This must be one of the most bizarre events in recent times when it comes to corporate communication. First, rumors said Mazda would kill the rotary engine in the MX-30: the range extender would not be feasible. Asked about it, the company said it was not the case but that it had no date for that. Asked again, it said the car would arrive in 2022. We questioned Mazda ourselves and learned the rotary engine would be in more applications, such as PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) and HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles).

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If all that sounds confusing, this story started when Hans Greimel read in Nikkei and Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun that Mazda would have given up on the rotary engine. When he contacted the company, the Automotive News editor heard from Masahiro Sakata that it would still be offered, but the arrival date was “undecided.”

Road Show then contacted the American press relations department and heard that the plans for an MX-30 with a rotary engine range extender did not change and that Mazda would sell this car in 2022. We would have contacted Sakata to learn what happened, but we did not manage to locate him. Our best shot was to get in touch with the European and the American PR departments to understand what was going on.

Mazda’s European staff then told us that the rotary engine range extender would indeed arrive in 2022 with the MX-30. Not only that: the Japanese carmaker would also be planning to offer PHEVs and HEVs with rotary engines, which implies they will also power the cars in some situations. Until now, we thought that the rotary engine would not be used to drive vehicles anymore due to stricter emission rules that it always struggled to comply with.

Electric vehicles with range extenders and plug-in hybrids are considered by many as the same thing. They would be simply series hybrid vehicles. Although they fit under this same classification, these EVs are very different “animals.” Electric cars with range extenders do not have a combustion engine helping to move them. Plug-in hybrids can charge their batteries and have the electric motor, the engine, or both of them powering the wheels.

Mazda makes a difference between them, demonstrating that the rotary engine will also drive the car in the PHEV and HEV products. If it were used only to power the electric motor in both these kinds of vehicles, Mazda would offer something similar to Nissan’s e-Power system, but that does not make sense if you set EVs and PHEVs apart.

The e-Power system created electric vehicles that charge solely from an embedded ICE generator. Powering these cars with gasoline makes no difference to the fact that only the electric motors drive them. Calling them hybrids is not correct when it comes to how they move.

Regardless of the technical discussion involved, Mazda’s message here is clear: the rotary engine it developed will be cleaner than we could imagine. While we would still love to hear from the Japanese spokesman why he said this engine’s arrival was still undecided, Sakata may not be able to answer while he works for Mazda. For the brand’s fans, the good news is that they’ll have more options. Let’s just hope that 2022 confirms what the American and European PR departments told Road Show and us.

Mazda has recently filed fourteen patents in Japan, and all focus on a sports car. One of the images, as you can see in the gallery, features the shape of the rear quarter panel and the model's greenhouse. It does not take a Mazda aficionado to notice the resemblance to the RX-Vision concept displayed six years ago.
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According to IPForce.jp, the patents are focused on the all-aluminum space frame structure of a new model, which has a coupe body style. Mazda has come up with a different rear body structure that enables increased rigidity for the rear suspension and the driven axle. In other words, Mazda has thought of a way to make a stiff rear axle for the rear-wheel-drive model that has a coupe body.

Everything points to a new sports car, but the patents do not guarantee the debut of a future Mazda sports car. Every automaker's design and development teams are working around the clock to produce innovative ideas, and each step is patented to ensure its potential use if needed. While the sports car market is not exactly booming now, things may change in the future, and Mazda will be ready to launch something new if their board approves the project.

While some dreamed that Mazda will continue its line of rotary-engined sports cars, the Japanese automaker has yet to develop a solution that will allow this type of engine to comply with even stricter emissions regulations. However, Mazda has proven it can build cars without rotaries and make them desirable, so the engine of the potential sports car should not be a problem.

It is worth noting that Mazda is developing a new inline-six engine, which is meant to be positioned longitudinally in the engine bay. The said unit is meant to power a future sedan in the automaker's range, but that can also imply that the unit could be the powertrain of a future sports coupe from Mazda.

While the sports coupe market is not leading sales rankings these days, Mazda could deliver an interesting car with sporty attributes. With six-cylinder power, rear-wheel drive, and the aforementioned rear axle and stiff suspension, it could prove to be a new halo car for the Japanese brand.

Mazda's pledge to release more electric vehicles might not signal the end of its celebrated rotary engine. The firm is reportedly developing a hydrogen-burning Wankel that could be used to power a successor to the RX-8.

