Mazda goes hybrid
June 15, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Well, it was going to happen sooner than later. When Porsche is releasing diesels and working on fuel efficient cars while Lamborghini is trying to go green, you know the world is changing. One Japanese manufacturer that has never really taken Hybrid technologies that seriously has finally come to the party.
The Happy Car Company has changed its attitude towards Hybrid cars, announcing that it will put petrol-electric drivetrains into its lineup for the next decade. However Mazda will not create a whole new model just to compete with the Prius and Insight, it will simply equip its existing models with a hybrid option.
“It’s going to be the 20-tens that we’re going to be actually engineering all this, and we’re actually trying to pull that forward, if we can.” Executive Vice President Philip Spender said last week at the Japan launch of the Mazda3.
With the Toyota Prius claiming the best selling car title in Japan last month, other Japanese manufacturers have started to take notice. They may be years behind the Big T in hybrid technology but the sooner the better.
“We’ve started to talk a lot more about it lately, in part because everybody else is, we now know what the carbon dioxide targets are. We now know what our fleet performance and our gaps are,” Spender said.
The change in strategy will not conflict with the company’s current target to improve engines and transmissions to improve the fuel efficiency of its global fleet by 30 per cent come 2015.
Print it: 
“The Happy Car Company” ahahahaha
I note that the Mazda3 MPS 2.3 turbo engine has direct injection. It seems to generate some pretty huge power numbers for its size.
I wonder if that DI technology is an easy fit to the lesser 2 and 2.5 litre engines of the same family used in the Mazda3 and Mazda6.
Mazda could then follow the VW golf example and downsize the engines to 1.4 litre with a turbo.
probably get a 25% fuel saving straight away?
Good to see Mazda has finally decided to do something about fuel economy.
Obviously pure electric and fuel cell have finally been exposed as too impractical / too expensive / too far into the future to be of any use in the current stampede towards greater fuel efficiency.
Kind of vindicates the decisions that Toyota and Honda took ten years ago.
That’s good news! haha I’ve always liked Mazda but won’t consider buying one because of gas issue. But now that it has fuel economy models, would really get one :)
Its great to see all well developed car manufacturers in race for greens.
Captain Mainwaring Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
“Kind of vindicates the decisions that Toyota and Honda took ten years ago.”
More like 20 years ago.
Anyways, Mazda need this as their current line of cars are still way too thirsty, especially the 3.
They are not that thirsty, plus its worth it. They are affordable, reliable, dynamically superb and good looking. For all their merits, I wouldn’t mind sacificing a bit of fuel efficiency.
Why is it when Mazda says they want to go hybrid noone bashes them but when Toyota comes up with a new better hybrid everyone bashes them? Hmm…
Milobob – i agree with you and have asked the same question myself numerous times – but not posted on here for the fear of being labelled as a “toyota supporter”.
I do think that the audience on this site is very anti-Toyota/Lexus.
The old’s series 1 Mazda6 auto seems to use too much fuel for the performance it gives, especially when you’re paying the premium price…
Milobob and Aaaaaa,
I think the Toyota bashing has been adressed with AB weilding the banhammer recently to restore some order. A new CEO for Caradvice will probably address this too i think..
Anyho.. Mazda’s are pretty good on fuel actually. It is just they are a good drive so you use more fuel! That said the RX8 was silly. I used a tank in a day doing only 300 klm’s over Mt Nebo to the gap. Admit the fuel and the car wasn’t mine (thanks Mazda) but still, thats bad. Ok i will cut a sports car some slack but the CX9 is Terrible. Really bad. More than a LC200 petrol V8 and doesn’t have the 4×4 ability..
Hybrid Mx5 Tesla competition anyone?
^ Andrew, I agree. Even my MkII Mazda 6 is heavy on the PULP for the performance you get. Great car, but I always long for more power. But on average I get combined usage of around 10-11 L/100km – certainly nothing to write home about for a 4 cyl.
Fact is, Toyota (and Honda)have now proven that moving towards hybrid powertrains was not such an idiotic idea after all. As much as i like Mazda, they have been very slow in adoptng the technology.
Furthermore, for the best part of 10 years – GM heavily critised Toyota for investing in the technology but today GM promotes it’s own advances in the very same tech. that is once critised.
How is that a perfect example of arrogance.
Aaaaa – there are only a very few anti-Toyota bloggers that try to ruin what is otherwise a good site.
They have been banned.
For the rest of us, we are open minded about cars and car companies in general including many good examples that come from the world’s No.1 car company and in this case – the same one that leads the development of hybrid technology.
My old Mazda 6 wasn’t too bad on the fuel, but it was hampered a little by the 5 speed manual. (It was the fist of the 6’s)
Something like the MX5 could benefit from the extra grunt an electric motor could provide, as long as they didn’t make it too heavy and upset the balance
I think it’s inevetible that every manufacturer will have hybrid or similar, just to meet certain US state regs.
The Ford Fusion hybrid is finally making inroads into the sales dominance of the F series trucks in the US.
Luke, I would suggest that the pro-toyota extremist(s?) is probably the biggest problem on this site.
Seems if you have an valid & informed comment that doesn’t favour Toyota you are labelled a Toyota basher.
Design Eng – it seems if you have something positive to say about Toyota you are labelled a Ford / GM basher or pro Toyota extremist.
But then again, maybe pro Holden / Ford supporters are bothered by Toyota’s dominace over the past few years which begs the question, exactly which party has the problem.
Personally, i’m happy to leave it to monthly sales to settle scores.
Now … lets talk hybrid technology – something Toyota / Lexus and Honda set the standard for.
Geez, it’s quiet on here today. No fighting, just pleasant, on topic discussions – seems the temporary bans have done the world of good.
Luke, I disagree. Pro toyota comments, where waranted in a discussion are OK. Just as pro anything else is.
The comments that you refer to are generally thrown in to deliberately bash GM/Ford/Euros, and to provoke.
Talking monthly sales settling the score, interesting that it’s Ford’s hybrids that are driving sales success in the world’s 2nd biggest market, and that Toyota are suffering a huge sales slump.
But hey luke, as long as it’s informed and sivilised I’m OK with it.
(The new edit tool is too cool!)
I don’t think the fuel economy on the 6 is too bad. It is not the best in class but it is by far not the worst considering the size of the car. We have a series 1 Lux sedan with the 4 speed auto and quite easily get low 7s on a highway trip with the A/C on (as always in FNQ). Driving styles can have a HUGE impact on fuel economy. For example my wife always burns heaps more fuel around town than I do!! Plus I am willing to sacrifice a little economy for the quality of the drive!!
My 09 New Model Mazda 3 gets 9L/100k Full city driving, nothing special but also not too bad. Hope the price doesnt go up on hybrid mazda’s
More and more manufacturers are going this route, but for me I dunno if its a little to late why they didn’t do this 10 years ago I have no idea.