New Lease of Life for Mazda Rotary Engine

The fame rotary engine of Mazda is now part of the electric vehicle with range extender gasoline engine. Displacing mere 330cc, the rotary engine has an advantage of super compact packaging which enable it to be installed beneath the boot floor of the compact car, the Mazda2, or Demio as it is known in Japan.

For the technology demonstrator, Mazda has equipped the car 75kW electric motor powered by lithium-ion battery pack. The electric power unit is mounted at the front of the car engine bay, while the rotary engine is installed at the rear, beneath the boot. This is primarily because the engine flat in nature and can be packaged in a horizontal layout. Other advantage of the rotary engine is its quietness, 87dBA at 3,000rpm instead of up to 96 dBA with other type of engine. Displacing 330cc, the engine is connected to 9L fuel tank and can produce up to 25kW of power.

Photo source: Carwatch

Mazda CX-5 2.5L Now On Sale, From RM165,000

Mazda CX-5 fan rejoice. The popular Mazda SUV with super-long waiting list is now available with 2.5L engine. Mazda CX-5 2.5L can now be have with the Skyactiv 2.5L engine similar to the one powering the similarly sold-out Mazda6. The 2,488cc in-line 4 engine produces 184hp@5,700rpm and 250Nm@3,250rpm of power and torque, channel the drive via Skyactiv Drive 6AT to either the option of front wheel drive or AWD.

Compared to the CKD Mazda CX-5 2.0L, the 2.5L gets Bose sound system with 9 speakers, electrically operated sunroof both of which were previously available on the CBU version of the 2.0L CX-5. Additionally, the CX-5 2.5L is equipped with the I-Stop functionality. These all are on top of the current accessories offered with the top line CKD version currently on sale.

Curiously, the 2.5L Mazda CX-5 is a Japan CBU, although all the series of engine available for this SUV are currently being assembled in Kulim. Indicative pricing is RM165k for the FWD and RM175k for the AWD.

Middle Class SUV Challenge:Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga vs Honda CR-V

SUV segment is hotly contested in Malaysian market. It has evolved from the off-roader ancestor like Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero to the likes of soft roader, thanks to Honda CR-V back in mid 90's. This year, you can have it almost every sizes, from small to big luxury ones. Among the hottest option for middle class right now is Honda CR-V, now in fourth generation and hot in its heel is the turbocharged Ford Kuga and super stylish Mazda CX-5. Paultan compares them in the DRIVEN. Check it out below.

Spot: Mazda6 Now Features Trunk Lid Lip Spoiler

It is transporter snapping activity lately. I snapped a Mazda transporter shifting mostly Mazda CX-5. But there is a sole Mazda6 on the top deck. Look closely and you'll see there is something on the trunk lid. It is a lip spoiler, something which was not there on the previously delivered Mazda6. Read MMN article about how Mazda6 drive HERE. If this batch really come with the lip spoiler then the early owner would be pissed off!

Mazda6 2.0 Skyactiv Reviewed - A Drive Out of Hiatus

The third generation Mazda6 made an official inroad to the Malaysian market on 20th March 2013, and what a strange entry it was. The car kind of slipped quietly into the market, whereby the media test drive and customer test session started way back from the end of January. Delivery started in early March also in a quiet manner and the March launch was also a relatively no big event. This is totally in contrast with the car, which is anything but low-key.

It has a kind of styling that make you wonder whether Honda and Toyota stylist designed car during their part-time job, half-awake or purely, that. It clearly deviates from the safe, bland and unadventurous design that many of its Japanese or even European rivals seems to stick to. Second in the Mazda line-up to wear the evocative Kodo design language, Mazda6 is one sleek looking machine. The front end is dominated by the swept back headlight, with the chrome whisker that runs from the gigantic front grille. Take the Mazda CX-5 front end, lowered it a little and flatten the top part along the hood and you won't stray too far in describing the leading end of the new Mazda6.

