Mazda is a a lot smaller firm globally than fellow Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Nissan and Honda nevertheless it has a storied historical past, being initially based as a cork manufacturing facility in 1920 earlier than switching to automobile manufacturing in 1931.

Arguably extra so than its Japanese counterparts, Mazda is unafraid of taking dangers. A few of these, reminiscent of the event of the MX-5, have paid off.

Others, such because the continuous funding in rotary engines, have been much less profitable, regardless of producing some iconic vehicles. Some have even introduced the corporate near chapter, reminiscent of its over-investment within the Amati and Eunos luxurious marques throughout the peak of the Japanese financial increase within the 80s and early 90s.

Mazda’s most up-to-date long-term gamble has been the event of a brand new method to creating extra environment friendly vehicles with out compromising on efficiency, or the lauded ‘Zoom-Zoom’ and ‘jinba-ittai’ (unity of rider with horse) driving feeling that Mazda claims its vehicles are famend for.

This method is called SkyActiv, and represents a set of applied sciences starting from engines to transmissions and chassis applied sciences.

Temporary historical past

Parts of Mazda’s SkyActiv philosophy have been in manufacturing for greater than a decade, and the primary automotive to be bought in Australia below the SkyActiv banner was the BL Collection 2 (mid-life facelift) Mazda 3 hatch and sedan launched in late 2011.

These fashions had been outfitted with SkyActiv engines and transmissions solely, and whereas the facility and torque will increase of the two.0-litre SkyActiv-G engine had been modest in comparison with the previous MZR 2.0-litre engine, the vehicles did have a considerable 25.6 per cent enchancment in gasoline consumption.

As we speak, all the Mazda passenger automotive and SUV vary makes use of the total gamut of SkyActiv applied sciences. The one exception is Mazda’s BT-50 ute, based mostly on the Isuzu D-Max. Nevertheless, Mazda claims that, as the newest BT-50 options considerably extra economical engines than its predecessor, it aligns with the general SkyActiv philosophy.

It’s necessary to notice that whereas Mazdas on sale at the moment share SkyActiv branding with fashions bought a decade in the past, this doesn’t imply that Mazda has been standing nonetheless, with Mazda often enhancing and refining SkyActiv know-how.

SkyActiv engines

Mazda’s SkyActiv engine household can finest be considered a sequence of engineering ideas and shared design components, that span all kinds of naturally aspirated, turbocharged (each petrol and diesel) and hybrid powertrains.

These embody comparatively excessive compression ratios for petrol engines, and relatively low compression ratios for diesel engines.

Mazda claims that for petrol engines, a excessive compression ratio improves thermal effectivity, resulting in larger gasoline economic system, while additionally enhancing low and mid-range torque for higher on a regular basis drivability.

Mazda’s naturally-aspirated petrol SkyActiv engines subsequently usually use excessive compression ratios starting from 13.0:1 to fifteen.0:1 within the progressive SkyActiv-X powertrain, whereas even turbocharged petrol SkyActiv engines undertake a ten.5:1 compression ratio, excessive in comparison with related powerplants.

One of many dangers with utilizing high-compression ratios is an elevated danger of engine knock, whereby the air-fuel combination combusts prematurely, and might trigger critical injury to the engine.

One widespread answer to that is limiting the engine to solely settle for high-octane gasoline (reminiscent of 98 RON), nevertheless, Mazda has designed a extra everlasting different by adopting a ‘4-2-1’ exhaust system. This bodily will increase the size of the exhaust manifold, and lowers the probabilities of sizzling residual gasoline being compelled again into the combustion chamber and inducing engine knock.

For diesel engines, a low 14.0:1 compression ratio is used, which Mazda claims permits its engines to satisfy stringent Euro 6 emissions rules (particularly regarding nitrous oxide or NOx emissions) with out the necessity for AdBlue or different exhaust gasoline remedies.

Lately, SkyActiv know-how has moved into the mild-hybrid area, with the e-SkyActiv G engine making use of a 24V mild-hybrid system to enhance gasoline economic system.

Maybe probably the most notable innovation within the SkyActiv engine lineup, nevertheless, has been the introduction of the SkyActiv-X engine. Mazda claims that this engine combines the very best points of petrol and diesel engines by way of a course of often known as Spark Managed Compression Ignition (SPCCI).

