Mazda is lining up a range of compression ignition straight-six engines, both petrol and diesel, as part of its anti-downsizing initiative.
The plans were revealed in a financial year results report, compiled last month and published on Mazda’s global site before apparently being removed after media outlets spotted the plans.
A slide from the report, below, lists ‘Straight-six Skyactiv-X engine’ and ‘Straight-six Skyactiv-D (2nd-generation Diesel engine)’ as two of its product investments for the future, alongside electric vehicles and hybrids.
The two engines are listed under the branch of ‘Large Architecture’ - likely relating to the size of platform and body they will be mated to. Such a reference, alongside the development of engines (particularly a straight-six diesel) that almost exclusively sit in larger, premium-brand models in Europe, suggests that Mazda may expand its upper tier of future product offering to compete with Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
Both the two latter brands have had straight-six engines on the market for decades, while Jaguar will soon be returning to the layout - traditionally favoured for refinement and packaging.
Mazda has never had a straight-six engine available in its models, with a V6 last used in the MX-3 coupé, which went out of production in 2002.
Mazda has been a champion of ‘right-sizing’ its engines, using its Skyactiv tech to retain larger-capacity units than most rivals, usually naturally aspirated, that still offer competitive power and efficiency figures.
The Skyactiv-X system, making its debut on the Mazda 3 next month, uses Spark Controlled Compression Ignition, which is claimed to offer the efficiency of a diesel engine in a petrol.
Read more
Hot Mazda 3 on the cards to take on VW Golf GTI
Under the skin: how Mazda is changing internal combustion