The side profile is garnished by the strongly creased fender, a hallmark styling features found on every Mazda from RX-8 sportscar down to Mazda3 which is a familiar sight on our road. The waistline is tall, forming the significant portion of the car total height. The glass-house is shallow, with sports-car like steeply raked A and C-pillar, resulting is a very slim window opening. Those who love the airy feeling of the environment will find it a bit claustrophobic, the small rear door aperture won't help to eliminate those perception too. But we are missing the point here if that is the selling point. The point is that the car is/will be bought by people who wants a D-Segment sedan, with a touch of pizzas to the styling with adequate space for a family of five with reasonably sized boot volume.

The rear end is characterized by the wraparound taillights, which is joined by the chrome bar that run along the width of the car. The rear side panel is bulged, which carries the volume from the expanding rear end from the wheelarches rearward, before being tapered, tucked in towards the rear fascia to improve the overall aerodynamics. Speaking about aerodynamics, the new Mazda6 has a drag coefficient of 0.26, an impressively low figure. This is achieved by clever surface design, as well as the fully covered floor panel to reduce flow disruption.

For Malaysian market, the third generation Mazda6 is offered in two bodystyles of sedan and wagon, while the all-petrol line-up is offered in 2.0L and 2.5L Skyactiv-G version. Both are high-compression ratio direct-injection engine. The former produced 155PS@6,000rpm and 196Nm@4,000rpm while the latter kicked out 188PS@5,700rpm and 250Nm@3,250rpm.Both are paired with 6 speed automatic transmission. The version tested here is the 2.0L model. 

Dimension-wise, the sedan is 4,860mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,450mm tall. The wheelbase is 2,830mm long. The Grand Touring has a shorter wheelbase of 2,750mm. It is also shorter at  4,800mm and taller at 1,480mm. In comparison, the old 6 Sedan measures 4,755mm,1,795mm, 1,440mm and 2,725mm in these dimensions respectively. As a results of this, there is 43mm more knee room at the back while the rear seat cushion has been increased by 20mm for added comfort. 

The new body structure is 50kg lighter that the car it replaced. Typical to Skyactiv epitome, chassis design is optimized with multi-load bearing structure, which when combined with the higher tensile steel giving out an overall weight reduction compared to the outgoing model. 

Mazda6 rides on McPhersons struts up front and Multi-link setup at the back. Wheel size is 17 inch for the 2.0L and 19 inch for the 2.5L, wrapping  225/55 R17 and 225/45 R19 tyres respectively. Apart from wheel and tyre combo size, the 2.0L and 2.5L are differentiated by the equipment level too. All version gets 6 airbags, starter button, auto air-cond, auto wipers, cruise control, TFT touch screen audio system, reverse camera and start stop system. Opting for a higher grade 2.5L will get you 11-speaker BOSE system, i-ELOOP regenerative braking system, satnav, sunroof, paddle shifter, Bi-Xenon headlight, nicer LED DRL with even nicer headlight inner graphic and a host of adaptive driving monitoring systems.

The interior is an dark affair, upholstered in all-black leather seats, black dashboard and door trim. The monotonous interior them is punctuated by the red stitching in the seat and door trim, some chrome bezel around the gear lever, aircond outlet surround and steering wheel. The dashboard fascia is garnished by the plastic trim in harmonically-contrasting plastic panel. Overall space can be described as cosy, large enough but you'll feel cocoon by the high floor console and high window sill. The dissapointing part is the dashboard is almost direct carry-over from CX-5. I personally think a lower fascia will make it a better driving environment, more suited to its sport sedan moniker. Imagine it low fascia, i.e bring down the touch screen ICE and squeeze everything from there downwards.

