- Mazda Skyactiv-Z engine family due in 2027
- Next-generation CX-5 with hybrid powertrain being developed
- Mazda still committed to rotary engines
Mazda on Thursday provided the first update on its next-generation powertrain plans since May’s announcement of collaboration with Toyota and Subaru on powertrain development.
While Mazda has been slow to adopt electric vehicles, with its only global EV offering being the 100-mile MX-30 crossover, which has already been dropped from U.S. sale, the automaker plans to embrace the technology in the second half of the decade.
It will still continue development of internal-combustion engines, though, including both conventional piston engines and rotaries.
Mazda vehicles are mostly fitted with either gas or diesel engines branded Skyactiv-G and Skyactiv-D, respectively. During Thursday’s presentation, Mazda announced a new Skyactiv-Z family of four-cylinder engines that is being developed for launch in 2027. Mazda didn’t say much about the Skyactiv-Z family, apart from it being developed with combustion optimized for “enhanced environmental and driving performance.”
Mazda rotary range extender
The automaker also said it reinstated in February a development team for next-generation rotary engines. Currently, Mazda offers a rotary engine in the MX-30, where the engine acts as a generator to extend the range of the electric crossover. A similar setup may eventually make its way into a sports car, something Mazda previewed last year with its Iconic SP concept.
For its future hybrids and EVs, Mazda said it is developing the technologies in-house, with help from battery partners like Panasonic and AESC, as opposed to borrowing technology from Toyota or Subaru, like in the current CX-50 Hybrid which uses a Toyota hybrid system.
Mazda electrification plans for current decade
Between 2025 and 2027, Mazda will add its own hybrid system to a next-generation CX-5. During this period, Mazda will also launch a dedicated EV.
Beyond 2027, Mazda is considering adding its hybrid system to its larger vehicles. It is also considering launching a plug-in hybrid version of its dedicated EV.