Mazda Skyactiv-x
We hit the road to try new petrol engine technology
WHILE most manufacturers are turning to turbos to balance power with efficiency, Mazda is plugging away with some clever tech to deliver a similar end result; and we’ve hit the road to try the latest phase of its development.
Called Skyactiv-x, it features a petrol engine that combines conventional gasoline technology with some of the features that make a diesel motor so attractive. It basically uses a spark plug as a way of initiating the compression ignition that’s common in diesel engines – and in theory, this should give the petrol engine better fuel efficiency and more low-down torque.
The engine in the prototype car is a supercharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit, and while it isn’t quite up to Mazda’s targets of 187bhp and 230Nm, the implementation feels good already.
There’s quick response and strong pull low down, both diesel-like traits. Compared with a current petrol Mazda 3, it feels like you need to change down gears less frequently on the road. And yet the Skyactiv-x still revs like a regular petrol engine higher up in the range.
Our prototype also featured some chassis alterations over the current 3, and they’re promising. The car steers s with typical Mazda precision, but it’s ’s quieter and more comfortable.
It’s no surprise that the improvements are being trialled on a 3, either. This model is due for renewal next year (previewed by the Kai concept, right), so expect the next-generation 3 to introduce this Skyactiv-x chassis’s tweaks and, the big news, its Skyactiv-x engine tech.
We try clever new Skyactiv-x engine in prototype 3 hatchback