MAZDA SKYACTIV Technology

Not sure which of these technologies will come to the CX9. You'd think the timing would be perfect for the next CX9 but it seems like every company is targeting fuel saving technologies at their smaller cars so they can hit big numbers like 40 mpg. The skyactive technologies wouldn't even get the CX9 to 30 mpg. It might be nice to get a the diesel engine as an option. The transmission explanation wasn't clear at all...I'm not sure how it differs from what they offer today.
 
True. Mazda seems to have no plan for V6 engines yet. They might continue to source them from Ford's Duratec/EcoBoost.
The new lines of Skyactiv transmissions might not be up to the task of handling high torque yet (such as ones used in CX9).
They might continue to source them from Aisin (owned by Toyota).
However, the suspension, body structure can be incorporated into next CX9s.
I am thoroughly impressed by the 14:0 compression ratio of Skyactiv-G.
 
sjg said:
Not sure which of these technologies will come to the CX9. You'd think the timing would be perfect for the next CX9 but it seems like every company is targeting fuel saving technologies at their smaller cars so they can hit big numbers like 40 mpg. The skyactive technologies wouldn't even get the CX9 to 30 mpg. It might be nice to get a the diesel engine as an option. The transmission explanation wasn't clear at all...I'm not sure how it differs from what they offer today.
Click to expand...

Have you seen the price of diesel fuel lately?
 
sjg said:
Not sure which of these technologies will come to the CX9. You'd think the timing would be perfect for the next CX9 but it seems like every company is targeting fuel saving technologies at their smaller cars so they can hit big numbers like 40 mpg. The skyactive technologies wouldn't even get the CX9 to 30 mpg. It might be nice to get a the diesel engine as an option. The transmission explanation wasn't clear at all...I'm not sure how it differs from what they offer today.
Click to expand...


The Sky-Activ Manual Transmission is fairly standard. Pretty much its just being enhanced to give a better, crisper feel. The throw has also been reduced so its going to be like a sporty short throw transmission, similar to the MX5. Usually short throws = more effort required to shift, but mazda have been able to optimise the transmission so that it has a short throw yet requires relatively little effort to shift.

The Sky-Activ Drive auto though, it differs from whats current offered by having a more compact torque converter, and a larger clutch pack. This allows the transmission to lockup (couple directly with the engine) up to 90% of the time. The direct coupling gives manual/dsg like direct feel, yet still offers the smoothness at low speeds and hill crawling as a standard torque converter auto. Standard autos are inefficient due to energy loss through fluid coupling, but offers superior smoothness, esp when taking off and hill starts. DSG gearboxes have quick gear changes, a direct feel and are quite efficient due to the direct coupling of the transmission to the engine through the dual clutches, however they lack smoothness and are apparently quite jerky at low speeds/takeoff/hillstarts. The Sky-ActiveDrive 6 speed auto combines the positives of both these gearboxes without the corresponding negatives.

Hope that explanation helps.

@ ceric
I've heard rumors of mazda doing away with the V6 in the cx9 altogether, and moving to a turbo 4. Not sure how true that is, but i'd be pretty dissappointed if they took away the V6. Thats like the best part of the CX9.
 
That would really suck if they took away the v6 engine. A vehicle that long and heavy requires a v6. I just wished that they would squeeze the same horsepower out of it as ford did with the engine in the mustang. That car gets 305 horses out of the 3.7 duratec.
 
IslandTractor said:
About 10 cents more than premium gas in my area. I'd have bought a diesel CX9 in a heartbeat even if there was a significant performance penalty. I'd accept a 10 second 0-60 in trade for 30mpg any day.
Click to expand...

Exactly, a lot of people just look at the price per gallon pricing - but that same gallon brings you a lot further...
 
blink_me192 said:
@ ceric
I've heard rumors of mazda doing away with the V6 in the cx9 altogether, and moving to a turbo 4. Not sure how true that is, but i'd be pretty dissappointed if they took away the V6. Thats like the best part of the CX9.
Click to expand...

Turbo I4 is getting the attention thanks to higher oil price.
However, I haven't heard of this rumor.
 
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ceric said:
Turbo I4 is getting the attention thanks to higher oil price.
However, I haven't heard of this rumor.
Click to expand...

I guess Audi is putting a turbo four in the (significantly smaller) Q5 and Ford is putting one in the (comparably sized) Explorer. Maybe this is the future. But with the upcoming CX-5 I can only see the CX-7 and CX-9 getting slightly larger. If so, I'm not sure that a turbo four would do the trick in the CX-9 unless it manages to shed some weight.

I'd also point out that Subaru (along with maybe VW and Audi) seems to be the broadest implementer of turbo fours in the US. Even so, while they fit one in the Forester XT they are still six cylinders only with the Tribeca (a car that could use an mpg improvement even more than the CX-9).
 
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IslandTractor said:
About 10 cents more than premium gas in my area. I'd have bought a diesel CX9 in a heartbeat even if there was a significant performance penalty. I'd accept a 10 second 0-60 in trade for 30mpg any day.
Click to expand...

My 2011 VW Touareg TDI (wifey drives the CX-9) w/true off road awd, 8700 lb towing capacity, 0-60 in 6.9 sec. and quieter than our 2011 CX-9 GT regularly gets 22-24 mpg in town, always above 32mpg highway at 78mph. And it only has 8600 miles on it. Diesels improve quite a bit once you get to 20K miles. It uses an Aisin 8 speed tiptronic gearbox. My 06 Touareg w/twin turbo V10, 0-60 under 6 sec. always had better mpgs than the CX-9. BTW, that V10 is the basis of the engine Audi uses to race in their Lemans prototype. I'll take diesel over hybrid anytime. Here in the south, diesel and premium cost the same.

Also, DSG transmission (dual clutch) is not new technology, Porche, Audi, VW has had it for years. VW GTI comes with it standard, you can floor the gas pedal and paddle shift without letting off. Shifts take 0.4sec.
 
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