Getting a Closer Look at SkyActiv Powertrains

While we already know that most of the automakers in the world will have electric or hybrid powertrains in the future there are several years before that time and now. It’s not as if we’re going to flip a switch and suddenly see these electrified models offered on the market to give us the driving performance and qualities we want on the road. So until then, we look to SkyActiv powertrains.

Until the time when the hybrids and EVs are more prevalent on the roads, one company has figured out what should be a transitional powertrain. For many years the SkyActiv powertrains offered by Mazda have been ones that provide us with a faster torque delivery than we have with most engines. This means we’ve had more efficiency from these engines while reaching the peak levels of power sooner. Next, we will have the first gas-powered engine that uses compression ignition instead of a spark to give us the power needed to get things going on the road. This new engine technology is called SkyActiv-X.

The look we want

The power and the look we’re going to enjoy in the next version of the Mazda3 will use this SkyActiv-X technology. We’ll get a closer look at what this technology offers for us to have the drive desired and the performance we need when it arrives at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. This impressive engine technology is meant to give us more of what we need with the performance that’s right on the road which will also offer us the efficiency we’ve been searching for that’s somewhere near what you would have with a diesel engine.

The compression cycle in the SkyActiv-X engine uses the high compression to ignite the mixture of air and fuel which is extremely lean in order to reduce the emissions of this engine. This happens at lower rpm and when you push the accelerator hard you’ll have the performance you would expect from a regular supercharged Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine. When the engine moves into this cycle the ignition does start with a spark until the pressure heats up the cylinder to ignite the rest of the mixture without the aid of the spark plugs any further in the cycle.

This new engine isn’t all that Mazda has to show off at the show. We’ve also gotten a glimpse of a design study that could preview the future RX model as the next look to take the steps forward from the RX-Vision concept to what might make its way to the roads. A new engine and a new sports car from Mazda will make the Tokyo Motor Show one that’s extremely intriguing at the Mazda booth, where you can be certain many people will spend much of their time during this incredible show that will give us a look at some new items to look forward to.