Without citing sources, Japanese magazine Best Car wrote that Mazda has never fully stopped developing the rotary engine. It significantly scaled back the program after production of the RX-8 ended in 2012, but reports circulated and even patents for rotary tech appeared in the intervening years. It expanded it again in the late 2010s to design a range extender for the MX-30 electric crossover. The development team's focus has now shifted to making a Wankel that's capable of burning hydrogen, according to the same report.

Details such as horsepower, torque, and the number of rotors haven't been released yet, likely because the engine is still at the embryonic stage of development, but it's a solution that presents several technical advantages. One of hydrogen's weak points is that it tends to ignite at heat spots inside the cylinders. Best Car noted that there are no heat spots in a Wankel engine, because it uses rotors rather than pistons, so it's well suited to burning hydrogen.

Igniting hydrogen is uncommon; most of the carmakers who dabble in the technology use the fuel to generate electricity, which then zaps one or more electric motors into motion. It's not unprecedented, however. Mazda tested and even leased experimental RX-8s whose engines could run on either gasoline or hydrogen in the 2000s, though the system took up the entire trunk and weighed nearly 200 pounds. The engine was even used in some test Mazda5 minivans. More recently, Toyota (which is working with Mazda on several projects) built a Corolla endurance race car powered by a turbocharged three-cylinder that burned hydrogen.

There's no word yet on what the new rotary would power. One possibility is the RX-Vision concept-like coupe that appeared in trademark filings in August 2021. It could arrive as a hybrid with a pair of in-wheel electric motors. If it looks anything like the 2015 concept (pictured), fans would undoubtedly welcome it as the RX-8's heir.

"If we decide to do it, the prototype will be completed within three years. The most likely system is one that combines an electric turbo," an anonymous Mazda official told Best Car. Making a prototype is relatively easy; making a business case that holds water is much more difficult. Ultimately, whether the project receives the green light for production depends on how much development will cost and whether enough people will buy the car.

Mazda hasn't commented on the report, and its future plans for the rotary engine are murky at best. There were some reports that said the range extender might have been frozen, but reports since have said that they're continuing unabated.

Rumors about the next Mazda 6 sedan had us really excited. It promised a dynamic rear-wheel-drive layout and an inline six-cylinder engine in front, the kind of setup that used to be associated with virtually every version of the BMW 3 Series. While the recent discontinuation of the Mazda 6 in the USA has cast doubt on this materializing, one never knows exactly what the future holds. We do have more of an idea of what Mazda's engineers are up to, though. CarBuzz has uncovered a new patent by Mazda for a boosted engine that combines both turbocharging and an electric supercharger, which should mitigate the effects of turbo lag.


Twin-charged engines are not new but are rare, although Volvo does offer a powertrain in its XC90 SUV that is both turbo- and supercharged. Mazda's patent filing describes the following: "An engine with a boosting system is provided, which includes a turbocharger including a compressor provided in an intake passage of the engine and configured to boost intake air to be supplied to the engine, and a turbine provided in an exhaust passage of the engine. The engine includes an electric supercharger provided in the intake passage downstream of the compressor and configured to operate when the engine operates in a low-speed range."

The instant kick of power produced by a supercharger should, in theory, make models equipped with this engine good to drive at all speeds.

Mazda is offering a new service in Japan that unlocks some untapped potential from your 3 or CX-30. Called Mazda Spirit Upgrade, it makes software updates to the car's ECU, or engine control unit, the computer that governs the motor's functions, to add power and improve the car's accelerative abilities.

The upgrade isn't some nominal amount, either. The first release, called Spirit Upgrade D1.1 for Japan-market turbocharged 1.8-liter SkyActiv-D diesel engines, bumps output from 114 to 128 horsepower, a 14-horse improvement. The reflash also modifies the exhaust gas recirculator programming to reduce turbo lag.

While there's no increase in torque, the upshot of all this is that the torque curve is broader, providing more grunt between 2,800 and 4,300 rpm. What's more, the torque delivery more closely matches the accelerator pedal angle, which means less bog and a more consistent and predictable feel when taking off from a stop, going in for an overtake or slingshotting from an apex.

Cars eligible for the upgrade include Mazda 3 diesels built between April 2, 2019, and November 3, 2020, as well as Mazda CX-30 diesels built between August 6, 2019, and November 30, 2020.

