Mazda says it will use technology more commonly found on diesel engines to improve the economy and emissions of its next-generation petrol engines.
The Japanese car maker explains that its upcoming Skyactiv-X petrol engines will use what’s called ‘compression ignition’, which is usually found on diesel engines. The way it works is that fuel is compressed by the engine’s cylinders, with the pressure increasing the liquid’s temperature until it combusts.
Traditionally, petrol engines use a spark plug to ignite the fuel but by using compression as the main source of combustion instead, Mazda hopes to achieve “outstanding environmental performance” from its future petrol units.
Mazda adds that when paired with a supercharger, its petrol engine with compression ignition will offer 10 to 30 per cent better torque than a typical petrol engine and also improve fuel economy by 20 to 30 per cent.
The new Skyactiv-X petrol engines with compression ignition are set to arrive on Mazda production cars from 2019 onwards. The new engines are part of Mazda’s long-term strategy to create a more eco-friendly product range known as the Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 initiative. Also part of Mazda’s plans will be the introduction of electric vehicles from 2019.
