Mazda Unveils Vehicle Equipped with New Gasoline Engine

Mine, Yamaguchi Pref., Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)--Mazda Motor Corp. <7261> on Tuesday showed reporters a prototype vehicle equipped with a next-generation gasoline engine it developed, at a vehicle test course in western Japan. The Japanese automaker plans to launch a vehicle mounted with the new gasoline engine in 2019, company officials said. The prototype unveiled at the test course in the city of Mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture is an Axela compact car equipped with the next-generation Skyactiv-X 2,000 cc engine. This is the world's first gasoline engine that uses compression ignition combustion technology, which can boost fuel economy by 20-30 pct from conventional engines, according to Mazda. The new engine will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show set to open on Oct. 27. Mazda plans to continue improving its internal combustion engine technology amid tighter emissions regulations globally in favor of electric vehicles, the officials said. In addition to gasoline-powered vehicles, the automaker plans to sell vehicles using electrified technology according to each market's situation. Mazda will boost its lineup of environment-friendly, affordable vehicles that can meet each market's regulations and energy mix, its president and chief executive officer, Masamichi Kogai, said. END