Mazda Australia begins SKYACTIV-X rollout

The SKYACTIV-X compression-ignition petrol engine powering the new Mazda3 X20 Astina is not merely a niche powertrain technology under the bonnet of a premium-priced small car.

It’s the all-important second layer in Mazda’s ‘building-block strategy’ for powertrain development, and will eventually be rolled out across a range of other Mazda models, including the CX-30.

“SKYACTIV-X is key second-generation SKYACTIV engine technology, and it's already selling en masse in Europe and other markets, which have ... clear CO2 targets,” says Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak.

But CO2 targets could also have some impact on Mazda’s product portfolio in Australia, with SKYACTIV-X critical to the brand’s on-going success here.

It all kicked off last week with an announcement by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which proposed on behalf of its members (car-makers) the establishment of voluntary CO2 emissions targets for the Australian automotive industry between now and 2030.

Such ‘stretch targets’ would expediate the application of SKYACTIV-X engine technology across the broader Mazda product range in Australia, Doak implied in an interview with carsales for the launch of the new Mazda3 variant earlier this week.

“Obviously the industry announced some ambitious CO2 targets on Friday of last week, and while they have been set by industry itself, they are incredibly tough to meet, so I think this is only the first step for SKYACTIV-X in Australia, and there'll be a lot more to come,” said Doak.

The proposal by the FCAI recommends a sliding scale of CO2 emissions between now and 2030, falling to a corporate fleet average of just 100g/km for new passenger cars and SUVs.

In combined-cycle testing, the Mazda3 X20 Astina emits at least 127g/km, so there’s a way to go to achieve the FCAI’s stretch targets, even with the new combustion technology.

“It's a very important step in Mazda's desire to perfect the internal-combustion process, and ... the Mazda R&D community are on the record saying that there will be further development to improve it even more...” Doak said, observing too that there’s “plenty of life left in the internal-combustion engine”.

Asked whether the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder could power a vehicle as large as the Mazda CX-9, as an example, Doak hinted that Mazda might choose to upscale SKYACTIV-X to an engine of larger displacement. But equally true, there’s no reason Mazda couldn’t develop a smaller engine employing the same process.

“The thing about SKYACTIV-X and SPCCI is that it is a combustion technology – and that combustion can work on any size of engine, so it doesn't need to be a 2.0-litre; it can be in other things…”

The Mazda exec was circumspect about the future roll-out of the landmark powertrain technology in Australia for other Mazda models and variants, but hinted that the SKYACTIV-X option likely won’t remain the preserve of flagship models in the Mazda3 and CX-30 ranges for long.

Currently, he said, there were no plans to expand the SKYACTIV-X offering in other models, “but it's certainly available to us in Mazda3 and CX-30. It's available in Europe in those models, across all grades... or most grades...

“So there is that availability... should the desire from customers be there. But ultimately, it's up to us, from a marketing and brand point of view to tell the story, and explain what SKYACTIV is.

“If people like that story, and are curious, then hopefully they'll come and test-drive, and hopefully they'll buy.

“If the demand is there, then absolutely, we'll meet that demand. But we haven't started yet, so it's very much a hypothetical at this point.”