Mazda SKY-G petrol engine confirmed for Australia in 2011
Mazda Australia has confirmed the all-new direct-injection SKY-G petrol engine will become the first of a new generation of fuel-efficient powertrains offered when it debuts locally in 2011.
The Mazda2, Mazda3 and CX-7 are all expected to benefit from the new technology, although Mazda Australia is yet to confirm where we will see the SKY-G first.
Teamed with Mazda’s next generation six-speed SKY-Drive automatic transmission, the company is claiming 15 percent better torque and 20 percent improved fuel economy over the current 2.0-litre petrol engine.
That could potentially lead to torque of around 210Nm and economy of 6.6 litres/100km – similar to the efficiency figures currently achieved by the 1.5-litre Mazda2, which has only 137Nm.
The SKY-D direct-injection diesel – which offers up to 20 percent economy improvements over the current 2.2-litre unit – is expected to be next in line for Australia, but Mazda is yet to confirm its addition to the local line-up.
Mazda says many of the SKY-G’s efficiency gains are achieved through optimising combustion and minimising pumping and mechanical losses.
The SKY range is just one of Mazda’s efforts to reduce the average fuel economy of all Mazda vehicles sold globally by 30 percent from 2008 to 2015.
It is also focussing closely on weight reduction, reduced rolling resistance, improved aerodynamics and other devices including “i-stop” engine start-stop technology, regenerative braking and hybrid technology to achieve its target.
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