Having earlier announced new ‘Sky’ engines and transmissions, Mazda Motor has followed up with the launch of its ‘Skyactiv’ next-generation technologies — including engines, transmissions, vehicle bodies and chassis — that will appear first in the Japanese domestic market Demio (sold overseas as the 2) on sale in the first half of 2011.
It will be powered by the Skyactiv-G, a next-generation direct injection petrol engine that achieves significantly improved fuel efficiency thanks to a high compression ratio of 14.0:1 and can achieve fuel economy of 30km/litre without any assistance from an electric motor.
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Skyactive is the new blanket term for innovative next-generation technologies that are being developed under Mazda’s long-term vision for technology development.
President and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi said: “Mazda is renewing its entire powertrain and platform lineup at the same time as revolutionising every manufacturing process from R&D through to mass production.”
The Skyactive-D clean diesel engine will meet global emissions regulations without expensive NOx aftertreatments, urea selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or a lean NOx trap (LNT) — thanks to a claimed world-lowest diesel engine compression ratio of 14.0:1. It gets 20% better fuel efficiency as a result.
A new two-stage turbocharger gives a smooth and linear response from low to high engine speeds, and greatly increases low- and high-end torque (up to the 5,200 rpm rev limit)
It also complies with global emissions regulations (Euro6 in Europe, Tier2Bin5 in North America, and the Post New Long-Term Regulations in Japan), without expensive NOx aftertreatment
‘Skyactiv-Drive’ is a highly efficient automatic transmission that achieves excellent torque transfer efficiency through a wider lock-up range and features the best attributes of all transmission types. It is said to combine all the advantages of conventional automatic transmissions, continuously variable transmissions, and dual clutch transmissions while a dramatically widened lock-up range improves torque transfer efficiency and realizes a direct driving feel that is equivalent to a manual transmission.
All that gives a 4% to 7% improvement in fuel economy compared to the current transmission, the automaker said.
Skyactiv-MT is a light and compact manual transmission which Mazda claims has a crisp and light shift feel like that of a sports car, optimised for a front-engined front-wheel-drive layout, with significantly reduced size and weight due to a revised structure, resulting in more efficient vehicle packaging thanks to its compact size as well as improved fuel economy due to reduced internal friction.
The Skyactiv-body is a lightweight and highly rigid body with claimed outstanding crash safety performance. It includes a ‘straight structure’ in which each part of the frame is configured to be as straight as possible. Additionally, a ‘continuous framework’ approach was adopted in which each section functions in a coordinated manner with the other connecting sections. Weight was reduced weight through optimised bonding methods and expanded use of high-tensile steel.
The Skyactiv chassis has newly developed front strut and rear multilink suspension for high rigidity and lightness (The entire chassis is 14% lighter than the previous version.)
