We all knew the SkyActiv-X is a fuel-efficient engine, combining mild hybridization with a supercharger. Meeting at the halfway point between gasoline and diesel, this powerplant averages 3.7 liters per 100 kilometers if you keep it steady at 90 km/h.
Let that sink in for a minute, then convert the numbers to U.S. miles per gallon. 63.5 is outstanding for a compact hatchback that isn’t a true hybrid, and for the sake of comparison, the Honda Insight returns 55 miles to the gallon on the highway. Impressive, isn’t it?
The Polish motoring journalist from AutoCentrum.pl also reports that 140 km/h translated to 7.0 liters per 100 kilometers. That’s 33.6 miles to the gallon at 87 mph with the engine running at 3,000 revolutions per minute in sixth gear. Make no mistake about it, the men and women behind the SkyActiv-X engine did their job particularly well.
As for the WLTP ratings for the Mazda3 with this powerplant, the hatchback is estimated at 5.8 liters on the combined cycle while the four-door sedan averages 5.6 with the six-speed manual transmission. All-wheel drive and the six-speed automatic affect the fuel economy, and knowing Mazda, the U.S. won’t get the three-pedal setup.
Back in April 2019, Masahiro Moro of Mazda North American Operations told the media that SkyActiv-X is in the pipeline but not anytime soon. “We are introducing each technology in each region when the time is right,” he concluded, which means that the industry-changing engine could be launched in the United States in late 2020 or early 2021.
For the current model year, the Mazda3 in North America is exclusively offered with the SkyActiv-G 2.5 engine and a six-speed auto. Be it front- or all-wheel drive, the four-cylinder plant is good for 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque.
Over in Europe and Japan, customers are further treated to the SkyActiv-G 1.5, 2.0, and the SkyActiv-D 1.8. The most affordable. For future reference, the most affordable SkyActiv-X in the Mazda3 retails 23,290 euros in Germany. That’s equivalent to $25,560 at today’s exchange rates.
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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