Mazda stays true to petrol power with all-new MX-5

Next-gen roadster, due 2024, to be designed around innovative Skyactiv-X engine

- FELIX PAGE

Mazda’s commitment to internal combustion will extend to the next-generation MX-5, which is set to receive the Japanese manufacturer’s newest and most advanced petrol-engine technology rather than a plug-in hybrid or battery-electric powertrain.

Mazda last year launched its first BEV, the MX-30 crossover, but just a year before that ushered in its innovative Skyactiv-X petrol engine technology, which uses spark-controlled compression ignition (SPCCI) to improve efficiency and performance.

This could enable some petrol-powered Mazdas to remain on sale as their respective rivals go electric.

The MX-5, in particular, is a likely candidate, given that its relatively low sales volumes have a negligible impact on Mazda’s European fleet average CO2 emissions.

The manufacturer has previously confirmed that a Skyactiv-X engine will be used only in all-new models that have been designed around it and its associated mild-hybrid hardware.

The first cars to gain a Skyactiv-X engine were the 3 family hatchback and its CX-30 sibling, and Mazda has previewed a new straight-six that could appear in the next-generation 6 executive car.

Skyactiv-X technology is now offered in various European-market models without a turbocharger (the 3 is available in the US with a 2.5-litre turbo engine), making it highly likely that the MX-5 can stay true to its naturally aspirated roots in its fifth generation.

A small supercharger does feature as part of a Skyactiv-X engine, but only as a means of pressurising the air inside when it’s running on spark-controlled ignition (in so doing avoiding the accelerative lag caused by a turbocharger).