Yes, we have seen this Kiyora concept before, but the Japanese automaker is using the show car to help showcase its new eco-friendly SKY-G and SKY-D powertrains at the 2009 Tokyo motor show.
Mazda has reportedly been interested in eking the most fuel efficiency from its internal combustion engines, and the SKY range – so named because Mazda desires an “everlasting blue sky” – is the first step towards that goal. Using these new engines, Mazda hopes to reduce its corporate average fuel economy by 30 percent by 2015.
As its name suggests, the SKY-G is the company’s take on a thrifty gasoline engine. Although the company hasn’t yet released any specifications on the motor (displacement, for instance, is still a mystery), it does claim the all-new direct-injection engine delivers a 15 percent increase in fuel economy and torque over the company’s present 2.0-liter I-4. If installed in a Mazda3, the engine could purportedly return fuel economy similar to a Mazda2.
We’re also left in the dark about the displacement of the SKY-D diesel engine, but we’re told the new design offers a 20 percent jump in fuel efficiency over the current 2.2 liter. This improvement is achieved by a changed combustion chamber shape and further optimized fuel delivery. A two-stage turbocharger and piezo injectors also help to improve fuel economy. According to Mazda, this engine installed in a Mazda6 could return fuel economy figures comparable to a Mazda2.
Along with the SKY engines, Mazda will also display its new SKY-Drive automatic transmission. The gearbox reportedly helps to reduce fuel consumption by5 percent by reducing frictionin, modifying the torque converter design, and changing when the torque converter locks up.
