Prototype Mazda3 with 2.0L Sky-G engine gets 30/40 mpg
#1
Prototype Mazda3 with 2.0L Sky-G engine gets 30/40 mpg
Prototype Mazda3 with 2.0L Sky-G engine gets 30/40 mpg
Mazda gave us a glimpse of its next-generation Sky-G (gas) and Sky-D (diesel) powertrains at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, as well as its new Sky-Drive six-speed automatic transmission. These engines are currently running the testing gauntlet, as the first applications are expected to show up as early as next year in the refreshed Mazda6 sedan.
Car and Driver was able to snag an early test of a 2.0-liter Sky-G engine, which will reportedly achieve 30 miles per gallon in the city and 39 to 40 mpg on the highway when used in a Mazda3. This puts it in the same territory as the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta TDIs, not to mention besting smaller offerings like the Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit.
C&D also got the skinny on Mazda's 2.2-liter Sky-D diesel powertrain, which the automaker has confirmed for application in its "next-generation mid-size sedan" (*cough* Mazda6 *cough*) which will achieve up to 43 mpg on the highway. Take that, Fusion Hybrid. Head over to Car and Driver's full deep-dive for a raft of details about both of the new engines.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/01/r...ets-30-40-mpg/
#2
Speaks French in Russian
C&D tests next gen. 2011 Mazda Sky-G & Sky-D engines
Pretty impressive IMO to see a midsize sedan achieve around 40mpg highway and 30 city without the use of electric assist or downsizing with turbo's. This model should be KILLER once they start using the licensed Toyota hybrid system.
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car...gines-car_news
Around the world, automakers are grappling with the changes necessary to meet escalating fuel-economy regulations. To this end, Mazda is launching a new family of four-cylinder enginesfours power the vast majority of Mazdas carscalled Sky-G (gasoline) and Sky-D (diesel). We drove both in prototypes of the next-gen Mazda 6 and, thankfully, either engine can be paired with the latest version of Mazdas snick-snick six-speed manual.
We got the deep dive on the 2.0-liter version of the Sky-G, which will launch next year in the U.S., likely as part of a midcycle face lift of the Mazda 6. (A completely new 6 is a few years out yet and will be about 140 pounds lighter than the current car, thanks to meticulous optimization of material thicknesses and mounting points.) In the future, there also will be variations in the 1.3- to 2.5-liter realm, and Mazda has already signed a deal to license Toyotas hybrid technology for a future Sky-based hybrid. Starting from the ground up, Mazda has impressively leapfrogged its previous gas engine, to the tune of estimated EPA fuel-economy ratings in a Sky-equipped Mazda 3 of 30 mpg city and 39 to 40 highway. Thats nearly on par with VWs Golf and Jetta diesels as well as best-in-class cars one segment smaller, such as the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Cruze. Heres how they did it.
The Big Squeeze
Increasing the compression ratioin this case, to a staggering 14:1 from 11:1 in the current 2.0-liter (the U.S. version is 10:1)is a classic way to squeeze more work out of the pistons power stroke. But it creates problems, too, because compressing the air/fuel mixture this much causes excess heat build-up in the cylinder, which leads to premature auto-ignition, or knock. To keep the temperatures down, Mazda employs a seriously lengthy 4-2-1 exhaust header, designed so that the hot exhaust gases dont get pulled back into the next cylinders intake stroke. As it stands today, it doesnt appear that the Sky could fit in a longitudinal application such as the Miatathe huge header likely would poke through a front fender.
Further improvements include the addition of direct injection and a reduction of heat losstoo much heat can be problematic, but temperature is a necessary byproduct of burning fuel, and squelching it all is inefficient. The heat-loss reduction comes from a smaller bore and a much more complex piston shape that features a cavity directly in the pistons center, the hot area where the spark plug fires. Friction also has been reduced in the pistons, rods, and crankshaft (which is now forged steel instead of cast iron), and roller finger followers reduce it in the valvetrain. The engine uses 0W20 oil, which looks frighteningly like colored water. The Sky also gets dual variable valve timing, electronically varied (as opposed to using oil pressure) on the intake side, so that rapid adjustments can be made even during cold starts. Overall weight has been reduced by about 15 pounds, including 10 saved by thinning out the block where additional strength wasnt needed.