SPCCI combines the very best components of spark ignition, as utilized in petrol engines, with compression ignition, as utilized in diesel engines.

An preliminary spark is used to generate a fireball to start the combustion course of, just like a petroleum engine. Nevertheless, the precise combustion of the air-fuel combination happens quickly and persistently, just like compression ignition, slightly than the gradual combustion of a typical petrol engine.

Mazda claims that this know-how permits it to ship 30 per cent extra torque than a regular SkyActiv G 2.0-litre engine, whereas additionally besting the SkyActiv D diesel in gasoline economic system.

Real-world testing of the Mazda 3 with this powertrain has proven its mixed economic system to be barely higher than that of the extra highly effective 2.5-litre engine, if not as frugal as, for instance, a Toyota Corolla hybrid. It’s additionally provided in the related CX-30.

SkyActiv transmissions

Mazda has additionally utilized SkyActiv ideas to the transmissions it makes use of, together with each handbook and computerized transmissions.

Handbook transmissions have had greater than a century of refinement, but the handbook transmission in Mazda’s MX-5 is broadly lauded as among the best accessible within the trade no matter value.

With its new SkyActiv-MT, Mazda aimed to duplicate the shift really feel of the MX-5 throughout manuals used all through its lineup, facilitating a discount in transmission weight of 16 per cent, by way of developments such because the removing of the reverse idle shaft.

Automated transmissions have lengthy overtaken manuals in recognition in markets reminiscent of Australia and the US, and maybe the extra spectacular improvement is Mazda’s SkyActiv-Drive computerized transmission, which it claims combines the very best components of ordinary torque converter, CVT and dual-clutch transmissions utilized in different automobiles.

Virtually, SkyActiv-Drive works as a traditional computerized transmission. Usually, these transmissions characteristic a lock-up clutch that matches transmission velocity to engine velocity, however solely function 50 per cent of the time to take care of low ranges of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

With its SkyActiv-Drive transmission, Mazda makes use of a lock-up clutch that may function 80 per cent of the time and, with the addition of a vibration damper, doesn’t trigger any loss in refinement.

Mazda claims this permits its transmission to have the sleek takeoff and creeping of a standard computerized, with a number of the responsiveness and direct driving really feel of a dual-clutch, and not one of the slippage or droning noises generally skilled in CVT transmissions.

SkyActiv physique and chassis

Physique and chassis constructions are key contributors to the load and security of a automobile, and Mazda claims it has made vital enhancements below its SkyActive philosophy.

The general method right here was to coordinate the assorted disparate constructions which might be mixed to kind a monocoque, with a concentrate on load switch and rigidity. This meant that, the place attainable, beforehand curved points of the monocoque would get replaced with a extra inflexible, straight half, whereas extra superior welding and bonding strategies could be used to create a repeatedly bonded framework.

These developments allowed Mazda to enhance security by making a extra refined multi-path load construction such that within the occasion of a collision, forces are distributed in a number of instructions slightly than by way of a single a part of the physique.

Supplies-wise, Mazda claims that automobiles with a SkyActiv physique additionally incorporate a larger proportion of high-tensile metal, bringing advantages to each physique energy and weight.

Whereas suspension and steering methods can differ based mostly on mannequin (e.g. the Mazda 3 makes use of a less expensive torsion-beam rear suspension, slightly than an unbiased setup just like the Mazda 6 and CX-5), Mazda claims it has revised its method to suspension improvement, and has additionally launched a brand new electrical energy steering system that provides higher high-speed stability and low velocity agility.

Different automobile dynamics

Alongside enhancements to the bodily physique and chassis, Mazda has additionally launched extra superior digital automobile dynamics applied sciences, that purpose to enhance cornering at velocity. Often called G-Vectoring Management and G-Vectoring Management Plus (GVC and GVC Plus), these can successfully be considered Mazda’s tackle torque vectoring.

The unique GVC minutely modulated engine torque output based mostly on the motive force’s steering and acceleration inputs, aiming to handle the forces that act on the automobile and supply delicate enhancements to automobile turn-in.

The newest system, GVC Plus, extra carefully mimics the brake-based torque vectoring methods utilized by different carmakers, in including momentary braking, in an try to enhance automobile stability and improve dealing with.