The Spirit Upgrade costs $420 and can be done at any Mazda dealer in Japan. Mazda also adds that the upgrade adds power without affecting fuel economy or warranty. However, once you get it, it can't be undone. So if you prefer the way your car drove with less power and torque, there's no way to go back.

Given the nomenclature, it certainly appears the diesel upgrades are just the first step. Mazda has stated they will provide software upgrades to SkyActiv-X-equipped cars in Japan as well with a date TBD. Volvo has offered a similar program with Polestar-branded ECU upgrades on a wide range of their models as well.

The updates aren't limited to power, either. Mazda has confirmed updates that raise the speed of the Cruising and Traffic Support system, which allows the car to follow at a set distance from the car in front and, when applicable, self-steer to maintain lanes. A different update to the radar cruise control smooths out the acceleration and braking of that system.

Mazda North America said it won't be offering Spirit Upgrade in the U.S., considering that it doesn't currently offer Skyactiv-X , Skyactiv-D, or Cruising and Traffic Support. But that answer doesn't necessarily rule out a similar program for the products it does offer here.

It's certainly nice of car companies to give owners a way to retrofit their cars with newly unearthed features without having to buy an entirely new car. However, we hope this doesn't lead some of the more, shall we say, subscription-happy companies from artificially sandbagging their cars so they can upsell customers later on.

Mazda announced today it would offer a more extensive variety of SUVs in all markets: the CX-60, CX-70, CX-80, and CX-90. It also promised the plug-in hybrid version of the MX-30 for the first half of 2022. What all that will allow it to achieve is a flexible production system, as revealed by Automotive News. In any scenario, that sounds like a competitive advantage, but with the EV shift, it is also a way to stay alive if it makes the wrong bets.Mazda’s new production system is based on the so-called Traverse Dolly Line, combined with AGV (automatic guided vehicles). The traverse dollies replace fixed conveyors and hangers and count on flat palettes platforms that follow them. Summing up, this new production method killed most fixed structures.

With this acquired flexibility, Mazda can extend the line or retool it for a new vehicle in much less time than it did before. When it comes to retooling, the Japanese carmaker reduced the time necessary for that by 80%, while the investment in that change is 90% lower. If we were talking about extending a line, the company would spend a week instead of six in the process.

Apart from the manufacturing benefits, the new system will also impact the well-being of workers, who will no longer risk stepping on conveyors or dodge hangers in the production process. Mazda told Automotive News that making things easier for them helped increase productivity by 25%.


The first factory to adopt the new production technologies was Hofu, but all Mazda facilities are supposed to do the same. When it comes to the new Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Huntsville, Alabama, using the system would imply sharing the benefits with Toyota. Mazda may make some money if the idea is patented: licensing it to one of the biggest carmakers in the world would ensure an additional revenue stream.

This “rootless” approach gave the Japanese the flexibility it will need in case demand for electric cars increases or if it is forced to sell them all of a sudden, which is something Mazda showed it would not accept without some resistance.

The company presented the MX-30 as its first mass-produced electric vehicle, but that is not true. The MX-30 is a vehicle that can be powered solely by electric motors and fed by a battery pack, but its range limitations frame it as a compliance car. It is for Mazda as the Ioniq is for Hyundai with its multiple versions: BEV, HEV, and PHEV. And that’s an approach it tends to have with all its future cars.


With vehicles that can present any grade of electrification, Mazda will be able to manufacture whichever version has more demand. The problem is that all of its versions will have compromises that tend to make the brand be ignored by customers willing to have an electric car. In other words, having an EV to sell does not equate to having customers craving to buy them.

If Mazda simply added its rotary engine to the current electric MX-30, it would make it one of the best plug-in hybrids in the market, with one of the longest ranges of them all. However, the company already said it would reduce the size of the battery pack. It says that will make it lighter, but the real explanation seems to be that it will be cheaper to build.

We’ll confirm that in the first quarter of 2022. Although we hope to be pleasantly surprised with a different strategy (giving the current electric MX-30 the rotary engine), it is improbable to happen. As flexible and agile as Mazda may now be, that may not save it from poor decisions regarding new products: it will only make them less damaging. What the company really needs is a convincing electric vehicle. New technologies, such as solid-state batteries, may help it get there.

Back in May, sources for Australian magazine Wheels said Mazda planned to introduce a new CX-50 crossover at next month's L.A. Auto Show. That vehicle, we were told, would be the spearhead for a range of models sitting on Mazda's new longitudinal, rear-wheel-drive platform and powered by straight-six engines we've hankered after for XXX years. The source was correct, Mazda announcing today that it will release five new crossovers for various markets in 2022 and 2023. The first will be the CX-50, which we'll see in L.A. in November and sit on the on the small platform that supports the Mazda3 and CX-30. It enters production next January at the Huntsville, Alabama plant that's part of Mazda's joint venture with Toyota.

After that come four crossovers built on the Mazda's new Large platform. The two-row CX-60 and three-row CX-80 are for international markets with narrower roads and vehicle infrastructure, like Europe, Japan and Australia. The two-row CX-70 and three-row CX-90 — the CX-90 will come first — are for the U.S., built with wider bodies, "big presence," more interior room, and all the gas-powered ponies Americans demand.

As is the standard now, powertrains will be dispensed based on market location. The U.S. can expect the new Skyactiv-X 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with 48-volt mild hybrid assistance and a plug-in hybrid using a 2.5-liter four-cylinder heart that we'll suppose is sourced from Toyota. International markets will also get access to the new Skyactiv-D 3.3-liter diesel-powered inline-six with mild hybrid help, and they'll get a plug-in, too. All the new CX products will come standard with all-wheel drive.

The CX-5 remains in the lineup here as a less expensive alternative, offering a front-wheel-drive trim on an older platform with an older engine. Australian outlet Drive said its local lineup would retain the CX-8 and CX-9, so there's a chance our CX-9 (pictured) holds on as well.

The automaker mentioned that alongside this product push, the MX-30 will get additional marketing love as it becomes the champion for "modes which incorporate multiple electrification technologies that use a rotary engine as a generator from the first half of 2022." There's your Wankel, and a potential place to put the new e-Skyactiv R logo and branding. Come 2025, Mazda plans to have a dedicated EV platform supporting a new battery-electric product line. Company bosses want every model sold to be electrified by 2030, and for EVs to make up a quarter of sales by then.

It's been nearly a decade since Mazda made a rotary-powered car. The last one it rolled out was the RX-8 that ceased production in 2012. Since then, rumors of a successor have come and gone, but none have materialized. Mazda did say that they will bring the unusual engine back in 2019, albeit as a range extender for the 2022 MX-30 electric crossover.

Mazda is still pushing for rotary power in one way or another. This time around, a patent hints at something more exciting than a range extender in a small electric crossover. The latest filing by Mazda suggests that it is mulling a rear-wheel drive, rotary-powered car with hybrid technology.

It isn't the first time Mazda patented a rotary-hybrid system. A few years ago, the company filed for a vehicle with a combustion engine and an electric motor. It also stated that it can be paired with a rotary powerplant. However, the new patent explicitly shows a rotary engine at the front. Not only that, the vehicle will use a three-rotor arrangement. The last time Mazda did that was with the Cosmo coupe from the early '90s. Given its layout, it could be based on Mazda's new rear-wheel drive platform.

However, there is a caveat when it comes to patents. Just because a manufacturer filed for one, it doesn't mean it will push through with those ideas. That said, Mazda's patents show that it is not willing to give up on developing that engine. Also, another one filed around August 2021 showed what appeared to be the rear section of a coupe. Whether or not this is a hint of the production RX-Vision concept shown from 2015 is up for debate, but it adds more fuel to the rotary coupe rumor fire.

"I'm not sure I could say why not. Lexus has really been the only premium Japanese brand. There is no one else in that space.

The CX-60 is more than just yet another SUV since it heralds Mazda's longitudinal layout platform, officially dubbed "Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture." Why is that important? Because those long-rumored inline-six engines are finally happening. The Zoom-Zoom company shared some preliminary details in the press release for the CX-60, its first-ever plug-in hybrid production model.

Without further ado, there will be a 3.0-liter e-Skyactiv X engine promising to deliver "smooth acceleration and an engaging sound." Interestingly, Mazda mentions it's just as economical as the four-pot mill courtesy of improved lean combustion technology. It is important to note this is still a naturally aspirated engine as its larger capacity helps it push more air without having to resort to turbocharging.

Then there's the 3.3-liter e-Skyactiv D, an evolution of the smaller 2.2-liter unit bringing an "increase in the speed range at which lean burn is possible." The engineers have made better use of surplus air by developing egg-shaped combustion chambers dividing the air-fuel mixture into two areas within the piston bowl. Doing so improves combustion to deliver quicker acceleration and cut NOx emissions at higher rpms. A greater lean-burn area is achieved, consequently reducing unburned residue to a minimum.

Even though the inline-six diesel is physically larger than its four-pot counterpart, its simple structure offsets the weight penalty. So much so that Mazda mentions it's just about as heavy as a regular four-pot diesel. Much like the gasoline mill, the oil-burner benefits from something called "M Hybrid Boost." Essentially, it's a 48V mild-hybrid setup to cut fuel consumption and emissions as well as support the combustion engine from a standing start.

Both inline-six engines have been conceived to work with a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission that lacks a torque converter. Instead of a hydraulic converter it relies on a multi-plate clutch for quicker and smoother gear changes. Its compact size has allowed Mazda to make the transmission tunnel space smaller to free up room in the pedal box for a better driving position.

The CX-60 is just the beginning of Mazda's SUV onslaught as it will be followed by a widebody CX-70 for the United States. In addition, a bigger three-row model known as CX-80 is slated to arrive in Europe, while an equivalent CX-90 is destined to hit stateside with a wider body. All four will use the new platform, which we're hoping to see on the next Mazda6 sedan as well.

About a month ago we covered an eye-opening (and surprisingly detailed) patent from Mazda, wherein the company laid out what it claimed to be a lightweight hybrid drivetrain intended for a future compact sports car. It's rare to see specific models get associated with technology patents, but the writing was clearly on the wall this time: the next Mazda Miata could potentially go a lot more high-tech. Now, a new patent published earlier this month by Mazda expands on that even further.

In short, it's a rear-mounted transaxle, just like the one described in the earlier patent. There are quite a few interesting things to unpack about it beyond just the basic specs, though. It is, for all intents and purposes, an automatically shifted six-speed manual transmission, i.e a sequential gearbox. Let me be clear when I say that, though: It is a single-clutch manual transmission in terms of its design. It does, however, have a mechanism to automatically change gears.

This patent, like the previous Mazda document referencing this transmission, goes into a high level of detail describing it, especially when it comes to the illustrations:

Those familiar with sequential transmissions will have spotted the barrel cam already. Labeled "65" in the illustration above, it's the heart of the mechanism that changes the gears in the transmission. When it rotates, shift forks with dowel pins jutting into the grooves cut into its round surface are forced forwards or backward in a particular pattern, selecting any number of the six forward gears. We've actually covered an excellent video on a 3D-printed version of this sort of transmission, which helps clarify how the whole system works. It's important to note that the system in the linked video uses a shift mechanism that this unit is not equipped with.

For reference, lots of transmissions work this way. They are, for instance, particularly popular in motorcycles. They aren't popular in more mainstream vehicles sold in the United States, and it's important to know why. Sequential transmissions like this are lightweight, inexpensive, and known for shifting hard. That's a good thing in high-performance or racing applications—Formula 1 cars use highly-developed sequential transmissions—but not so desirable for the average commuter.

Importantly, the unit works the same way as a manual transmission, but the gear selection mechanism is just different. That means turning this transmission into a manual could be as simple as swapping out a modular group of components located on top of the transmission case, and adding a few more parts to get it all working with a conventional H-pattern shifter. In fact, Mazda says as much in a very engineer-y sort of way: "In the present embodiment, the transmission is used which causes the shift rods to be operated to move by the actuator on the basis of a manual transmission, but the transmission is similarly applicable to a manual transmission."

In other words, they're very similar and it wouldn't be too hard to change them out. That looks particularly easy this time around because the barrel cam is likely driven by an electric motor. A shifter in the cabin or paddle shifters will simply send an electrical signal to the motor telling it to be in a certain position, which will change the position of the shift forks in short order. The document notes hydraulics could be used to change gears as well.

The differential, as with other transaxles, is mounted inside the transmission case as an integral part of the gearbox. It's located on the driver's side of the vehicle with the axle shaft running between the shift rods and the transmission gears themselves. In many other cases, the transmission portion of the transaxle is mounted ahead or behind the differential, but that's not the case here. Mazda uses a third countershaft, labeled "23" in the drawing above, to send power to the diff located smack dab in the middle of the transaxle when you look at it lengthwise. As far as I am aware, this is not a very common design at all, and you can see why. There's not a lot of space to run an axle shaft through the center of a transmission.

This unconventional design, the patent explains, is primarily to save space. For some context, the original Mazda patent we covered last week said using a transaxle in the first place was to make more room for the occupants, so in addition to going with an overall layout to add to the cabin volume, they're also utilizing a compact design for the transaxle itself to further boost the savings. Just the same, the document says this layout is better for "operational stability," aka handling. It's all very Mazda.

For those still uncertain about the exact connection between this and the former patent, it's to be noted that this document references the fact that this transaxle could be used in a "four-wheel-drive" context. It mentions this as background in a very roundabout sort of way, and indeed the connection I'm drawing could be considered speculative, but it's still there in my opinion. The text states that in a layout like this you can achieve four-wheel drive. However, assumedly since this transaxle is not something that can be modified to easily accommodate a forward-facing output shaft (in order to use a conventional transfer case,) you would need a whole other transmission mounted ahead of the transaxle to achieve this. Specifically, it references a Japanese patent where a "continuously variable transmission arranged in a vehicle-body front portion and on a vehicle rear side of a starting clutch," is used to achieve this.

Now on the face of it, this translates into Mazda having a compact lightweight sports car with two transmissions, one of which is a CVT mounted behind the clutch but ahead of the rear transaxle which somehow sends power to the front wheels. I think the term "continuously variable transmission" is being used loosely here, though. This statement is more likely than not referring to the 25 kW (33.5-horsepower) electric motor referenced in the previous patent—labeled "16" in the schematic below—from last month, which is described to be in the same location this "CVT" would be. And technically, an electric motor in a hybrid car, especially one combined with some kind of reduction drivetrain as most are, is a continuously variable way to transmit power. This is, of course, speculative. But I think it's informed speculation.

So, as usual with some of these patents, they have broad implications but unstated precise applications. Will this end up in the Miata, which feels like a safe assumption when we hear "compact sports car," or another type of Mazda? That's unclear. What is clear, though, is that this is a highly-developed, unique transaxle that could be used in an "automatic," rear-wheel-drive compact car to jive nicely with a hybrid system, or in a much simpler manual one with a few modifications. It's also clear that this is very exciting, and if it ends up in a production car, it's absolutely one an enthusiast would want to drive.

A Miata with a six-speed transaxle and a high-performance hybrid system? As long as the weight stays down, it sounds like a good time.

Rumors of a rear-wheel-drive platform with inline-six engines from Mazda have been swirling around for years but the official announcement was made only recently. After disclosing plans to launch RWD vehicles with 3.0-liter gasoline and 3.3-liter diesel powertrains, the Zoom-Zoom company is finally ready to talk specs. However, for the time being, we'll have to settle for those of the oil-burner.

Without further ado, the standard SKYACTIV-D 3.3 develops 228 horsepower (170 kilowatts) between 4,000 rpm and 4,200 rpm. The full amount of torque, 500 Newton-meters (369 pound-feet), is attainable from a low 1,500 rpm until 3,000 rpm. Then there's an e-SKYACTIV D variant of the same diesel engine, but with a mild-hybrid setup baked in. It bumps output to 251 hp (187 kW) at 3,750 rpm while torque rises to 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) from 1,500 rpm to 2,400 rpm.


The straight-six diesel works with an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to both axles in the newly released CX-60 SUV that weighs around 1,900 kilograms (4,189 pounds). The diesel-fueled SUV will do 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.3 seconds before reaching a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/h).

Technical specifications for the 3.0-liter gasoline engine have not been provided, but at least we can compare the diesel with the already revealed 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid model. It combines a naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline mill with an electric motor for a total output of 323 hp (241 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) at 4,000 rpm.

As expected, the CX-60 PHEV version weighs considerably more due to the added hardware, at around 2,050 kg (4,519 lbs). Despite carrying around an extra 150 kg (331 lbs), the gasoline-electric SUV does the sprint in 5.8 seconds or 1.5s quicker than the diesel thanks to its electric boost. Flat out, it reaches 124 mph (200 km/h).

Fun fact – the PHEV model has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution whereas the diesel is slightly nose-heavy, at 55:45. The plug-in hybrid model with its electric motor is also an AWD-only affair with an eight-speed automatic and comes. It boasts a 17.8-kWh battery pack for up to 39 miles (63 km) of electric range in the WLTP combined cycle.

As you probably have heard, the global CX-60 will be sold in the United States as a widebody CX-70. Mazda is also planning a three-row CX-80 for international markets, joined by a CX-90 for the US. They'll all be arriving within the next two years.

Going against the tide, Mazda is introducing a new family of large combustion engines featuring an inline-six layout. Coming in both gasoline and diesel flavors, these are in direct contradiction to the downsizing recipe we're seeing more of across the industry. It looks as though the Zoom-Zoom company has saved the best for last as the 3.0-liter gasoline and 3.3-liter diesel units will likely be its final internal combustion engines.

Speaking with Automotive News Europe at the CX-60's unveiling, Joachim Kunz, a senior member of the technical development at Mazda's R&D center in Europe said: "This will be most likely be the last generation of internal combustion engines, so we will prepare for the toughest expected target and then adjust using after-treatment solutions."

Subsequent investments will be done in the oil-burner to keep the regulators happy amid increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Mazda is confident the diesel will meet Euro 7 regulations even though these have yet to be finalized. The European Commission is expected to formalize the stricter standard in July, but Euro 7 won't come into effect until later this decade.

Many automakers have already expressed their concerns about how the new standard will make ICE-powered cars more expensive to offset the increased engineering costs necessary to make the engines cleaner. The Japanese brand believes there's still a place in the automotive realm for a six-cylinder. One of the reasons why Mazda decided to go big – especially with a 3.3-liter displacement for the diesel – is to give the engineers a bit of wiggle room:

"Having a 3.3-liter engine means we want to be on the safe side for torque and power." Kunz was talking about how tougher legislation on ICEs usually comes with a drop in horsepower and torque, but having a 3.3-liter unit helps Mazda still offer adequate output while meeting Euro 7 standards.

Details about how powerful the 3.0-liter gasoline engine is going to be have not been disclosed, but we do have the diesel's juicy numbers. The SKYACTIV-D makes 228 horsepower (170 kilowatts) and 500 Newton-meters (369 pound-feet) in standard guise. There's also an e-SKYACTIV-D with mild-hybrid tech to boost output to 251 hp (187 kW) and a meaty 550 Nm (406 lb-ft).

The diesel will be offered by Mazda across Europe, but maybe not in EV heaven Norway. Speaking of the Old Continent, many automakers are gradually removing their oil-burners from The Netherlands, with the latest example being Audi and its once-omnipresent TDIs. Kunz is confident the 3.3-liter diesel will be just as thrifty as a four-pot courtesy of a highly efficient combustion process

The 3.3-liter displacement is interesting considering virtually all other manufacturers selling diesel cars in Europe max out at 3.0. The VW Group's V8 4.0-liter TDI was retired a couple of years ago, and with the diesel's popularity plummeting (-34 percent in 2021), it won't ever come back.

Mazda will announce a new strategic direction for the next decade in the coming weeks. Based on the plan discovered by Automotive News, the Japanese carmaker will follow baby steps to electrification and will finally bring the rotary engine back into the spotlight.
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It wasn’t a good year for Japanese carmakers, which stubbornly avoided switching to electrification and continued the old ICE way. What they thought would be business as usual was, in fact, a tectonic shift in consumer preferences, and electric vehicle adoption caught them by surprise. We know about Toyota’s struggles, and it is now Mazda’s turn to post lackluster results.

This is no surprise, considering the direction the auto industry is heading. It’s surprising that the Japanese carmakers, Mazda included, still don’t think it’s time for a strategic overhaul of their operations. According to Automotive News, Mazda is expected to announce a strategy change, but the direction is barely shifting. That means more internal combustion engines, including the long-awaited comeback of the rotary engine, and distant plans for more electric vehicles.

Mazda blames the pandemic and the war in Ukraine for the delay in revealing new plans for the company. The unpredictable market conditions they complain about should’ve been a strong incentive to accelerate the switch to electrification. Instead, Mazda is expected to announce the rollout of new crossovers, like the CX-70 and CX-90 in the United States and the CX-60 and CX-80 in Europe, Japan, and other markets.

Mazda still fails to step up electrifications plans, and we know how the compliance model MX-30 plaid out in the end. With disappointing performance came equally frustrating sales, and the first shot in the arm that Mazda leadership prepares is the addition of a range extender to the fledgling EV. Alas, this marks the long-awaited comeback of the rotary engine, expected to enter production early next year.

Europe will be the first market for the future plug-in hybrid version of the MX-30. This is bizarre, considering the Old Continent is further ahead with electrification than other markets. The rotary engine will not turn the wheels directly but acts as a range extender, recharging the battery. We expect Mazda to slash the Li-Ion battery capacity with the addition of the range extender.

Mazda will only put new EVs on the road toward the end of this decade with the launch of a new EV platform in 2025. This might be too little too late. The Japanese carmaker expects to sell around 450,000 EVs per year by 2030, which should represent a quarter of the planned 1.8 million global vehicle output. That assumes there will still be a market for ICE vehicles by then.

considering the Old Continent is further ahead with electrification than other markets ... That assumes there will still be a market for ICE vehicles by then

The assistant manager of Mazda’s powertrain development division, Yoshiaki Noguchi, has acknowledged that the automaker still dreams about building a new rotary-powered sports car.

Mazda launched its first new rotary engine since the RX-8 in the new MX-30 R-EV just a few days ago but this rotary simply serves as a range-extender, a far cry from the high-revving rotary engines that we’ve all come to know and love. And, despite the company being in the midst of an electrification plan, it isn’t ruling out the possibility of launching a new rotary sports car in the future.

“Rotary is our symbol,” Noguchi told Autocar. “It’s a dream of engineers at Mazda to have a sports car with rotary. Now is not the time for that. When the company situation is a lot better [in regards to completing its roll-out of electrified models], we can think about that dream another time.”

Noguchi added that significant improvements have been made to the rotary for use in the MX-30 R-EV, noting the carmaker focused on making it more efficient, reducing the weight, and improve reliability. It did so by implementing direct injection, using aluminum side housings, running a higher compression ratio of 11.9, and changing the thickness of the apex seal and applying a new coating.

Mazda program manager Wakako Uefuji added that a new rotary sports car is something that Mazda could introduce in the future.

"We need to keep the electrification of models for this era,” she said. “This is the first thing we do but maybe in the future.”

Would you believe me if I told you that Mazda is not only reviving its rotary engine development team but also accelerating R&D for modern-day Wankels? The automaker said as much in a press release on Thursday, giving us all a huge heap of hope that the spinning Dorito will soldier on for years to come.

Mazda explicitly says that the rotary engine development group consists of 36 engineers who have previously worked on state-of-the-art powertrain systems. The automaker has pumped out a few of these in recent years, with projects like the compression-ignition Skyactiv-X engine. The powertrain specialists are being tasked with evolving the rotary design for generator applications, similar to what we've already seen in the MX-30 EV. That maybe isn't so exciting, but the company's announcement also names carbon-neutral fuel projects. That is neat, if you ask me.

This news comes roughly two weeks after Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro spoke about rotaries at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon. It was there that he indicated such a program would launch, and Thursday's release confirms it's happening at a seemingly increased pace. In regards to the gorgeous Iconic SP Concept, Moro said:

"I am very happy and deeply moved by all the support and encouragement I have received for the compact sports car concept. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all. With your encouragement, we are launching a rotary engine development group on 1 February to move closer to this dream."

Moro's sentiment is echoed by Mazda Chief Technical Officer Ichiro Hirose, who said the aim is to make "a breakthrough in the research and development of rotary engines. In the age of electrification and in a carbon-neutral society, we promise to keep delivering attractive cars that excite customers with our 'challenger spirit.'"

We need to be realistic about what that means, considering rotaries of old weren't all that efficient. They also had issues with hydrocarbon emissions, which obviously won't fly today as governments across the globe crack down on car companies. But that's surely why Mazda has gathered three dozen of its sharpest minds to extend the rotary's lifespan (and electric vehicles' battery range).

The future of Mazda sports cars might not braaap like they used to, but there's still a lot to be hopeful about. Imagine if they can get one of these suckers burning hydrogen or something of the sort. It isn't all bleak, my friends, especially if there's a sliver of a chance that we'll see the Iconic SP Concept inform production models in our lifetimes.