Premium Fuel, Mid-Grade Output
Premium, 91-octane fuel is required for the Skys not-so-staggering 163 hp at 6000 rpm and 155 lb-ft at 4000, but Mazda is proud of its exceptionally wide torque band for enhanced real-world drivability. To enable running on regular gas, the U.S. version will have a compression ratio of 13:1, which means fuel economy and torque will diminish by about 3 to 5 percent, according to Mazda. The premium-fueled Sky we drove was perfectly adequate in the Mazda 6 prototypes, although acceleration was rather leisurelyfar slower than the current Mazda 6 with its 168-hp, 2.5-litergiving us plenty of time to wish for a bit more smoothness during the extended time in each gear. But being in the lighter Mazda 3 would help, and the tradeoff for near-diesel levels of fuel economy is probably worth it.
Surprisingly, Mazda is passing on todays popular trend of downsized, turbocharged enginessay, a 1.4-liter turbo instead of this 2.0-liter. The company says the next generation of gasoline engines, which will employ HCCI (Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition)essentially firing a gasoline engine like a diesel, without using the spark plugswill erode the benefits of downsized engines. Smaller engines reduce pumping losses by operating at a higher load (the throttle is open further) more often. In the same way, HCCI engines will have to flow more air to realize the fuel-saving, lean-combustion benefits of that cycle. Mazda claims that if it downsized the Sky family of engines they wouldnt be able to flow enough air for HCCI without upsizing once again. Plus, as Mazda rightly points out, adding a turbocharger and an intercooler is quite a pricey proposition.
Oil-Burner Exposé
On the diesel side, Mazda has pulled off an even more impressive feat. The 2.2-liter Sky-D (again, other sizes are likely to follow) boosts fuel economy by 20 percent over the current, 2.2-liter diesel and meets Euro 6 and U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards without using any NOx aftertreatment such as urea injection. You catch that? It meets U.S. emissions standards. Thats because Mazda is planning to bring this engine here sometime in 2012.
With the diesel, Mazda moved in the opposite direction, decreasing the compression ratio from 16.3:1 down to 14:1. Thats the same as the gas-burning Sky-G, and a value thats the lowest in the world among diesels, according to Mazda. Doing so reduces cylinder pressures, and therefore temperatures, which reduces NOx production and also allows the fuel to mix better, avoiding locally rich areas that produce soot. Mazda claims that the lessened friction from the reduced cylinder pressure alone is worth a 4- to 5-percent gain in fuel economy. And the reduced internal forces also allow components such as the rods and pistons to be substantially lighter. Here, too, a forged steel crankshaft replaces a cast-iron unit. Overall weight savings is a whopping 55 pounds.
The downside to lowering the compression ratio of a diesel is that, during warm-up, the engine temperature can be too low to support proper combustion, and misfires result. To get around this, Mazda added a two-stage variable valve-lift system on the exhaust side in order to be able to create additional valve overlap. This causes the hot exhaust gases to be drawn back into the next cylinder to warm it up.
Eat It, Hybrids
Other new features are a sequential twin-turbo arrangementone small and one largewhich outperforms the old single, variable-geometry unit; 12-hole piezo injectors that disperse fuel into the cylinder in exacting quantities during two to eight separate injections per cycle at pressures up to 2900 psi; and an exhaust manifold thats completely integrated into the block. Here, too, fuel-economy claims are impressive: 31 to 33 mpg city and 43 mpg highway for a Mazda 6 with the 2.2-liter diesel. Does an over-40-mpg family sedan sound good to anyone else?
