'SKYACTIV': the new name for Mazda's combustion technology

Mazda has announced that its super-efficient new engine technologies are to be known as 'SKYACTIV'. The name change takes the concept from the field of the theoretical to a state of marketability, Mazda Australia's Public Relations Manager, Steve Mciver explained to the Carsales Network yesterday.

The company is still on track in the development of its range of ultra-frugal engines that will comprise direct-injection petrol and diesel powerplants, complemented by lightweight manual transmissions and a low-friction automatic that operates like a manual. Other than the broad brushstrokes of the plan, Mazda is keeping its cards close to its chest, as Mciver indicated.

"All we've confirmed at this stage is that SKY-G and SKY-DRIVE are coming to Australia next year, but we have made no comment as of yet, as to exactly what model that's going to be," said Mciver, in response to our question: Will Mazda2 introduce SKYACTIV to the local market?

"I'm not saying it's not going to be Mazda2, I'm not saying it is. All I'm saying is that we have not confirmed that as yet."

Mazda has confirmed through its global PR channels that the Japanese domestic market will commence production of a SKYACTIV-G (petrol) version of the Demio, which is known in the Australian market as the Mazda2, during the first half of next year. That vehicle is reportedly achieving combined-cycle fuel consumption as low as 3.3L/100km, according to Mazda -- without supplemental drive systems or the batteries to power them.

What makes SKYACTIV so compelling is that it feeds off existing technology refined to a high degree -- costing little to develop or put into production. So the plan is for SKYACTIV to permeate every model in Mazda's product range eventually.

"We want to deliver these next generation technologies that obviously give us a cleaner environment, but also much better fuel economy for the consumer without any significant price [rise]," said Mciver.

"The likes of EV and hybrid obviously have a financial premium in terms of developing and then selling those technologies; we were keen to focus on improving existing combustion technology, as far as could first, with no significant price [increase].

"I can't confirm what the pricing will be at this stage, but the overarching goal with these technologies is to try and introduce these technologies without any significant price [rise].

Diesel, in the form of SKYACTIV-D, will be coming to Australia in 2012 and will be offered with SKYACTIV-DRIVE, the epicyclic automatic transmission option that, according to Mciver, locks up the torque converter across a wider range of gears and road speeds than previous Mazda auto boxes. The difference, said the Mazda PR bloke, is "a hugely-widened lock-up range".

Between 80 and 90 per cent of the time, the automatic will be locked up, creating a manual-like driving experience without the planetary gear set allowing the engine to spool up at a rate faster than the car's acceleration. Currently, Mazda's automatic transmissions are locked up between 50 and 60 per cent of the time, said Mciver. With that change in operating behaviour, the new auto box in isolation can deliver a minimum of four per cent gain in fuel economy. Mazda chose to stick with an epicyclic type for the automatic transmission because improving it was more cost-effective, both for the manufacturer and for consumers. The company is so certain that the new automatic can deliver the goods that it is making a fairly amazing claim.

"A future mid-sized Mazda that takes SKY-DRIVE with SKY-D will get fuel economy as low as 4.2L/100km," said Mciver, who wouldn't confirm that the remarkably frugal powertrain will necessarily make an appearance in the current generation Mazda6.

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