► Mazda’s latest engine developments
► Skyactiv-Z engine developed to be electrified
► First use will be in next-generation CX-5
Mazda has announced an all-new generation of engine technology, designed to be electrified. It’s called Skyactiv-Z and it will make up part of a hybrid powertrain in future cars from the brand.
The new engine, says Mazda, ‘will form the core of Mazda’s line-up for small products in the electrification era’ in a four-cylinder configuration, and is designed to meet the latest emissions standards (including Euro7) around the world.
Mazda says the new Skyactiv-Z technology is ‘close to the ultimate combustion’ engine, and promises both ‘high fuel economy and driving performance.’ The technology will also be applied to the brand’s straight-six engine range for larger cars, and Mazda says plenty of the learnings regarding emissions control can be applied to rotary engines, too. As well as refining the combustion process, Mazda also says it has reduced the amount of components in the Skyactiv-Z engine compared to other engine families.
The engine is the latest in quirky and interesting combustion technologies developed by Mazda. For example, the previous engine family – Skyactiv-X (pictured above) – used variable compression ratios to increase fuel economy, launching first in the current-shape Mazda 3.
We’ll see the first use of Skyactiv-Z technology in the next-generation Mazda CX-5, confirmed for launch in 2027. Given the fact the tech can be used in a variety of configurations, this could be applied to a future MX-5 or a replacement for the long lost RX-7.
The news comes as part of a raft of changes and new-generation technologies Mazda is announcing for a new generation of cars, including new infotainment technology and the confirmation of an in-house-developed EV that’ll launch in 2027. ‘As the automotive industry is going through a once-in-a-century seismic shift, Mazda keeps on evolving,’ says Mazda president and CEO, Masahiro Moro.
We’ll have to hang on for more information.