Output beats the gas engine in both regards: 173 hp at 4500 rpm and 310 lb-ft at 2000. Redline has been raised to a screaming (for a diesel) 5200 rpm, versus its predecessors 4500. And it felt notably quicker than the gas-engined car, pulling strongly throughout the rev range and exhibiting none of the run-out-of-breath feeling that afflicts some diesels as they wind toward the upper end of the tach. Its exceptionally responsive, and quiet, too, with very little clatter, even when accelerating from engine speeds below 1500 rpm.
Automatic Anxiety
In addition to the sweet-shifting six-speed manual, we drove each engine with Mazdas new Sky-drive six-speed automatic, which boasts a more aggressive lock-up clutch for the torque converter, leading to a 4- to 7-percent improvement in fuel economy. Although the calibration was admittedly early in development, the automatic was distinctly less impressive than either of the new engines. In terms of feel, which Mazda claims is much more direct than before, it doesnt seem to stand out from the current crop of high-tech automatics. The wide-open-throttle upshifts struck us as a bit lazy, too, although the downshifts were quite prompt. Well stick with the manual, thank you very much. Few buyers do, however, which could mean bad things for Mazdas sales.
Perhaps the best thing in all of this, though, is that Mazdas impressive engineering work proves that the internal-combustion engine still has plenty of legs in our ever-more-regulated world.
We got the deep dive on the 2.0-liter version of the Sky-G, which will launch next year in the U.S., likely as part of a midcycle face lift of the Mazda 6. (A completely new 6 is a few years out yet and will be about 140 pounds lighter than the current car, thanks to meticulous optimization of material thicknesses and mounting points.) In the future, there also will be variations in the 1.3- to 2.5-liter realm, and Mazda has already signed a deal to license Toyotas hybrid technology for a future Sky-based hybrid. Starting from the ground up, Mazda has impressively leapfrogged its previous gas engine, to the tune of estimated EPA fuel-economy ratings in a Sky-equipped Mazda 3 of 30 mpg city and 39 to 40 highway. Thats nearly on par with VWs Golf and Jetta diesels as well as best-in-class cars one segment smaller, such as the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Cruze. Heres how they did it.
The Big Squeeze
Increasing the compression ratioin this case, to a staggering 14:1 from 11:1 in the current 2.0-liter (the U.S. version is 10:1)is a classic way to squeeze more work out of the pistons power stroke. But it creates problems, too, because compressing the air/fuel mixture this much causes excess heat build-up in the cylinder, which leads to premature auto-ignition, or knock. To keep the temperatures down, Mazda employs a seriously lengthy 4-2-1 exhaust header, designed so that the hot exhaust gases dont get pulled back into the next cylinders intake stroke. As it stands today, it doesnt appear that the Sky could fit in a longitudinal application such as the Miatathe huge header likely would poke through a front fender.
Further improvements include the addition of direct injection and a reduction of heat losstoo much heat can be problematic, but temperature is a necessary byproduct of burning fuel, and squelching it all is inefficient. The heat-loss reduction comes from a smaller bore and a much more complex piston shape that features a cavity directly in the pistons center, the hot area where the spark plug fires. Friction also has been reduced in the pistons, rods, and crankshaft (which is now forged steel instead of cast iron), and roller finger followers reduce it in the valvetrain. The engine uses 0W20 oil, which looks frighteningly like colored water. The Sky also gets dual variable valve timing, electronically varied (as opposed to using oil pressure) on the intake side, so that rapid adjustments can be made even during cold starts. Overall weight has been reduced by about 15 pounds, including 10 saved by thinning out the block where additional strength wasnt needed.
Premium Fuel, Mid-Grade Output
Premium, 91-octane fuel is required for the Skys not-so-staggering 163 hp at 6000 rpm and 155 lb-ft at 4000, but Mazda is proud of its exceptionally wide torque band for enhanced real-world drivability. To enable running on regular gas, the U.S. version will have a compression ratio of 13:1, which means fuel economy and torque will diminish by about 3 to 5 percent, according to Mazda. The premium-fueled Sky we drove was perfectly adequate in the Mazda 6 prototypes, although acceleration was rather leisurelyfar slower than the current Mazda 6 with its 168-hp, 2.5-litergiving us plenty of time to wish for a bit more smoothness during the extended time in each gear. But being in the lighter Mazda 3 would help, and the tradeoff for near-diesel levels of fuel economy is probably worth it.
