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Mazda6 AWD: More evidence surfaces

Last month, we learned that Mazda was seriously considering adding all-wheel drive to the Mazda6 line-up due to high demand. Now, more evidence has surfaced that an all-wheel-drive Mazda6 could be coming sooner than later. As first reported by Motor Trend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website has listings for both the 2018 Mazda6 with the standard front-wheel-drive powertrain and a 2018 with all-wheel drive. Clicking on the all-wheel-drive link reveals that it has the exact same safety ratings and features listed as the front-wheel-drive model. Both pages also have links to the same technical data sheets, all of which are for the 2016 Mazda6. This is the case with the 2017 model listed on the NHTSA site, too. Naturally, this by no means confirms that Mazda is bringing an all-wheel-drive version to the United States. It's possible the inclusion was a mistake, or someone might have even typed an "A" instead of an "F" when creating that page. But also considering Mazda's interest in offering all-wheel drive, the existance of all-wheel-drive Mazda6 variants overseas, and the likely minor technical hurdles to overcome, we'd say the odds are pretty solid that we'll see four driven wheels in a Mazda6 in the near future, even if not this model year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Mazda6: LA 2017 View 16 Photos News Source: NHTSAImage Credit: Drew Phillips Rumormill Mazda Safety Sedan

Mazda CX-3 crossover coming to LA

The Mazda booth at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show will showcase some new crossovers. In addition to the refreshed CX-5 that we're expecting, the Japanese automaker has announced plans to unveil its new CX-3 compact crossover.
According to Mazda, the brand's entry into the compact CUV market will feature "the full range of SKYACTIV technology and KODO - Soul of Motion design." We take that to mean lightweight chassis and body architectures along with fuel-sipping gasoline and, perhaps, diesel engines.
The CX-3 will have to take on a slew of upcoming competitors, including the Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax and Jeep Renegade, and reports indicate it will share a platform with the Mazda2, which is just starting production in Mexico. We don't yet know if it will be front-wheel drive only or if all-wheel drive will be optional. The CUV is also likely to share the Mazda2's engine, which isn't yet revealed for the North American market. Japan gets the 2 with either a 1.3-liter gasoline engine or a 1.5-liter diesel.

Why Mazda’s Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engine is a smart hedge bet

Mazda has cracked the code on a compression-ignition engine, called Skyactiv-X (which utilizes SCCI, or Spark Controlled Compression Ignition). That's a neat engineering accomplishment, sure, but why is the tiny company investing big dollars in fancy tech that's frustrated the much larger companies who've investigated it? In this case, Mazda is peering into a crystal ball to consider how best to flow with a few troubling tides. One is the premature handwringing about the death of the internal combustion engine, another is Europe's swing away from diesel engines. Skyactiv-X seems, at this juncture, a hedge bet against both aspects. EV infrastructure lags massively behind our petroleum infrastructure — no shock there. Mazda claims the tech will net 20-30 percent gains in fuel efficiency over its current gasoline engines and about matching its diesel engine. And that's without any onboard hybrid tech, so that staves off the inevitable necessity to fully adopt electrification for a while — this is assuming that, at some point, it won't be practical to sell a non-hybrid or non-EV. At what date that happens is open to debate, but as I said above, technology like this kicks that decision point down the road a bit. Mazda is here translating research dollars into time, allowing its engine factories a few more years of probably profitable production of internal-combustion engines before retooling, and before somebody needs to pour a massive amount of money into a broad EV charging infrastructure to replace gas stations. None of this is happening fast enough for a wholesale transition to EVs anytime soon. So, that's one bet hedged. The next is Europe's declining interest in diesel engines for mainly health reasons. Just about a week ago, The New York Times posted an excellent primer on this issue, which is somewhat controversial in Europe. Germany's auto industry, a huge portion of its economy, is heavily invested in diesel tech and seriously opposed to proposals in Britain and France to eliminate the technology, which creates unhealthy diesel particulate emissions. The German industry is hoping Band-Aids like pollution-reducing measures will help them, but after a massive and widespread emission cheating scandal, its credibility is at a nadir. It seems like consumers have sensed which way the wind is blowing, and it has hurt sales. The NYT reports that diesel sales in Germany alone — remember, bastion and originator of diesel technology — are down 13 percent.