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Mazda confirms MX-30 will get a rotary engine as a range extender

Mazda teased out the possible return of the rotary engine as a range extender in the MX-30 earlier this year, but now the rotary’s return appears to be official for MazdaÂ’s new crossover. In a video (below, skip to 7:34, and turn on English subtitles) streamed to MazdaÂ’s official YouTube channel, CEO Akira Marumoto confirmed that Mazda will use a rotary engine in the MX-30. Just as it was initially teased out, Mazda plans to use the rotary as a range extender on the otherwise all-electric version of the MX-30. Marumoto said that it will begin testing with a small batch of prototypes next year. The goal is to have a production version of the MX-30 with a rotary engine on Japanese roads in 2022. Unfortunately, Mazda wasnÂ’t super forthcoming about the specifics of this upcoming rotary engine. A news brief over two years ago (where Mazda officially confirmed the rotary was coming back) contained the most detailed information about the engine. Mazda says itÂ’s going to be compact, have a high power output and be a smooth operator. Of course, those are all things we expect out of a rotary engine. Any numbers or specifications for the engine are still unknown. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mazda hasnÂ’t announced specific plans for this rotary range extender outside of the MX-30 for now. The cute and spunky MX-branded crossover is now on sale in Japan where itÂ’s launching with a mild-hybrid powertrain. An all-electric version of the MX-30 has been on sale in Europe for about a month now, too. There are still no official plans for Mazda to unleash the MX-30 on the American public, and even if it did, thereÂ’s no guarantee that weÂ’d get one with a rotary range extender. Mazda could always stick the rotary in a different car, but thatÂ’d mean an even longer wait for us to see one here. TodayÂ’s news is certainly worthy of some excitement for rotary enthusiasts, but there are still plenty of questions left unanswered. Related Video:

Mazda CX-3 to be diesel-only in Japanese home market

Diesel power. It's not just for Europeans anymore. In fact, when Mazda introduces its new CX-3 compact crossover to its home market of Japan, the model will be exclusively diesel-powered, Reuters says, citing remarks made by Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai. Consistent with its recent push for better fuel economy, Mazda is embracing diesel power as a way to boost fuel-economy for cars that may be larger than the compact variety. Mazda, which plans to make about 150,000 gas- and diesel-powered CX-3s for global consumption per year, is pricing the diesel CX-3 at about $20,000 in Japan. Diesel sales accounted for less than three percent of new-vehicle sales in Japan last year, so there's a risk to Mazda's strategy. But the automaker, which is the fifth-largest in Japan, says performance and noise (and smoke) issues largely associated with diesel powertrains in the past have largely been eliminated. In all, Mazda expects worldwide sales for the year ending March 31 to rise almost five percent from a year earlier to about 1.4 million units. Mazda showed off an early version of the CX-3 at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November, though North American versions of the model will indeed be gas-powered. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Mazda CX-3: LA 2014 View 17 Photos News Source: Reuters Green Mazda Diesel Vehicles mazda cx-3

Mazda CX-5 in auto-brake accident on Japanese test drive

As we slowly march towards a world where our cars will drive for us, there will be mishaps. Systems will act up, not behave has intended or we'll simply forget to turn them on. We all remember when Volvo tested the S60's City Safety system. Now Mazda has had an issue of its own.
During a test of a Mazda CX-5's Smart City Brake Support on a dealership lot in Japan, a prospective customer and a dealership employee were injured when they hit a urethane barrier used for testing the system. According to Bloomberg, which spoke with the Saitama Prefectural Police, the impact with the barrier left the customer with an injured neck while the dealership employee suffered a fractured arm. Considering the injuries, we imagine this wasn't a small barrier.
"For any safety function, it's impossible to be 100-percent free of accidents. These technical functions aren't always the easiest to understand," IHS Automotive auto parts analyst, Hiroshi Ataka told Bloomberg.