Surprisingly, Mazda is passing on todays popular trend of downsized, turbocharged enginessay, a 1.4-liter turbo instead of this 2.0-liter. The company says the next generation of gasoline engines, which will employ HCCI (Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition)essentially firing a gasoline engine like a diesel, without using the spark plugswill erode the benefits of downsized engines. Smaller engines reduce pumping losses by operating at a higher load (the throttle is open further) more often. In the same way, HCCI engines will have to flow more air to realize the fuel-saving, lean-combustion benefits of that cycle. Mazda claims that if it downsized the Sky family of engines they wouldnt be able to flow enough air for HCCI without upsizing once again. Plus, as Mazda rightly points out, adding a turbocharger and an intercooler is quite a pricey proposition.
Oil-Burner Exposé
On the diesel side, Mazda has pulled off an even more impressive feat. The 2.2-liter Sky-D (again, other sizes are likely to follow) boosts fuel economy by 20 percent over the current, 2.2-liter diesel and meets Euro 6 and U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards without using any NOx aftertreatment such as urea injection. You catch that? It meets U.S. emissions standards. Thats because Mazda is planning to bring this engine here sometime in 2012.
With the diesel, Mazda moved in the opposite direction, decreasing the compression ratio from 16.3:1 down to 14:1. Thats the same as the gas-burning Sky-G, and a value thats the lowest in the world among diesels, according to Mazda. Doing so reduces cylinder pressures, and therefore temperatures, which reduces NOx production and also allows the fuel to mix better, avoiding locally rich areas that produce soot. Mazda claims that the lessened friction from the reduced cylinder pressure alone is worth a 4- to 5-percent gain in fuel economy. And the reduced internal forces also allow components such as the rods and pistons to be substantially lighter. Here, too, a forged steel crankshaft replaces a cast-iron unit. Overall weight savings is a whopping 55 pounds.
The downside to lowering the compression ratio of a diesel is that, during warm-up, the engine temperature can be too low to support proper combustion, and misfires result. To get around this, Mazda added a two-stage variable valve-lift system on the exhaust side in order to be able to create additional valve overlap. This causes the hot exhaust gases to be drawn back into the next cylinder to warm it up.
Eat It, Hybrids
Other new features are a sequential twin-turbo arrangementone small and one largewhich outperforms the old single, variable-geometry unit; 12-hole piezo injectors that disperse fuel into the cylinder in exacting quantities during two to eight separate injections per cycle at pressures up to 2900 psi; and an exhaust manifold thats completely integrated into the block. Here, too, fuel-economy claims are impressive: 31 to 33 mpg city and 43 mpg highway for a Mazda 6 with the 2.2-liter diesel. Does an over-40-mpg family sedan sound good to anyone else?
Output beats the gas engine in both regards: 173 hp at 4500 rpm and 310 lb-ft at 2000. Redline has been raised to a screaming (for a diesel) 5200 rpm, versus its predecessors 4500. And it felt notably quicker than the gas-engined car, pulling strongly throughout the rev range and exhibiting none of the run-out-of-breath feeling that afflicts some diesels as they wind toward the upper end of the tach. Its exceptionally responsive, and quiet, too, with very little clatter, even when accelerating from engine speeds below 1500 rpm.
Automatic Anxiety
In addition to the sweet-shifting six-speed manual, we drove each engine with Mazdas new Sky-drive six-speed automatic, which boasts a more aggressive lock-up clutch for the torque converter, leading to a 4- to 7-percent improvement in fuel economy. Although the calibration was admittedly early in development, the automatic was distinctly less impressive than either of the new engines. In terms of feel, which Mazda claims is much more direct than before, it doesnt seem to stand out from the current crop of high-tech automatics. The wide-open-throttle upshifts struck us as a bit lazy, too, although the downshifts were quite prompt. Well stick with the manual, thank you very much. Few buyers do, however, which could mean bad things for Mazdas sales.
