With stricter CAFE regulations looming on the horizon, Mazda says it has developed a new range of fuel efficient four-cylinder and rotary engines. The new engines will hit the market by 2011 and will be a major step in Mazda’s goal of improving its fleet fuel economy by 30 percent by 2015.
Mazda isn’t giving away too much on its new family of four-cylinder engines, but says the new powerplant will be based on the company’s current 2.0L engine. A new six-speed automatic transmission will also be part of the engine’s redesign, promising a significant boost in fuel economy. Mazda says the new engine-transmission combo will achieve at least 32 mpg city and 42 mpg highway.
“We want to provide this technology to all owners, not just through a few eco-friendly vehicles,” Seita Kanai, Mazda ’s r&d chief, told Automotive News.
Mazda failed to reveal which model would be the first to receive the new powertrain, but did say it would not be able to be retrofitted to any of Mazda’s current offers. That leaves the powertrain to one of Mazda’s future offerings, possible the next MX-5 due out early next decade. By 2015, the new engine should be available in most of Mazda’s models.
Additionally, Mazda says it is readying a new 1.6L rotary engine, for use in the next-generation of the RX-8 sports car. The new rotary engine will be lighter than the 1.3L currently in use, and will also boost fuel economy by at least 30 percent. If those figures are accurate, the next RX-8 should easily top the 30 mpg mark.
Mazda says it has no plans to improve its V6 engines, which are currently sourced from Ford .
