Photo: Mazda
Beyond the newities Mazda brought at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Hiroshima-based automaker doesn’t plan to give the Mazda3 the MPS treatment, at least not for the foreseeable future. The torsion-beam suspension at the rear axle isn’t necessarily the reason, but the limited budget for research and development.
Speaking to Drive.com.au at the unveiling of the all-new Mazda3, president and chief executive officer Akira Marumoto said that the Japanese automaker “is a small player, and if that segment has a high particular priority for Mazda, my answer would be no.” But hold on a second, wasn’t Mazda all about “driving pleasure” and stuff?
It is indeed, but not in the sense we’re imagining. Marumoto told the motoring publication that Mazda “is focusing on establishing itself as a genuine alternative to the likes of European rivals,” mostly through “improved quality, comfort, and refinement of its existing vehicle lineup.”
Given these circumstances, the most potent engine Mazda offers right now is the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the CX-5, Mazda6, and CX-9. The SkyActiv-G 2.5T features VVT, chain-driven dual overhead cams, and 227 horsepower on 87-octane gasoline. Step up to 93-octane premium unleaded fuel, and you’re looking at 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
In another twist of events, Matsumoto said “nothing has been decided” in regard to the RX-9 sports car. “I am receiving this question maybe 100 times, and I will not commit,” he added. On the upside, a single-rotor rotary engine will be introduced as a range extender in one of the automaker's upcoming electric vehicle.
The last point Matsumoto made at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show is about autonomous driving technology, which would roll out by 2025 as far as Mazda is concerned. Mazda “delivers driving pleasure to its customers" but “if a human driver feels sick and cannot continue driving, then autonomous driving technology will take over and steer the car to a safe area and call the emergency services.”
On that note, can Mazda remain relevant in today’s automotive landscape without a halo model? One can only sell so many MX-5s, right?
It is indeed, but not in the sense we’re imagining. Marumoto told the motoring publication that Mazda “is focusing on establishing itself as a genuine alternative to the likes of European rivals,” mostly through “improved quality, comfort, and refinement of its existing vehicle lineup.”
Given these circumstances, the most potent engine Mazda offers right now is the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the CX-5, Mazda6, and CX-9. The SkyActiv-G 2.5T features VVT, chain-driven dual overhead cams, and 227 horsepower on 87-octane gasoline. Step up to 93-octane premium unleaded fuel, and you’re looking at 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
In another twist of events, Matsumoto said “nothing has been decided” in regard to the RX-9 sports car. “I am receiving this question maybe 100 times, and I will not commit,” he added. On the upside, a single-rotor rotary engine will be introduced as a range extender in one of the automaker's upcoming electric vehicle.
The last point Matsumoto made at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show is about autonomous driving technology, which would roll out by 2025 as far as Mazda is concerned. Mazda “delivers driving pleasure to its customers" but “if a human driver feels sick and cannot continue driving, then autonomous driving technology will take over and steer the car to a safe area and call the emergency services.”
On that note, can Mazda remain relevant in today’s automotive landscape without a halo model? One can only sell so many MX-5s, right?
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