Perhaps the best thing in all of this, though, is that Mazdas impressive engineering work proves that the internal-combustion engine still has plenty of legs in our ever-more-regulated world.
#3
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
they'll have to drop the goofy front grin though.
#4
Speaks French in Russian
Mazda Betting Big on New Engines
Mazda Betting Big on New Engines
http://wardsauto.com/ar/mazda_betting_engines_100830/
http://wardsauto.com/ar/mazda_betting_engines_100830/
Mazda Betting Big on New Engines
By Tom Murphy
BERLIN All-new gasoline and diesel engines, a new automatic transmission, a next-generation short-throw manual transmission and improved steering, braking and suspensions figure prominently in the long-term product plan for Mazda Motor Corp.
At a media event here to unveil these new technologies, Mazda executives make it clear the auto maker will do nothing to diminish its zoom-zoom brand character, even in the face of a 35.5-mpg (6.6 L/100 km) U.S. fuel-economy mandate by 2016, with steeper regulations to follow.
Although most auto makers globally are preparing to launch electric vehicles to help reduce their fleet averages, Mazda is driving the path less traveled by expressing little near-term interest in electric vehicles, unless those vehicles can uphold the brands sporty driving characteristics.
Instead, Mazda is embracing the internal combustion engine, confident its next-generation gasoline and diesel powerplants will meet and exceed U.S. and global emissions requirements.
In the U.S., Mazda currently offers eight gasoline engines ranging from the 1.3L Renesis rotary in the RX-8 to a 3.7L V-6 in the CX-9.
One of the engines, the 2.3L DOHC direct-injection I-4, is turbocharged in the CX-7 and MazdaSpeed3. An Atkinson cycle 2.5L I-4 also powers the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, which is being discontinued, executives tell Wards. A ninth engine, a 1.5L gasoline I-4, is available now in the 11 Mazda2.
The new direct-injection Sky-G gasoline and Sky-D diesel engines, developed for global markets, will replace most of these U.S. powerplants in the coming years. Executives tell Wards the Sky-G and Sky-D families could provide about 75% of Mazdas engines worldwide within five years.
The first Sky-G engine, a 1.3L 4-cyl., arrives in Japan in mid-2011. Three months later, the high-volume 2.0L 4-cyl. bows in Asia, North America and Australia.
In early 2012, Europe receives both the 2.0L Sky-G and the 2.2L Sky-D. The diesel engine then hits the Japanese market three months later and debuts in North America in early 2013, executives say.
In the future, 1.5L and 2.5L variants of the Sky-G are expected.
Mazdas manufacturing plant in Hiroshima will be flexible enough to produce all four gasoline engines, as well as the diesel, on the same assembly line, Kyoshi Fujiwara, Mazdas executive officer-product planning and powertrain development, tells Wards.
Current gasoline and diesel engines are produced on separate lines at the plant. Likewise, the new automatic and manual transmissions will come off the same assembly line in Hiroshima.
If diesel demand rises in any market, Fujiwara says Mazda is flexible enough to add diesels smaller than the 2.2L.
We already are making some drawings and doing some investigation, so we can do it if there is demand, Fujiwara says.
Mazda is not saying which vehicles will receive the new engines, but the prototypes driven here were derived from the current-generation Mazda6.
Both the gasoline and diesel engines are plenty powerful for wide-open-throttle cruising on the autobahn at speeds well above 125 mph (200 km/h). As a testament to the composure of the engines, most of the noise at such speeds comes from wind buffeting the windshield and A-pillars.
Robert Davis, senior vice president-quality, research and development at Mazda North America, says the engines are powerful enough for even the largest vehicles in the auto makers lineup, the CX-7 and CX-9 cross/utility vehicles.
That raises the question: Is there a future for V-6 engines at Mazda? Davis says the 3.0L and 3.7L V-6s will remain in the lineup for the near future, but declines to speculate further.
