Japan has been secretly testing the engine of the future. Under the noses of the automotive world, Mazda have been working on a new four-cylinder internal combustion engine in secret and have unveiled the new engine in a quarterly financial document. A very sneaky move from Mazda. The Japanese have always done things a bit differently to the rest of the world. Mazda has long been a company that the buying public could rely on for cheap, well made cars that last a lifetime. This secret that has been revealed will affect their whole engine range, as well as ours eventually.
What is Mazda’s history in the automotive industry?
Mazda has very humble roots, as is the case with most major Japanese manufacturers of today. They began by making tools for manufacturing machines. And would eventually move onto small, three wheeled vehicles. After the destruction that Japan faced during World War 2, Mazda were an integral part of rebuilding Japan and Hiroshima in particular. Offering locals jobs and rebuilding the country, literally from the ground up.
Their venture into the automotive sector began in the 1960’s. They released their first car in May of 1960. Mazda launched its first mass-produced car, the innovative City-Coupé Mazda R360. That put them on the map of the global manufacturing sector. They followed that with the small saloon, the Mazda Carol 360, and later by the compact Mazda Familia 800.
So Mazda has a long history and they are no stranger to leading the automotive sector. The Japanese have a way of innovating the car, Mazda are surely aware of the worlds shift towards more efficient engines that are less harmful to the environment. Mazda have had their own plans, notably they have entered into a very public partnership with Toyota and Subaru on rotary engines. But the new secret that has been revealed, is all their own.
What have Mazda created that is so promising for the automotive industry?
The world is fast approaching a reality where the traditional internal combustion engine is no longer welcome on our roads. The emergence of the EV sector proved that the world is ready to accept an alternative form of power. However, the problems the EV has been facing is a regular thing in the automotive industry. The solution according to Mazda is to create a smaller, more efficient internal combustion engine for their cars.
Specifically they have created a four-cylinder engine that runs on good old gasoline. But the reduction in cylinders means the car will be way less harmful to the environment as well as be more fuel efficient. The engine is called Skyactiv-Z and will eventually replace both the Skyactiv-G and Skyactiv-X in their respective markets in the world. What makes this engine so promising is the possibilities it has to revolutionize all gasoline engines for the future.
The engine will be studied and the findings will be applied to their six-cylinder engines as well. Mazda revealed the secretive new four-cylinder engine as part of a document regarding 2024’s year-end financial quarter. Most likely seeking to keep the engine under wraps until launch, which is in 2027. While the world focuses on the EV, Mazda have chosen to invest in what they know.
Can Mazda lead the automotive sector into the future with this new engine?
While the world was convinced that they would be driving a Tesla into the future, that reality seems far off right now. The EV market has become a volatile place to try and do business. Hence, the automotive giants of the world are looking elsewhere in the pursuit of the fuel of the future. Mazda have made their position clear. They believe that the internal combustion engine still has a place in our lives. Details on the engine are minimal at the moment. We don’t know whether it will be supercharged or what the power output will be, but we know we are excited to see and drive it.