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Going Green in Geneva: The Mazda Minagi the latest crossover concept vehicle with Mazda's SkyActiv design plan.
A crossover may seem like an odd thing to debut your company's new look. What's even odder is previewing the future of that company with a vehicle that is neither electric nor a hybrid when even Bentley is packing lithium ion cells into their cars. Yet Mazda is doing just that in a bid to separate themselves from the rest of the auto world with the Minagi.
The concept uses Mazda's new Kodo design language which the press release says gives the car "the expression of energy pulsing throughout the vehicle with the keen agility to move about freely and nimbly."
That's not a statement you would normally associate with a crossover, but the design manages to come off as somewhat less bulbous than most vehicles in its segment, especially compared with the CX-7 and CX-9.
The vehicle is a preview of Mazda's SkyActiv design plan. While everyone else is moving toward hybrids and electric cars, Mazda is trying to squeeze as much as they can out of traditional technologies. The company has already announced the following technical improvements:
A gas engine that has a compression ratio of 14:1 on pump gas with an expected 15% increase in fuel economy and maximum torque over current engines.
A diesel engine that has a compression ratio of 14:1 that delivers 20% better fuel economy and doesn't require urea injection or other nitrogen-capturing technology to pass emissions requirements. (In diesel engines fuel ignites using compression instead of a spark. A typical compression ratio would be between 17 and 18:1.)
Advanced automatic and manual transmissions that reduce weight and internal friction.
Lightweight body and chassis components that use new design techniques and plenty of high-strength steel to reduce weight by 8% and 14% respectively.
How much of a change can we expect to see with these cars? When Mazda first announced their plan in 2008 they targeted a 30% increase in fuel economy across the board by 2015. It's rumored that the next MX-5 will weigh 2,200 lbs, 200 lbs. less than the current model.
Aside from the usual tiny mirror and giant wheels seen on concepts you can expect to see something very similar to the Minagi going into production, replacing the current CX-9 or Tribute. The first vehicle to use the technology will be next year's 3, which will receive the SkyActiv gas engine and SkyActiv transmissions. Chassis improvements will follow as models are redesigned.