When they arrive in production vehicles, executives say the Sky 4-cyl. engines will be oriented both transversely and longitudinally for front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations.
A unique aspect of the Sky-G gasoline engine is its 4-2-1 exhaust manifold design, which helps to scavenge hot residual gases. And the high compression ratio of 14:1 boosts low-end torque and provides diesel-like fuel economy.
But the unwieldy routing of the exhaust pipes requires additional space in the engine bay. As a result, the Sky-G cannot fit in the engine bays of the current-generation Mazda3 and Mazda6 sedans.
The diesel engine, with twin turbochargers, offers an unusually low compression ratio, also 14:1. And like its rival, the 2.0L I-4 turbodiesel from Volkswagen AG, Mazdas 2.2L Sky-D can meet oxides of nitrogen emissions requirements in Europe and the U.S. without an expensive urea aftertreatment system.
Although preliminary, the Sky-G is expected to achieve 30/40 mpg (7.8-5.8 L/100 km) in city/highway driving, while Sky-D is anticipated to get 32/43 mpg (7.3-5.5 L/100 km).
Based on the New European Driving Cycle, the Sky-D with manual transmission could be rated as high as 57 mpg (4.1 L/100 km).
The 2.2L diesel engine tentatively is rated at 173 hp and 310 lb.-ft. (420 Nm) of torque, while the 2.0L Sky-G produces 163 hp and 155 lb.-ft. (210 Nm) of torque.
For the near future, Mazda does not intend to add turbocharging to the gasoline engine to avoid the added cost, weight and complexity, says Seita Kanai, Mazdas director and senior managing executive officer-R&D and program management.
And although Mazda is banking its future heavily on the internal combustion engine, Kanai says the auto maker will continue developing stop/start, regenerative braking and, later on, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and, perhaps, hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
In California, for instance, Mazda may have no choice but to offer an EV to meet California Air Resources Board zero-emissions regulations.
By Tom Murphy
BERLIN All-new gasoline and diesel engines, a new automatic transmission, a next-generation short-throw manual transmission and improved steering, braking and suspensions figure prominently in the long-term product plan for Mazda Motor Corp.
At a media event here to unveil these new technologies, Mazda executives make it clear the auto maker will do nothing to diminish its zoom-zoom brand character, even in the face of a 35.5-mpg (6.6 L/100 km) U.S. fuel-economy mandate by 2016, with steeper regulations to follow.
Although most auto makers globally are preparing to launch electric vehicles to help reduce their fleet averages, Mazda is driving the path less traveled by expressing little near-term interest in electric vehicles, unless those vehicles can uphold the brands sporty driving characteristics.
Instead, Mazda is embracing the internal combustion engine, confident its next-generation gasoline and diesel powerplants will meet and exceed U.S. and global emissions requirements.
In the U.S., Mazda currently offers eight gasoline engines ranging from the 1.3L Renesis rotary in the RX-8 to a 3.7L V-6 in the CX-9.
One of the engines, the 2.3L DOHC direct-injection I-4, is turbocharged in the CX-7 and MazdaSpeed3. An Atkinson cycle 2.5L I-4 also powers the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, which is being discontinued, executives tell Wards. A ninth engine, a 1.5L gasoline I-4, is available now in the 11 Mazda2.
The new direct-injection Sky-G gasoline and Sky-D diesel engines, developed for global markets, will replace most of these U.S. powerplants in the coming years. Executives tell Wards the Sky-G and Sky-D families could provide about 75% of Mazdas engines worldwide within five years.
The first Sky-G engine, a 1.3L 4-cyl., arrives in Japan in mid-2011. Three months later, the high-volume 2.0L 4-cyl. bows in Asia, North America and Australia.
In early 2012, Europe receives both the 2.0L Sky-G and the 2.2L Sky-D. The diesel engine then hits the Japanese market three months later and debuts in North America in early 2013, executives say.
In the future, 1.5L and 2.5L variants of the Sky-G are expected.
