About 45 percent of European orders for the CX-30 compact crossover are specified with the SkyActiv-X, a four-cylinder engine with spark-controlled compression ignition, a supercharger, the Miller cycle, and a 24-volt electrical system. The mild-hybrid powerplant develops 180 PS and 224 Nm, which works out at 178 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque.
As opposed to the variable-compression turbo four-cylinder engine from Infiniti, there’s no denying Mazda came up with the winning design. The SkyActiv-X is proof that internal combustion is more relevant than ever before, although BEVs and fuel-cell hydrogen vehicles are increasingly popular.
"Since we launched the engine, we are seeing a very encouraging feedback," said Yasuhiro Aoyama as per Automotive News Europe. "60 percent of the orders for the Mazda3 are currently for cars equipped with the Skyactiv-X engine," concluded the chief exec of Mazda's European division. This demand is all the more surprising if you remember that there’s a 3,500-euro difference between the Mazda3 hatchback with the SkyActiv-G and the same car with the revolutionary powerplant.
SPCCI technology can be summed up as the best of both worlds. SkyActiv-X combines the compression ignition of a diesel with the spark ignition of a gasoline engine, and the transition between the two is seamless. Mazda claims the X is up to 10 percent more efficient than the G and 7 percent compared to the 1.8-liter turbo diesel known as SkyActiv-D in Mazda nomenclature.
CO2 emissions? Make that 122 to 157 grams per kilometer under the WLTP, thank you! The Roots-style supercharger on the side of the engine is meant to lean out the air-fuel mixture, thus improving fuel economy while reducing combustion temperatures, NOx emissions, and the amount of fuel.
Mazda would’ve wished to run 80-octane gasoline in the SkyActiv-X rather than 87 to 90 because higher octane makes combustion more difficult. In order to prevent knocking, the spark plugs control exactly when to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chambers at a compression ratio of 16:1.
Almost the same thing as the Atkinson cycle in hybrids and plug-in hybrids, the Miller cycle of the SkyActiv-X leaves the intake valves open for a portion of the compression stroke. This pushes air and fuel out of the cylinders to reduce the compression ratio, ensuring that knock doesn’t occur.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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