2024 Mazda Cx-50 2.5 S Select Package on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mazda hard at work on Skyactiv 2 engine technology

As Mazda continues the current rollout of its still-new Skyactiv technology, the automaker is already looking at improving its family of engines for even better fuel economy and emissions reductions. Automotive News reports that with stricter fuel economy and emissions regulations planned for 2020 and 2025 in Europe, Mazda will likely release engines with next-generation Skyactiv 2 technology by the end of this decade, and Skyactiv 3 units just five years later.
The latter is expected to focus on improved engine cooling and lessening energy losses, but the big news in AN's report is that the next-gen Skyactiv 2 engines will use Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, or HCCI. This type of ignition is very similar to how a diesel engine operates (with high compression and using the compression stroke for fuel combustion rather than spark plugs), a method said to provide a cleaner and more efficient fuel burn - to the tune of a 30-percent improvement in fuel economy compared to current Skyactiv engines. Other automakers, including Hyundai, have already announced they are developing HCCI powerplants with similar technology and characteristics, so Mazda likely won't be a lone wolf here.
Equipped with HCCI technology, Mazda figures to be able to compete with larger automakers in terms of fuel economy and emissions without resorting to hybrid powertrains, continuously variable transmissions or automatics relying on more forward gears (eight or more) for optimal efficiency. Some of the challenges of HCCI, according to AN, include the need for better engine cooling, risk of misfire at high and low rpm and uneven engine performance based on fuel properties.

Mazda5 will officially die this year

We knew it was coming, but it just became a lot more official. Mazda is going to kill the closest thing to a driver-oriented people-mover when it phases out the Mazda5 MPV for model year 2016. The news was presented quietly and unremarkably, with Mazda giving its compact minivan a single-line obituary as part of an announcement recapping changes to the brand's lineup for 2016: "There are no plans at this time to bring a replacement Mazda5 to the US market beyond the 2015 model year." Despite being a critical favorite for its fun-to-drive nature and seven-seat capacity, the 5 never really resonated with consumers, representing a small percentage of Mazda's total sales. In its best sales year, 2008, only about 22,000 were sold, representing only about eight percent of the brand's sales that year. That percentage was even smaller in recent years, as the 5's sales fell into the low ten-thousands. In other Mazda news, the brand is making a number of small, subtle changes to its lineup. Almost all of them constitute new ore removed options and are available for your perusal in the attached press release. Scroll down for a look. 2016 MAZDA LINEUP: WHAT'S NEW Having launched two refreshed and two all-new models for the 2016 model year, Mazda North American Operations is keeping busy with broadening its award-winning lineup of cars and crossovers. For the 2016 model year, Mazda is keen to maintain its leadership in providing unmatched KODO—Soul of Motion design and excellent driving dynamics and democratizing advanced safety technologies like Mazda Radar Cruise Control and Smart Brake Support into even its smallest, most affordable vehicles. Mazda6 and CX-5 return for 2016 with new styling elements, interior amenities and refinement. Mazda CX-3 enters the North American market in a new, hot segment, and MX-5 Miata continues its mission to provide unadulterated driving thrills to the masses. Last but not least, Mazda3 has been repackaged for 2016. Below is a list of what's new and different with Mazda's 2016 lineup.

Weekly Recap: Mazda's rotary revival ignites Tokyo Motor Show

Forty-eight years ago Mazda pioneered rotary engines in the Cosmo Sport. Mazda then honed the technology, won with it on the racetrack, and made it one of its signature features. If you're an enthusiast, rotary was a reason you like Mazda. It's a great part of the company's past. But until this week, that's exactly what we thought it was. History. That all changed with the reveal of the RX-Vision concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, which reignited the passions of the Mazda faithful. Suddenly, rotary was no longer a relic. The rotary concept shown in Japan was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car wrapped in the company's latest Kodo design language. It's powered by a Skyactiv-R unit (R for rotary), though specs were not disclosed. Mass production is "currently on hold," Mazda said, maintaining it never stopped development of rotary technology, even after the demise of the RX-8. Beyond that, we know nothing, other than the optimistic statement Mazda offered that: the "RX-Vision represents a vision of the future that Mazda hopes to one day make into reality." Put simply: we agree. OTHER NEWS & NOTES: Subaru previews next-gen Impreza While the Mazda concept was the headliner from Tokyo, Subaru's Impreza design study also stood out. The five-door concept is a signpost for the look of next-generation Impreza. It blends sportiness with functionality, and it's wrapped in a striking shade of 'high-luminance silver.' The fenders are flared to signal Subaru's all-wheel-drive capability, and the front has futuristic headlights that look like something from an Audi E-Tron concept. While most of this will be toned down in production, the concept suggests an elevated style for the Impreza, which is due as a 2017 model. Porsche adds potent GTS model to 2017 Macan line Porsche is giving the Macan crossover the GTS treatment, which will start at $68,195 when it goes on sale in March. GTS translates to more power, a sportier suspension, and interior and exterior design cues that sharpen the looks and reflexes of one of the most athletic SUVs on the market. Porsche recalibrated the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 from the Macan S to make 360 hp and 369 lb-ft, (up from 340 hp and 339 lb-ft in the S). It teams with a seven-speed PDK gearbox and all-wheel drive. An air suspension is standard. The body features a slew of black accents, and the standard 20-inch RS Spyder wheels are done up in a shade of satin black. The cabin gets leather, Alcantara, and GTS logos.