Mazdas manufacturing plant in Hiroshima will be flexible enough to produce all four gasoline engines, as well as the diesel, on the same assembly line, Kyoshi Fujiwara, Mazdas executive officer-product planning and powertrain development, tells Wards.
Current gasoline and diesel engines are produced on separate lines at the plant. Likewise, the new automatic and manual transmissions will come off the same assembly line in Hiroshima.
If diesel demand rises in any market, Fujiwara says Mazda is flexible enough to add diesels smaller than the 2.2L.
We already are making some drawings and doing some investigation, so we can do it if there is demand, Fujiwara says.
Mazda is not saying which vehicles will receive the new engines, but the prototypes driven here were derived from the current-generation Mazda6.
Both the gasoline and diesel engines are plenty powerful for wide-open-throttle cruising on the autobahn at speeds well above 125 mph (200 km/h). As a testament to the composure of the engines, most of the noise at such speeds comes from wind buffeting the windshield and A-pillars.
Robert Davis, senior vice president-quality, research and development at Mazda North America, says the engines are powerful enough for even the largest vehicles in the auto makers lineup, the CX-7 and CX-9 cross/utility vehicles.
That raises the question: Is there a future for V-6 engines at Mazda? Davis says the 3.0L and 3.7L V-6s will remain in the lineup for the near future, but declines to speculate further.
When they arrive in production vehicles, executives say the Sky 4-cyl. engines will be oriented both transversely and longitudinally for front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations.
A unique aspect of the Sky-G gasoline engine is its 4-2-1 exhaust manifold design, which helps to scavenge hot residual gases. And the high compression ratio of 14:1 boosts low-end torque and provides diesel-like fuel economy.
But the unwieldy routing of the exhaust pipes requires additional space in the engine bay. As a result, the Sky-G cannot fit in the engine bays of the current-generation Mazda3 and Mazda6 sedans.
The diesel engine, with twin turbochargers, offers an unusually low compression ratio, also 14:1. And like its rival, the 2.0L I-4 turbodiesel from Volkswagen AG, Mazdas 2.2L Sky-D can meet oxides of nitrogen emissions requirements in Europe and the U.S. without an expensive urea aftertreatment system.
Although preliminary, the Sky-G is expected to achieve 30/40 mpg (7.8-5.8 L/100 km) in city/highway driving, while Sky-D is anticipated to get 32/43 mpg (7.3-5.5 L/100 km).
Based on the New European Driving Cycle, the Sky-D with manual transmission could be rated as high as 57 mpg (4.1 L/100 km).
The 2.2L diesel engine tentatively is rated at 173 hp and 310 lb.-ft. (420 Nm) of torque, while the 2.0L Sky-G produces 163 hp and 155 lb.-ft. (210 Nm) of torque.
For the near future, Mazda does not intend to add turbocharging to the gasoline engine to avoid the added cost, weight and complexity, says Seita Kanai, Mazdas director and senior managing executive officer-R&D and program management.
And although Mazda is banking its future heavily on the internal combustion engine, Kanai says the auto maker will continue developing stop/start, regenerative braking and, later on, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and, perhaps, hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
In California, for instance, Mazda may have no choice but to offer an EV to meet California Air Resources Board zero-emissions regulations.
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By they, are you referring to the EPA?
Even if the Jetta is midsize in volume, it still competes in the compact class. The new Sonata technically is full-size in volume as is the current generation Accord. For all intents and purposes though, both vehicles compete in the midsize sedan class.
In either case, these are great numbers for the Mazda 3 with the Sky-G, but they certainly aren't class-leading. A few other competitors will get roughly the same fuel economy numbers with their new compact cars, and we have yet to see the next-gen Corolla or Civic.
Even if the Jetta is midsize in volume, it still competes in the compact class. The new Sonata technically is full-size in volume as is the current generation Accord. For all intents and purposes though, both vehicles compete in the midsize sedan class.
