to restart, but if we are in a position with more money then I believe there is a chance.”

Hirose-san would not confirm whether the rotary engine had a future at Mazda beyond a range-extending generator within a next-generation plug-in hybrid drive system, as has been hinted by Mazda Motor Corporation President and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi.