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A U.S. version of the tiny Mazda2 goes into showrooms in 2010.
(Credit: Mazda)
A burgeoning small car market in the U.S. convinced Mazda to finally sell its tiny Mazda2 here. The car, available around the world since 2007, will be shown in U.S. spec at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. It joins the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion xD, and Kia Soul in a subcompact market that has seen increasing sales.
The U.S. spec Mazda2 will get a 1.6-liter four cylinder engine mated to a five speed automatic transmission. Cabin tech offerings will be minimal, although a Bluetooth phone system should be present, along with audio controls on the steering wheel.
The 1.6-liter engine is the biggest offered in its world-wide marketing, with smaller powerplants also available starting at a 1.3-liter engine. Diesel engines are also in the mix, along with manual and continuously variable transmissions. In Japan, the car can also be optioned up with navigation, something that won't be available here.
Check out our upcoming coverage of the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show for full details on the U.S. Mazda2.
TOKYO--The next-generation rotary engine from Mazda Motors isn't ready. The engine, unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo show under the code name 16X, was planned as the power plant for the next-generation RX-8 sports car to be launched in 2012.
Seita Kanai, head of Mazda research and development, said the engine does not meet the performance and fuel economy guidelines the automaker requires for a production model and it continues to work continues to cut the rotary's fuel consumption.
The code name refers to the increase in the current engine's displacement, from 1.3 liters to 1.6 liters.
Kanai declined to say whether it's back to the drawing board for the 16X. "The 16X is more a profile of a rotary still in our concept stage," he said. "It needs more evolution."
(Source: Automotive News)
The Supasse V uses a Mazda-sourced engine, and will be at the Tokyo Motor Show.
(Credit: Suzusho)Lotus has few competitors, but Suzusho, a Japanese specialty carmaker, announced a car for the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show that looks like it could give the Elise S a good run. Mid-engined and weighing only 1,875 pounds, the Supasse V takes a page from the Lotus strategy book, but it remains to be seen if Suzusho can match Lotus engineering expertise for handling.
The Supasse V uses a fiberglass body and aluminum frame, explaining the low-weight figure, and takes the engine from the Mazdaspeed 3, similar to how Lotus uses engines sourced from Toyota. The turbocharged 2.3-liter four cylinder engine puts out 270 horsepower, which puts the power-to-weight ratio at 1 to 6.9.
(Credit:
Suzusho)
No interior pictures have emerged, so we don't know what kind of cabin tech you can expect, but these types of cars are usually pretty stripped down. Of course, as the car will only be sold in gadget-loving Japan, it might use technologies we've never seen before.
(Source: WorldCarFans.com)
(Credit:
Toyota)
Check out the following video that showcases some of the hottest green concepts (and one hot sport compact) from the Tokyo Motor Show in the round. Featured in the video are the Toyota FT-86 concept, the Honda CR-Z, the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi's PX-MiEV concept, and the Mazda Kiyora concept.
The video is narrated in Japanese, so we've no clue what's being said. However, we've reported on most of these cars already, just hit the links above for more info.
Toyota recalls 3.8 million cars, automakers gear up for the Tokyo Motor Show, Garmin sets a date and price for the Nuvifone, and we go for a ride in Lincoln's smallest luxury car.
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EPISODE 138
SHOW NOTES• Toyota recalls vehicles over loose floor mats
• Skydeck concept: Honda's hybrid van of the future
• Mazda to show concept, fuel efficient engines in Tokyo
• Subaru's Tokyo concept surfs trends
• Reserve Nissan's Leaf EV starting Spring 2010
The Kiyora concept, already shown in Paris, won't be the highlight of the Tokyo Motor Show.
(Credit: Mazda)Getting a jump on the competition, Mazda announced its lineup for next month's Tokyo Motor Show, which includes the Kiyora concept car, two new engines, and a new transmission. Usually concept cars are the show highlight, but in this case, the Kiyora is a beard, as it was already shown at last year's Paris auto show. The real news will be the more efficient power trains that Mazda developed, although these lack the glamor of a design concept.
Mazda's new Sky-G engine gets 15 percent better torque and fuel economy than current engines.
(Credit: Mazda)However, this power train tech will have a more realizable effect on Mazda's vehicles and how we drive them. This line of power train tech goes by a new eco-brand from Mazda, Sky. The Sky-G is a direct injection engine with a newly designed block. The design reduces friction and delivers a more efficient fuel burn. Mazda claims that the 2-liter version would get 15 percent better fuel economy and torque compared with its current 2-liter gasoline engine. Mazda will also show a Sky-D engine, a turbo-charged diesel that shows efficiency improvements of 20 percent over Mazda's current 2.2-liter diesel engine. Although Mazda says the Sky-D shows lower exhaust emissions, it's not clear whether that engine would meet U.S. emissions requirements.
The Sky-Drive, a new transmission from Mazda, will also be on display. It's an automatic, using a torque converter, but Mazda has refined it to reduce friction and slip, delivering a feel comparable to a dual-clutch automated manual transmission. Mercedes-Benz previously did an impressive job refining its automatic transmissions for more direct gear engagement, and we anticipate that Mazda's Sky-Drive should deliver a similar feel. Mazda says the refinement of the transmission delivers a 5 percent increase in fuel efficiency.
Mazda's theme for this line of Sky power train technology at the Tokyo show will be "The Mazda Sky concept--Providing driving pleasure and environmental and safety features for all customers!" The grammar may be amusing, but the overall import is that Mazda intends to increase its fuel efficiency by 30 percent from 2008 to 2015. With these technology improvements, the company seems well on its way.
LOS ANGELES--Mazda will enter America's rapidly expanding small-car segment when it launches the Mazda2 in fall 2010.
The five-door hatchback, which is smaller than the Mazda3, is based on the same platform as the Ford Fiesta, which debuts in the United States next summer. The Mazda2 will compete with the Fiesta as well as such vehicles as the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Chevrolet Aveo.
Mazda dealers were told of the addition to the lineup last week at their national meeting in Palm Springs, Calif. The U.S.-spec Mazda2 will be unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show in December.
The current version of the Mazda2 has been on sale in Europe and Japan since 2007 and was voted 2008 World Car of the Year by a panel of auto journalists. In Japan, it is known as the Demio.
The Mazda2's arrival in the United States will coincide with a minor midcycle face-lift. The brand's "smiling" front fascia, seen on the Mazda3, is expected to replace the existing version.
... Read more
The Citroen Revolte features suicide doors and a lounge-style rear seat.
(Credit: CNET)
Small is clearly in, as these concepts show. And since concept cars are a bellwether for upcoming automotive trends, expect downsizing to be commonplace among new cars. Most of these concepts are lightweight city cars, easily maneuverable and economical. Mini's entrants add a sporty flavor, while Citroen and Hyundai go for the futuristic. Mazda showed off a stripped-down version of its MX-5, more weekend racer than everyday driver.
For years, style was absent without an excuse from American subcompacts. But the days of slab-sided, no-frills hatchbacks may soon be history.
For decades, something was missing in the small cars designed, built and sold in the United States. It was gone for so long that most American consumers probably didn't know what it was.
But to Ralph Gilles, Chrysler Group's chief designer, the missing ingredient was obvious. U.S. subcompacts lacked emotional appeal.
"Small cars of the past were not necessarily done with passion," he said.
Generations of Detroit designers seemed to say: No one buys a small car for its styling, so why bother? Uninspired, appliancelike econoboxes? What else did you expect?
American subcompacts had none of the attributes found in the cool, quirky and even elegant small cars created elsewhere in the world, from the original BMC Mini to the first Peugeot 205 to the modern Citroen C3.
U.S. automakers were forced to churn out small cars to raise corporate average fuel economy averages, so they could keep selling big trucks. Small-car design? An oxymoron.
But consumer preference has shifted -- the result of higher gasoline prices, new fuel-efficiency standards and concern about climate change.
"Small cars and vehicles powered by four-cylinder engines have been on a steady increase since 2004," said Ford Motor Co. sales analyst George Pipas.
U.S. fleets must average 35.5 mpg by 2016, compared with 25.3 mpg this year. Combined with stricter emissions standards, it means the number of small-car nameplates for sale in the United States will increase.
And when a market segment gets crowded, automakers must rely on styling to set their vehicles apart from the crowd.
"It's not business as usual for small cars here anymore," said Moray Callum, Ford Motor's design director for cars.
The expanding lineup of new small cars means styling will get a lot more creative and appealing, just as it did with mid-sized cars recently. (Think of the modern Chevrolet Malibu, the new Ford Taurus and the current Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.)
... Read more
Just a little off of the top, please.
(Credit: Mazda)Mazda has announced that it will debut a superlight show car version of its MX-5 as part of an ongoing celebration of the roadster's 20th anniversary. So, how do you make the bantamweight Mazda MX-5 lighter? As it is, the roadster is already so spartan that there's not much to hack off of it.
Sadly, nav and iPod connectivity are still not options.
(Credit: Mazda)Mazda's designers started by tossing the retractable roof, shaving the wing mirrors and door handles, and--from the looks of it--gutting the interior. But they didn't stop there. They also lopped off the front windscreen to dramatically lower the vehicle's curb weight and center of gravity. Bring your own full-faced helmet, unless you like the taste of bugs.
Less weight should improve driving performance, handling, fuel economy, and carbon dioxide emissions. Don't expect to see navigation among the list of the Superlight's improvements, and don't expect to ever see this vehicle on a public road.
The Mazda MX-5 Superlight show car will debut at the 2009 International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
