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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets 25 percent fuel economy boost

Just days after revealing full pricing and specs for each trim level of the 2016 MX-5 Miata, Mazda is spilling the beans on the roadster's fuel economy. As it turns out, the numbers show an impressive boost over the previous generation. All 2016 Miatas in the US are equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. With a six-speed manual, the EPA estimates fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon city, 34 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. Buyers choosing the six-speed automatic, which is a $1,075 option (that you should absolutely not choose), are expected to get 27 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. Compared to the previous-gen model with a six-speed manual, these latest numbers represent a 25-percent improvement in mileage. The boost in economy for the Miata likely comes from a variety of sources. Underneath the hood is one of Mazda's latest Skyactiv engines, and the loss of around 150 pounds from the last gen helps too. Production of the latest version of the famous roadster is already underway, and they should start arriving at dealers in the late summer. 2016 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA FUEL ECONOMY IMPROVES DRAMATIC 25 PERCENT VERSUS OUTGOING MODEL 24/04/15 - Mazda's Flagship Roadster Highlights Improvements Displayed by SKYACTIV Technology - IRVINE, Calif., April 24, 2015 -- Lighter, quicker and more nimble than its predecessor, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata demonstrates the power innovation can have when re-engineering a roadster from the ground up. In addition to all of the aforementioned improvements the 2016 MX-5 has, fuel economy can now be added to the list, with MX-5 achieving an EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/34 mpg highway/30 mpg combined when equipped with the standard SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission (EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway/30 mpg combined when equipped with the six-speed automatic). This performance represents a 25-percent increase in fuel economy versus the 2015 MX-5's EPA-estimated fuel economy when paired with the outgoing model's available six-speed manual transmission, highlighting the benefits of SKYACTIV Technology. "SKYACTIV Technology is more than a catchphrase for Mazda; it's a total effort to increase efficiency, improve performance, safety and technology and instill each Mazda vehicle with a directness and responsiveness that's unmatched in the segments in which our vehicles compete," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations.

Mazda6 diesel engine delayed over low performance, still coming

Oh Mazda... we had many hopes for the promised diesel four-cylinder in the Mazda6, but those have remained largely unfulfilled, as the oil-burning powerplant has failed to appear on dealer lots following its 2012 LA Auto Show announcement. Despite engineering issues that forced the company to announce that the program was delayed back in September 2013, Mazda remains adamant that the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D is still coming to our shores. "We're still very much committed to diesel," Mazda's North American CEO, Jim O'Sullivan, told Automotive News. "We are still working on getting the performance aspects up to where we want them, and we do have a plan – an engineering road map – to get it done." According to AN, Mazda's initial plan with the 2.2-liter diesel was to build an engine so clean it could get by without an aftertreatment system, which generally accounts for the price premium of diesel engines versus their gas counterparts. The new system has come with performance issues, though, necessitating the delays. "If [we were] a commodity brand and didn't care about that, it would be on the market right now," O'Sullivan told AN. "But I know the people were expecting something from us, expecting certain drive characteristics and performance, and I didn't want to disappoint them." While O'Sullivan's defense of the diesel Mazda is admirable, the exec stops short of giving us an indication of when the new engine will finally arrive.

2015 Mazda2 revealed ahead of Paris debut [w/videos]

Small cars may be big business, but the world's automakers don't seem to be in any particular rush to keep them fresh. The new Smart Fortwo unveiled yesterday replaces a model that's already been around for seven years, and based on a structure dating back to the late '90s. The new Opel Corsa revealed just last week replaces a model that had been around for eight years. And the Mazda2 has been on the market in its current form for seven years now, but not for much longer because Mazda has finally revealed its successor.
Set to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this October, the new Mazda2 follows the stylistic lead of the Hazumi concept remarkably close, from the sharply creased front end right down to the wheel design - bringing the supermini hatchback in line with the KODO design language that characterizes its bigger siblings: the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5.
Although details released thus far are rather limited, and power will vary from one market to another, engine options center around a 1.5-liter four in both gasoline and diesel versions, joining the manual and automatic transmissions and the chassis itself under Mazda's Skyactiv technology umbrella. We wouldn't expect the diesel version to make it across the Pacific (or across the border from the plant that will build it alongside a new Toyota hatch in Mexico), but rumors have surfaced of a potential rotary hybrid. The new 2 will also include the company's MZD connectivity suite and i-Activsense safety technology.