Driver seat is firm, and it has more bolster for your shoulder and side. I however think the seat bottom/squab is shorter than I expected from a D-Segment car. Otherwise, ergonomics is pretty good, driving position is spot on. Bending the current trend among Japs maker to flood the car with hard plastic, Mazda has equipped the 6 with softly padded material on the dashboard and door trim top. No fake leather stitching on the dashboard here.Rear passenger won't be complaining about space too, and despite the rakish roof-line, the rear headroom is still sufficient. There's also several storage cubbies, there's bottle holder in every door trim, while additional cupholders can be found respectively in the gear console and rear armrest.

Dual-zone automatic airconditioning is standard even on the 2.0L version and they are very effective in cooling down the cabin. Passengers are very likely to be very comfortable in here even for a long journey. MMN has been with the car for 5000km for over 3 weeks, and it can be concluded that the drive is fatigue-free.

Now lets go to the best part. How does it drive? Upon the first encounter of starting up the engine via the starter button, you'll notice the engine is anything but quiet, particular during cold-start. The engine then settles into the rattling note which is close to something we can called quiet-diesel. The sound characteristic seems to be consistent with the rest of gasoline direct injection lump, very much like the N20 units in the BMW.

A glide past the engine bay, and gracefully slid into the driver seat (electrically operated with 2 memories sets) and shut the light-ish door, you'll be isolated from the rattling petrol mill up front. Depress the organ-type gas pedal, the car moves with a great composure. The suspension setting is quite firm, not sportscar-firm, but firmer than the typical floating setup of the D-Segment sedan. The steering is however quite too light for my liking but it makes treading the car past the cramped parking area a breeze.

On the slow ride, you can be forgiven if you think the 2.0L might be a little sluggish. While it bite right from the very first prod on the throttle, the progress after that is serenade if you just pushed the pedal naturally. The Skyactiv-G is clearly tuned for economy. How long a car enthusiastic can last like this, especially when the Soul Red exterior is akin to pouncing cheetah.

Worries you not. Floor the gas till you hear the "tick" sound, indicating you've signaled your intention to your car. It will kick-down immediately and swing the rpm needle to the redzone, giving you the dose of acceleration you so desire. However, the power available is similar to other D-Segment with naturally aspirated 2.0L lump, which you can't expect to be miraculously powerful.

Fuel consumption wise, Mazda6 2.0 can be described as commendable. I managed 7.8L/100km for a spirited highway driving, where most of it is a high speed run. For the city driving, I managed to get around 8.5L/100km. Some forummer in the internet quoted lower fuel consumption, i.e something like 7.3L/100km. So I bet it depends on your right foot. My personal conclusion, this car amazingly beat my 1.5L national car that I used to drive, by quite a margin!

On the highway cruise, Mazda6 is refined is terms of ride despite the slightly firm suspension setting. However, pass the legal cruising speed, the wind noise start to intrude. The Toyo tyres are not the last wod in refinement either as their sound can be heard in the cabin. This is one of the spoilt for the overall driving experience, as the executive sedan should be more serene inside.

Mazda6 2.0 is an adequate tool even if a 180 km/h cruise is required. The big sedan seamlessly sliced through the air with its excellent aerodynamics and the suspension composure for your to enjoy a relaxed high speed cruise. The suspension won't dissapoint you upon the encounter with bend. The steering is precise, even if it lacks the meaningful weight. It however make the car feel nimble, light on its feet. The suspension setup controlled the roll very well, giving you enough confidence to attack the bend.

As a family car, Mazda6 scores well in terms of cabin space, while the exterior styling adds the panache to the overall package. The ride and handling will pleased the driver, although he will slightly dissapointed with the external noise intrusion. The boot also is on a small side, nowhere near the previous model 506L volume. While the boot itself is long, it is quite shallow, which is unforgivable for car which even lacks the spare tyre under the boot floor! There is also an evidence of cost cutting in the boot, where the outgoing Mazda6 multi-link trunk lid hinge has made way for the goose-neck hinge which eat space, but cheaper to manufactured.

