Mazda Threatens Hybrids with Fuel-Efficient Diesel

Just when everybody thought that the auto sector slowly but surely migrated to the hybrid industry, Mazda Motor Corp comes out and denies intentions to develop such a model but instead, confirms it will rely on more fuel-efficient engines. Its secret weapon? Mazda says it is currently working on a very fuel efficient diesel unit that may provide at least the same figures as some hybrid systems. The engine is expected to arrive in 2011, Mazda reps told Reuters.

Overall, Mazda plans to increase the fuel economy of its product lineup by up to 30 percent by 2015, with advanced engines, automatic transmissions and lightweight materials to play the main role. The Japanese automaker has set a target of reducing the weight of its models by more than 100 kg (220 lb), or about a tenth of an average car as Reuters reported.

"The norm in the industry is to 'buy' weight reduction at a cost, but we won't do that," R&D Chief Seita Kanai told reporters in Tokyo.

Kanai explained that developing new diesel units that provide a very low fuel consumption is less expensive than investing in hybrid technologies and battery systems.

"We believe that improving today's conventional engines at a low cost is the most effective way to get fuel-efficient cars to proliferate," R&D Chief Seita Kanai told reporters in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the hybrid market becomes one of the most crowded sectors of the automotive industry, with more and more companies adopt this kind of systems. Toyota for instance today confirmed that it plans to design a hybrid version of Yaris to compete with Honda's Insight for the cheapest hybrid unofficial nameplate.