Mazda Is Doubling-Down on Gas Power
October 18 2022,
As Mazda, like the rest of the car world, continues to strive towards a full-EV future (which they say they should reach as a company by 2035), they also understand that there’s still life left in the world of the internal combustion engine and are working hard on developing two new engines in that vein.
The first is a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder gas engine that, thanks to its being naturally-aspirated and helped along by a 48V mild hybrid system, is able to make strong, smooth power without the need for turbocharging which, in turn, means the engine should run to its full capacity using regular fuel.
Each cylinder makes 500 CC, which Mazda claims that is the best cylinder size to ensure the most bang for your buck due to the well-balanced physics and thermodynamics it allows for. This means it will be just as economic as a four-cylinder, as well as compact enough to mesh seamlessly with a new 8-speed transmission without hurting aerodynamics by sitting too high in the engine bay.
Joining the 3.0-litre six is another more traditional engine type, and this one’s perhaps the wild card of the two: a 3.3-litre “Skyactiv-D” diesel engine, also with 48V mild hybrid assistance. It’s an evolution of the smaller 2.2L unit last seen in the CX-5 crossover, and makes used of something called “egg-shaped combustion chambers”. According to Mazda, what that shaping does is allow the air-fuel mixture to divide into two different areas within the piston bowl. That means better combustion – always key when it comes to operating smoothy and efficiently – that leaves less unburned fuel residue sticking around.
While both engines are six-cylinder units, they are of course very different takes on the subject and do well to show that Mazda believes strongly that there’s still life left in the ICE world.
