CX-60 timing and transmission details

It looks like the 4cyl plug-in hybrid is coming first with the gas Skyactiv-x not arriving until 2023. I hope the CX-90 inline-6 is also not delayed. There are also some interesting comments regarding the 8-speed Auto.


The CX-60 will be the first vehicle to be based on the new Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture in the "Large" version. Mazda will be the first to launch the all-new model with a plug-in hybrid powertrain paired with a four-cylinder gasoline engine.

An all-new inline six-cylinder diesel will follow toward the end of 2022, and an inline six-cylinder gasoline engine with SPCCI combustion will follow later in 2023. Both six-cylinder engines will be combined with a 48V hybrid system. Power is always transmitted to the rear axle or optionally to all wheels by a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which houses the electric motor in the transmission for both the plug-in hybrid and the 48V hybrid. As a special feature, the automatic transmission developed by Mazda does not have a hydraulic torque converter, but instead has hydraulic clutches. The electric range is said to be around 60 kilometers. Mazda plans to show the CX-60, which is clearly trending toward premium, for the first time at the end of February.
 
(Malaysian site)

"The CX-60 will also be available with diesel engines in Japan, with the first being a Skyactiv-D 3.3 litre straight-six turbodiesel that serves up 231 PS (228 hp or 170 kW) from 4,000 to 4,200 rpm and 500 Nm from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm.

There will also be a mild hybrid version of the straight-six diesel engine called the e-Skyactiv D, which integrates Mazda’s M Hybrid Boost 48-volt electrical system to deliver 254 PS (251 hp or 187 kW) at 3,750 rpm and 550 Nm from 1,500 to 2,400 rpm. Every engine mentioned is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, although it’s not clear if AWD is an option for all.
"
 
(Malaysian site)

"The CX-60 will also be available with diesel engines in Japan, with the first being a Skyactiv-D 3.3 litre straight-six turbodiesel that serves up 231 PS (228 hp or 170 kW) from 4,000 to 4,200 rpm and 500 Nm from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm.

There will also be a mild hybrid version of the straight-six diesel engine called the e-Skyactiv D, which integrates Mazda’s M Hybrid Boost 48-volt electrical system to deliver 254 PS (251 hp or 187 kW) at 3,750 rpm and 550 Nm from 1,500 to 2,400 rpm. Every engine mentioned is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, although it’s not clear if AWD is an option for all.
"
It is too bad that something similar wasn’t available for Mazda’s first diesel option in the US. This engine at 250hp/400lbft with gas mileage of 5l/100km (47miles/g combined) would certainly be attractive even if it was a niche. Unfortunately that will never happen now due to the very lacklustre first effort.
 
Diesels are not exactly in demand for vehicles other than some trucks. I don't blame Mazda. The VW-gate fiasco destroyed many consumers' trust in diesel fuel technology.
 
New transmission is called the PM8AX-EC. Info is starting to come out about form and function. Really cool implementation. There is no torque converter, some of the early literature listed it as a DCT(whether from mistranslation or not) style buts its not a conventional DCT either. Its a planetary gearbox with an electric motor in the front of the unit. There is a clutch on either side of the motor. The clutch on the engine side can decouple the engine for full electric driving. There are 6 Clutch sets inside the transmission(1 on the back of the motor 2 brakes, 3 driving) and 4 planetary gear sets. When it launches from a standing start it locks the B2 brake and the C1 clutch set, it slips the clutches in the B2 brake for reverse and forward to get moving, once moving it locks that clutch as well. It then behaves as a regular planetary transmission for all other gears. I'm very interested in driving it to see how that feels in practice.
 

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New transmission is called the PM8AX-EC. Info is starting to come out about form and function. Really cool implementation. There is no torque converter, some of the early literature listed it as a DCT(whether from mistranslation or not) style buts its not a conventional DCT either. Its a planetary gearbox with an electric motor in the front of the unit. There is a clutch on either side of the motor. The clutch on the engine side can decouple the engine for full electric driving. There are 6 Clutch sets inside the transmission(1 on the back of the motor 2 brakes, 3 driving) and 4 planetary gear sets. When it launches from a standing start it locks the B2 brake and the C1 clutch set, it slips the clutches in the B2 brake for reverse and forward to get moving, once moving it locks that clutch as well. It then behaves as a regular planetary transmission for all other gears. I'm very interested in driving it to see how that feels in practice.
Very cool! I can't wait for these to become available. I love my CX5 but these seem like a entirely new chapter for Mazda.
 
I think the concern that I and some others have is that this implementation will FEEL the same way that a DCT does when taking off from a stop or in very low speed crawling situations. It's a robotically actuated clutch in both situations as far as I can see. Once the car is rolling most DCTs feel fine, it's that initial launch behavior that feels crude compared to a torque converter.

Of course the only way to know for sure is to wait until they are available and drive one.
 
I also wonder how it will feel with the inline-6. Currently only the PHEV will be initially available in EU and Japan, and that adds additional complexity.
 
It looks like the 4cyl plug-in hybrid is coming first with the gas Skyactiv-x not arriving until 2023. I hope the CX-90 inline-6 is also not delayed. There are also some interesting comments regarding the 8-speed Auto.

The CX-60 PHEV sold in Europe has the Skyactiv 2.5 G non-turbo engine.
 
I think the concern that I and some others have is that this implementation will FEEL the same way that a DCT does when taking off from a stop or in very low speed crawling situations. It's a robotically actuated clutch in both situations as far as I can see. Once the car is rolling most DCTs feel fine, it's that initial launch behavior that feels crude compared to a torque converter.

Of course the only way to know for sure is to wait until they are available and drive one.
The electric motor will have a significant role in standing start behavior in place of the torque converter. The motor will get it moving to overcome the DCT clutch problem, then it will operate like a normal DCT with no torque converter losses. The motor will continue to have a role once moving, but as a mild hybrid it won’t be too significant.

It’s a clever solution for optimizing fuel economy, and probably the most useful mild hybrid implementation yet seen. It does depend on fine tuning of the motor and clutch interactions at very low speeds, but hopefully that has been worked out.
 
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