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For its flagship CX-60 range, Mazda will be offering an all-new 48 V micro-hybrid diesel in-line six-cylinder from January 2023. A first for the Japanese manufacturer, and a daring bet at a time when this engine sees its sales decline in Europe.
After recently launching a CX-60 PHEV plug-in hybrid equipped with a 17.8 kWh battery for more than 60 km of all-electric range, Mazda unveils an all-new 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder diesel e- Skyactiv D associated with a 48 V micro-hybridization. This is the first time that Mazda has offered such a configuration.
The manufacturer puts forward a “multi-solution strategy” for some “customers looking for an efficient vehicle capable of traveling long distances“. While diesel engines are less and less popular with motorists (16.8% market share over the first six months of 2022 compared to 23% over the same period in 2021), the manufacturer is betting on the diversity of products in its range and the low fuel consumption and emissions of its new engine.
Developed based on the concept of “right sizing” (proper sizing of the cubic capacity according to the uses), which consists in optimizing the cubic capacity with the aim of reducing fuel consumption and increasing energy efficiency, this new 3283 cm³ e-Skyactiv D six-cylinder unit will be available in two power levels: 200 hp with rear-wheel drive and 254 hp with Mazda i-Activ AWD all-wheel drive.
Without giving more details, Mazda announces that its engine will not only be supported by a 48 V M Hybrid Boost micro-hybridization, but that it will also benefit from a new technology called DCPCI (Distribution-Controlled Partially Premixed Compression Ignition). It will probably be a pre-combustion chamber which will itself be associated with the technology of the manufacturer Skyactiv D which ensures, via an exceptionally low compression ratio, an optimization of the ignition and therefore of consumption.
Thanks to Skyactive D technology, Mazda was able to comply with the strict Euro 6 standard without an exhaust gas after-treatment device. With this new 3.3 l e-Skyactiv D engine, the manufacturer is, according to the press release, “convinced that it will largely meet the requirements of future emission standards when they come into force.“A daring bet when we do not yet know precisely what the future Euro 7 standard will be made of.
In the meantime, the 200 hp version claims an average WLTP consumption of 4.9 l/100 km. The 254 hp version announces a 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 s and an average consumption of 5.3 l/100 km. Interesting figures with regard to the approval that such an engine architecture can potentially bring.
In terms of driving, Mazda announces that its six-cylinder will weigh as much as its four-cylinder equivalent, while offering more torque (550 Nm) and less vibration.
After 2025, the manufacturer will launch its new scalable Skyactiv EV architecture, which will allow the brand to produce electric vehicles of different sizes using a single platform.