Mazda recently announced a commitment to improve the fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold globally by an average of 30 per cent by 2015.

Mazda aims to cut fuel consumption in its cars by 30% by 2015.

The company has introduced three new technological developments that are near completion in Japan. Mazda claims that its new Smart Idle Stop System (SISS) will give a nine per cent improvement in fuel consumption. The Mazda SISS automatically stops the engine of the car, then automatically starts it again using direct-injection helped by a starter motor action.

In order to achieve this, both the compression-stroke and expansion-stroke pistons are stopped at exactly the correct position to ensure the right balance of air volume in each cylinder. Mazda claims that its system is unique, and a global first, as it begins indexing the pistons before the engine starts up again, unlike standard systems that do this after an electric motor starts turning over the engine.

Mazda claims that its SISS starts about twice as fast as competitor systems, and delivers a smoother restart and fuel savings. The SISS system will be introduced to the European market in the first half of next year.

For the diesel market, Mazda will introduce a new generation 2.2-litre common-rail turbo diesel next year. This new fuel-efficient engine delivers 185bhp of power and 400Nm of torque making it one of segment's liveliest diesels.

To enhance overall fuel efficiency, the engine uses new technologies including ultra high pressure fuel injectors and a lower compression ratio. The Mazda-developed diesel particulate filter has a catalyst activation mechanism that removes particulate matter from the exhaust gases more efficiently. The ceramic base material in Mazda's unique catalyst is a world first, and has a molecular structure that increases the rate of particulate matter combustion and enhances the DPF regeneration speed.

Mazda will be expanding its lightweight vehicle strategy even further with a new plastic moulding technology that reduces the weight of plastic parts in Mazda vehicles without compromising strength or rigidity. This new manufacturing technique not only reduces weight, but also cuts the consumption of oil-based resins used as raw materials by approximately 20 to 30 per cent.

This new technology lightweight strategy has resulted in the new Mazda2 and Mazda6 being lighter and more fuel-efficient than their predecessors in contrast to an industry trend towards ever-larger and heavier cars.

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