In either case, these are great numbers for the Mazda 3 with the Sky-G, but they certainly aren't class-leading. A few other competitors will get roughly the same fuel economy numbers with their new compact cars, and we have yet to see the next-gen Corolla or Civic.
#9
Lexus Champion
This is highly-technical and intellectual literature right there from this article (covering stuff from automotive physics to mechanics and a bit of entropy).
I like it. Nice read indeed
I like it. Nice read indeed
#10
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@Blackraven, when is Mazda Philippines ever going to release the new Mazda 3? I'm surprised that Mazda hasn't updated the 3 yet in our market, given that the Chevy Cruze is giving the current FD Civic a run for the money IMHO.
#11
Lexus Champion
They're currently thinking of another car that they can make/produce as replacement for this.......
Anyways, with these improvements, Mazda can now reach for the SKY!!!
#12
Report: Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary
Report: Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary
Mazda has big plans for the future of its rotary engine. According to GoAuto, the company is currently hard at work on improving the powerplant's fuel economy by a full 50 percent. If it can pull it off, the new mill will proudly wear the same "Sky" designation as its traditional four-cylinder counterparts. The site quotes Seita Kanai, Mazda's director of R&D and program management, as saying that upping the rotary's fuel economy is essential for the engine's survival.
From the sound of things, Mazda is wholly committed to keeping a rotary in its stable. In the report, Kanai says the company is investigating every possible aspect of the engine's design to look for ways to increase efficiency, down to the very principles behind the design. Even so, he stopped short of saying whether or not the company is toying with an electric turbocharger as part of development.
Even with word that the Japanese automaker is stoking the rotary flames, GoAuto reports the company currently has no plans for a legitimate RX-7 successor. While designers and engineers within the company may be itching to jump onto a new sports car, the company's decision makers are currently more occupied with slimming its corporate average fuel economy.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/08/r...-sky-g-rotary/
#14
Can't stand that smiley face ... I saw a couple of new Mazda 2's running around recently and it too has that stupid goofy grill, but not as bad as the 3's. I'm afraid that grill will continue to expand into future Mazda line-ups.
#15
Article
LOS ANGELES -- Mazda plans to add gasoline direct-injection engine technology to the Mazda3 when the compact sedan receives a freshening in the second half of 2011, Automotive News has learned.
The new engine will mark the North American debut of Mazda's SkyActiv powertrain technology, which combines next generation direct fuel injection engines and fuel-saving transmissions to deliver fuel economy close to that of a hybrid.
The gasoline direct injection engine, called SkyActiv-G, and a SkyActiv transmission will be added to the Mazda3 when the compact sedan receives its mid-lifecycle freshening in the latter half of this year, according to a source with knowledge of Mazda's plans.
A Mazda spokesman declined to confirm the information when contacted by Automotive News.
Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Mazda's head of product planning and powertrain development, said at a briefing about the technology in August that a Mazda3 with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder Sky-G engine mated to a Sky-Drive 6-speed automatic would get an estimated 40 mpg on the highway compared to the 33 mpg on the current Mazda3.
Fujiwara also said that the next-generation Mazda6, with a 2.2-liter Sky-D twin-turbo diesel engine, would achieve an estimated 43 mpg on the highway, compared with 30 mpg on the current, gasoline-powered Mazda6.
New engineering
Mazda has spent millions on its new family of direct injection gasoline and diesel engines, new transmissions, chassis and vehicle frame technology to shave weight and increase efficiency in its vehicles. The strategy stands in contrast to competitors, like Toyota, for example, that have adopted a strategy of vehicle electrification as a path to meet more stringent emissions and fuel economy regulations.
Mazda stands to get the biggest CAFÉ-rating bang for its high-tech buck by picking the Mazda3 as its 1st car to receive the next-generation engine. The Mazda3 accounted for about 46% of the brand's 229,556 vehicles sold in the United States last year.
Mazda plans to roll out SkyActiv-G engines and diesel variants, called SkyActiv-D, to its entire lineup by 2015 as the brand races to meet tougher emissions and fuel economy regulations.