Mazda is finally committing to bringing back its famous rotary engine design, as part of a new hybrid car that’ll test the waters for the introduction of future Mazda hybrids.
A new report from Auto Express cites Mazda insiders as having earmarked 2019 as the date for the introduction of the new hybrid, which will carry over design themes from the RX Vision concept car.
Currently, Mazda is one of a minority of major car manufacturers which doesn’t currently make any sort of hybrid or electric car, save for a Japan-only Mazda 3 Hybrid designed in conjunction with Toyota.
However that all looks to change, and it’s believed that the first proper electrified Mazda will be a small hatchback to rival the likes of the Renault Zoe and Nissan LEAF.
The reason, Mazda’s European R&D head Matsuhiro Tanaka says, is that larger cars will become too heavy when fitted with battery packs to adhere to Mazda’s lightweight, nimble philosophy.
It’s possible that the battery packs and electric motors will be made by Toyota again, but the headline news is the decision to use a rotary engine as part of a range-extender setup.
In this capacity, the engine would provide extra power to charge the battery packs, rather than actively drive the car’s wheels, and Mazda has made prototypes of this nature in the recent past.
Tanaka said: “Something like that was in existence, but I can’t go into detail. Both performance and economy are possible with rotary. It’s very stable and quiet at standard revolutions, so some potential exists for that.”
Mazda has been working on bringing back modern versions of its rotary engines, which powered famous cars like the Cosmo and the RX-7.
While rotary engines have been noted to suffer from significant drawbacks in the past, namely their poor efficiency and emissions, Mazda believes that it could have finally solved the problem.
Along with the small hybrid, it’s also believed that Mazda is working on a rotary-powered sports car, a spiritual successor to the likes of the RX-7 and RX-8, inspired by the RX Vision concept.
Powered by a new rotary engine codenamed the SkyActiv-R, it’s rumoured that the new car could be unveiled in time for March 2018, when the iconic RX-7 will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
