If you remember, in 2012, under the SKYACTIV sign – a holistic approach to designing its new generation of models – Mazda reinvented itself. New engines, platform, technological content and everything involved with the appealing KODO visual language. Result? In the last five years, we have not only seen the birth of higher quality products, but this has started to be reflected in sales.
During this period, sales grew by around 25% worldwide, from 1.25 to 1.56 million units. The clear bet on SUVs was a key ingredient for this growth. It was even up to the CX-5 SUV to be the first fully SKYACTIV model.
Mazda CX-9
Now, below the CX-5 we have the CX-3, and above the CX-9 destined for the North American market. And there are two more: the CX-4, sold in China - is to the CX-5 what the BMW X4 is to the X3 - and the recently announced CX-8, the seven-seat version of the CX-5 aimed at , for now, to the Japanese market. According to Mazda, its SUVs will represent 50% of global sales.
There is life beyond SUVs
If the sale of SUVs will bring much joy in the short term, the future must be prepared. A future that will be much more demanding for builders who have to deal with stricter emission regulations.
To face this new scenario, Mazda must present new products at the next show in Tokyo, which opens its doors at the end of October. News that should focus precisely on the sequel to the set of SKYACTIV technologies, called SKYACTIV 2.
Some details of what could be part of this technological package are already known. The brand is preparing to make known, as early as 2018, its HCCI engine, which is committed to increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines. We have already explained in more detail what this technology consists of.
Of the remaining technologies, little is known. In the recent presentation of the Mazda CX-5, the few pieces of information revealed made it possible to understand that more news is to be expected in fields other than just engines.
A Mazda… Stinger?
As the fantastic RX-Vision of 2015 made known the evolution of the KODO design language, the Tokyo salon should be the stage for the presentation of the new concept of the Japanese brand. We assume that such a concept serves as a showcase of the SKYACTIV 2 solution set.
The surprise may come over the shape of this concept. And it involves Kia Stinger. The Korean brand has made a substantial impact after unveiling its fastest model ever, and we've now learned that Mazda may be preparing something along similar lines to show in Tokyo. Barham Partaw, a Mazda designer, upon learning that in Portugal there were already orders for the Korean model, even though it had not yet arrived on the market, in a way of outburst, he said that “they should have waited a little longer”. What?!
And what does that mean? A slim rear-wheel drive fastback from Mazda? It definitely caught our attention.
Where does Wankel fit?
Despite the brand's efforts to prepare a new generation of internal combustion engines - which will continue to represent the majority of sales in the next decade -, the future at Mazda is also in electric vehicles.
We can advance now that it will not be a rival to the Tesla Model S or even the smallest Model 3. According to Matsuhiro Tanaka, head of the brand's research and development department in Europe:
“ is one of the possibilities we are looking into. Small cars are ideal for 100% electric solutions, because larger cars also require larger batteries that are too heavy, and that doesn't make sense for Mazda.”
In other words, we should expect, in 2019, a rival to the Renault Zoe or the BMW i3 – the latter with a version with range extender. There is a strong possibility that we will see a similar solution from Mazda for its electric future.
And as you may already be guessing, this is precisely where the Wankel will “fit in” – not long ago we detailed that possibility. More recently, in the official brand magazine, Mazda almost seems to confirm Wankel's future role as a generator:
“The rotary engine can really be on the verge of a comeback. As the sole source of propulsion, it can be comparatively more expendable as revs go up and down and loads vary. But at a constant speed at an optimized regime, such as a generator, it's ideal.”
However, Wankel may have other applications in the future:
“There are other future possibilities. Rotary engines run superbly on hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. It's also very clean, as hydrogen combustion only produces water vapor.”
We've seen some prototypes in this regard in the past, from an MX-5 to the latest RX-8. Despite the expectations that the brand itself seems to continue to feed, which includes the presentation of the fantastic RX-Vision (highlighted), it seems to be off the agenda, definitely a direct successor to machines like the RX-7 or RX-8.