Mazda Announces SkyActiv-X Engine Output Numbers

Mazda revealed that its new 2.0-liter SkyActiv-X engine will produce 178 hp and 224 Nm while emitting only 96 g/km of carbon dioxide. According to Mazda, the new engine will be installed in the all-new Mazda3 hatchback and sedan models. It will be paired with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.

In comparison, the 2.0-liter engine equipped in the Philippine market Mazda3 delivers 153 hp and 200 Nm.

Mazda's new engine is the world's first commercially-available gas engine with compression ignition. Instead of spark plugs, ignition is produced through intense pressure, with the fuel-air mixture being compressed by the piston similar to how a diesel engine works. However, the engine's compression ignition function is only limited to regular driving conditions.

Should the car be unable to manage a heavy load, it will turn to using spark plugs to ignite the mixture. Mazda's own Spark Controlled Compression Ignition system is the brain that decides when the engine will use compression or spark ignition.

Mazda has also equipped the SkyActiv-X engine with a 24-volt mild hybrid system which collects electrical energy from the drivetrain when it decelerates. The hybrid system then uses this collected energy to power an electric motor that assists the engine.

During the engine's design process, the Japanese carmaker claimed that the gas engine would return diesel levels of economy.

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