Mazda is poised to completely reinvent itself by launching a new multi-purpose platform, a new chassis and suspension set-up, an advanced six-speed automatic box and a pair of uniquely engineered Sky petrol and diesel engines. These should be among the most fuel-efficient engines on sale.
The aim is to allow the company to prosper as a full-range, independent global car maker, while selling just 1.2 million cars per year.
Mazda 6 mules using all the new technology are currently on test in Europe, with sales of the all-new model expected in early 2012. Company sources say the new 2.2-litre Sky diesel-equipped 6 will be good for 105g/km of CO2, while the 2.0-litre petrol engine should manage 130g/km.
Seita Kanai, Mazdas R&D supremo, says the new corporate platform and engines are legislatively future-proofed for a decade. These new four-cylinder engines will form the basis of Mazdas global powertrain strategy and both feature highly unusual engineering solutions.
The diesel unit has a low 14:1 compression ratio plus trick injection and exhaust valve timing. It already meets 2013 Euro 6 emissions regulations without expensive NOx traps and is cheaper to build than todays Euro 5 diesels.
The petrol engine is normally aspirated but has a high 14:1 compression ratio and much-improved low-end torque. One of the key design features is a large 4-2-1 manifold, which required extra packaging space behind the front wheels.
The new platform is made from simple box sections that fit together to create a kind of steel spaceframe. This can be chopped to allow it to underpin everything from the next Mazda 3 to the next CX-7.
Its lighter then the current Mazda 6 structure and 30 per cent torsionally stiffer. The platform could be used for 800,000 vehicles a year. Mazda is even looking hard at adapting it for the new 2.
[autocar]