As described earlier, buying the 2.0L won't get you the amenities such as sunroof, paddle shifter, LED DRL (totally different headlamp design), a stunning 19 inch alloy wheel, satnav system and a host of Mazda active driving aids. You'll still get the essentials such as the dual-zone automatic aircond, leather upholstery, 6 airbags, typical ABS+EBD+TCS, starter button and RM30k price difference. For information, Mazda6 range starts with 2.0L Sedan at RM159,440.20, moves to 2.5L Sedan at RM187,659.30 and topped by the 2.5L Grand Touring at RM191,763.30.

Gallery of the new Mazda6 can be found below:

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Mazda6 Malaysian Spec Revealed - 2 Engines & 2 Bodystyles

The 3rd generation Mazda6 is a hot stuff in Japan whereby 7,300 units has been booked after a month of sales opening date. Could that make Malaysian introduction later than expected due to overwhelming demand? Perhaps, but the specification for the Malaysian car has been revealed, thanks to the early advertisement from the local dealer on oto.my.

Malaysian car will come with both 2.0L and 2.5L engines, where the latter will be available with wagon bodystyle too in addition to the typical sedan. Specification-wise, all version gets 6 airbags, starter button, auto air-cond, auto wipers, cruise control, TFT touch screen audio system, reverse camera and start stop system. Opting for a higher grade 2.5L will get you 11-speaker BOSE system, i-ELOOP regenerative braking system, sunroof, paddle shift, Bi-Xenon headlight and a host of adaptive driving monitoring systems. Indicative price is RM154,000 for the 2.0L Sedan, RM181,000 for 2.5L Sedan and RM185,000 for 2.5L Grand Touring. All these are CBU, unlike most of its similarly priced, less-equipped and locally-assembled fellow Japanese rivals.

To recap,there are two gasoline engine on offer, namely the fame 2.0L Skyactiv-G and 2.5L Skyactiv-G, both are high-compression ratio direct-injection engine. The former produced 155PS@6,000rpm and 196Nm@4,000rpm while the latter kicked out 188PS@5,700rpm and 250Nm@3,250rpm.Both are paired with 6 speed automatic transmission. The sedan is 4,860mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,450mm tall. The wheelbase is 2,830mm long. The Grand Touring has a shorter wheelbase of 2,750mm. It is also shorter at  4,800mm and taller at 1,480mm. The 2.0L car rides on 225/55R17 while the 2.5L car rides on 225/45 R19.

The full gallery and details of the 3rd generation Mazda6 can be found in our previous posting HERE.

The detail about the i-ELOOP regenerative braking can be found HERE

The specification details from the brochure can be found after the jump.

Mazda i-ELOOP : innovative energy storage solution

The new Mazda6 is coming to our shore early next year, contrary to the optimistic news that we got last year when it was rumoured that the car could be previewed here as early as November 2011. The new Mazda6 is, like the CX-5, is the full-blown product of the Mazda Skyactiv technology, which encompasses the optimized body structure design to weight optimization, redesigned powertrain unit for class-leading power output and emission level as well as the engine start/stop system termed i-Stop. Mazda is bringing the next level of fuel optimization technology to the new 6, called i-ELOOP.

i-ELOOP is Mazda’s innovation on the brake energy regeneration: capturing kinetic energy (the energy generated by a vehicle when it moves) that would otherwise be lost when slowing down. This energy is used to recharge batteries in electric and hybrid cars, for example, or to power the on-board electrical network and save engine power and therefore save fuel. The innovation lies in the energy storing device, a capacitor instead of battery.

A typical vehicle deceleration phase lasts only about 10 seconds.  Realising that the effectiveness of regenerative braking systems to date has been limited by the charging and storage drawbacks of conventional lead-acid starter batteries, Mazda engineers adopted an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), which recharges fully in only a few seconds.  An efficient 12V-25V variable voltage alternator generates the electricity and charges the EDLC; a DC/DC converter then steps down the voltage to power electrical components such as the climate control air-conditioning and audio systems, with any surplus going to the starter battery.

A full capacitor charge is enough to run the vehicle’s electrical systems including air-conditioning for a minute or so.  This makes i-ELOOP the perfect companion for i-stop – the latter launched as standard on the Mazda CX-5 and the all-new Mazda6 – as there is no need to revert to battery power even when Mazda’s idle-stop system has shut the car off.  During stop-and-go city driving, charging often resumes before the capacitor is fully discharged.  i-ELOOP can therefore produce most if not all of a vehicle’s electricity needs, whereas normally some of the engine’s output is required just to drive the alternator.  By freeing up this engine capacity, i-ELOOP increases fuel economy under everyday driving conditions.

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3rd Gen. Mazda Atenza debut in Japan -specs & gallery

Mazda Motor Corporation has unveiled the third generation Mazda Atenza in Japan, with delivery planned in late November this year. The introduction of the new Mazda D Segment sedan also marked the first view of the right hand drive version of the Mazda6, a name which it will be known worldwide outside Japan. Similar to what unveiled in Paris, two body styles will be available in Japan, sedan and wagon. Mazda has also released a huge gallery of the European version, so head straight down if you are only interested in the European LHD car.

For Japan market, there are two gasoline engine on offer, namely the fame 2.0L Skyactiv-G and 2.5L Skyactiv-G, both are high-compression ratio direct-injection engine. The former produced 155PS@6,000rpm and 196Nm@4,000rpm while the latter kicked out 188PS@5,700rpm and 250Nm@3,250rpm. The third engine on offer is the Skyactiv-D with 2.2L displacement producing 175PS@4,500rpm and 420Nm@2,000rpm. The petrol model can only be paired with 6 speed automatic transmission, while the diesel can be had in both 6 AT and 6 MT format. The sedan is 4,860mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,450mm tall. The wheelbase is 2,830mm long. Amusingly, Mazda quoted a shorter wheelbase for the wagon, which 2,750mm. It is also shorter at  4,800mm and taller at 1,480mm.

The interior is a major departure from the current Mazda6/Atenza. Gone is angular symmetrical layout and in comes a high-mounted screen with colored separator between the top and bottom layer of the dashboard. While the Moscow and Paris car wears the reddish dashboard horizontal garnish, now we can see that there is another trim option available for the selected trim line.

Initially, the are limited trim-line for the 2013 Mazda Atenza. The 2.0L version is only available in the "S" variant, while the 2.5L model is available only in S trim with L package. The diesel engine is labelled XD and since there's only sole engine line, it is made available in either XD or pricier XD L Package. For the base S and XD variant, the equipment level include front fog lamp, iStop system, i-ELOOP regenerative braking  and stability control, multi-info display 60/40 split rear seat and leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearknob and hand-brake lever. The seat is fabric upholstered. The standard rim on the petrol is 17 inch item wrapped by 225/55 R17 tyres. The manual diesel version however comes with 19 inch wheel as standard, shod with 225/45 R19 tyres.

Mazda Atenza Sedan 20S version front view

Mazda Atenza sedan 20S rear view

The interior of S and XD package - noted the fabric and dashboard trim

Mazda Atenza Wagon 20S front view

Mazda Atenza Wagon 20S rear view

 The "L Package" available on the 25S and XD meanwhile adds Smart City Brake Support, Radar guided cruise control, Rear Vehicle Monitoring System, HID headlight and 19 inch wheel wrapped by 225/45 tyres.

Mazda Atenza Sedan 25S front view

Mazda Atenza Sedan 25S rear view

Mazda Atenza Wagon 25S front view

Mazda Atenza Wagon 25S rear view

The interior with L Package

Malaysian market gets the car directly from the Japan factory and hence the trim level here is a clear indication on what we will be getting soon. It is refreshing to see that the entry level trim for the 2.0L version gets 17 inch alloy and fog lamp unlike the current Mazda6 which is devoid of fog lamp and rides on puny 16 inch alloy wheel. With the launch rumoured to happen sometimes in November or December it won't be too long before we can lay out hands on these stylish car. More gallery of the JDM Mazda Atenza can be found after the jump.

3rd Generation Mazda6 coming to Malaysia in November?

We are still fresh from the European debut of Mazda6 in Paris Motorshow, and we know that it will enter major market right at the end of the year. Guess what, Malaysia is one of those countries. Although there has been a rumours about the arrival of the 3rd generation Mazda6 in the Q1 2013, we could reveal that the arrival could be as early as November, with December delivery for the eager customer!

Two versions are coming to our shore. The entry level is the 2.0L Skyactiv-G powered, which is the same as the one powering the CX-5 crossover. The output figure quoted for Malaysian CX-5 is 153bhp and 200Nm. As before, Mazda6 range in Malaysia will be powered by the 2.5L mill, Skyactiv-G direct injection engine kicking 192bhp. Both version will be paired to the 6 speed automatic gearbox.

For the outgoing generation there were two different versions of the Mazda6. The one we see in Malaysia is the more compact version, sold to the majority of the world while the American version is much larger although they both share the same styling. There's no such thing this time around as Mazda has decided to unify both version. 5 door liftback version won't be available as well, as Mazda deemed the svelte looking new 6 is as sporty as the liftback version.

Mazda6 is slightly bigger than the old car (smaller than the US version though). Overall length is 4,865mm, width 1,840mm and 1,450mm tall. Wheelbase is 2,830mm. In comparison, the old 6 measures 4,755mm,1,795mm, 1,440mm and 2,725mm in these dimensions respectively. As a results of this, there is 43mm more knee room at the back while the rear seat cushion has been increased by 20mm for added comfort. Boot space is 483L, slighly less than current car 519L.

If Malaysia market introduction is really happening in November, it means that we are getting the new Mazda6 as fast as the rest of the world. This is no surprise actually if we consider the fact the the supply of our Mazda6 comes from Japan, where the production of the current car has been stopped to give way to the car you see here. To support this fact further, Mazda Malaysia has been attempting to clear the stock of the current car as early as last July with significant discount. So, roll on the new Mazda6.....

Photo source: Car.watch.

Malaysian Mazda3 refreshed with exterior facelift

Mazda has quietly update its Mazda3 range in Malaysia, both in cosmetic and costing terms. The update consists of newly design front and rear bumpers. This time around, there is no differentiated bumper The 2.0L car now gets engine starter button and leather upholstery as standard, both on sedan and hatchback. Touch screen audio and navigator is now standard on all versions.

However, while the update for the rest of world comes full swing with Skyactiv technology, for Malaysia it is a complete null. The drivetrain retains the current 1.6L +4AT and 2.0L+5AT. Perhaps this is due to the cost reason and also to simplify CKD operation.

There is anyway some price revision. The 1.6L version now priced at RM100,674 and RM105,593 for the sedan and hatchback respectively. The 2.0L variant are RM121,674.50 and  RM126,399.50 respectively for each body styles. All prices are exclusive of insurance. So while there is a small price increase for the sedan, the hatchback which retails close to RM136k last time has seen its price slashed!

Mazda6 Station Wagon first official photo

 Mazda has released some early photos of the Mazda6 Station Wagon. There is no technical data released such as the new dimension and cargo volume thus we might have to wait until the official unveiling at Paris Motor Show, which also the debut venue of the European Mazda6. 

Compared to the Sedan, the styling differs only towards the back, as expected. The heavily slanted rear screen indicates the sportier positioning of the new 6, together with the shallowing of the glass house towards the rear end. The rear fascia design is as per the Sedan, with stretched rear lights and a full span of chrome garnish. The debut of the European model also will include the detail of the diesel powertrain, although we don't foresee a significant difference from the CX-5 crossover engine variant. Some more photos can be found after the jump.