Mazda Developing Two All-New Gas Engines

For over a decade, Mazda’s family if SKYACTIV gas and diesel engines have soldiered on, even as the shadow of the EV and PHEV continues to grow larger and larger. Mazda, of course, is keenly aware of this and has stated that they hope to have a fully electrified line-up by 2035. That, however, has not stopped them for going back to the internal combustion well, as they announced recently that they are developing not one but two new ICE engines, and these are no shrinking violets.

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.

In the Mazda world, it seems that for the time being of course, ICE is A-ok.