This car doesn't need an introduction. First of all, the new Mazda 3 isn't very new anymore, because it's been around for a while.
Second, we received so much requests for a road test for a new Mazda with the SkyActiv X-engine, we had to do something.
The miraculous engine which combines the advantages of a petrol engine with all of the advantages of a diesel engine.
And specially for you, we went to Sofia to make a video. First of all, let's talk about how it works.
It's a very nice piece of technology, which doesn't really show on the outside. Also, it's the first engine that I've seen which has...
two bonnets. You've got the regular one and this plastic one here, which has a special hinge to keep it up.
And this is it. So how does it work? Well, you fill it up with petrol, but the engine is able to use it as diesel up to 4.000 RPM.
So instead of igniting the fuel with a spark plug, it ignites through compression. So, is it a diesel with out diesel fuel? Nope, there's still a small spark.
What happens is that a small compressor pushes a lot of air into the cylinder. After that, it gets compressed with a tiny bit of petrol,
a very lean mixture with compression of 16,3:1, up to the point it almost spontaneously combusts. After that, it injects a little petrol around a spark plug,
that will combust and because of the resulting pressure, the rest will combust as well. And because the mixture is very lean,
the temperature remains low. That means a low nOx-emission, and in theory you have the torque and fuel efficiency of a diesel,
and the high power output and low emissions of a petrol engine.
So how does it feel to drive? Well, let me start off with a point of criticism. They haven't been able to reach diesel-torque levels.
It produces more torque than the 2.0-litre SkyActiv G, which is the conventional petrol engine, but it's only a difference of 11 Nm.
Mazda also offers a 1.8-litre diesel in the 3, but that produces much more torques. There's a gap of 56 Nm of torque between this and that.
So they haven't really nailed that. This torque output is similar to a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine. Having said that, it's not annoying.
It might not have a much higher torque output than the petrol engine, but in the lower revs, where you spend most of your time,
there's much more torque available. That means this engine has the smoothness which the normal one doesn't.
So there's still the smooth reaction, put your foot down and you're gone, but you can now feel there's power behind your foot.
And because it's still a relatively light car, it's nice and quick. It's a car which speeds up easily, it's quiet, it might work like a diesel...
but it certainly doesn't sound that way. That makes it a very refined and powerful engine. It's pretty astonishing that it's using an entirely...
new combustion process and you won't notice anything. In this menu however, you can see what the car is doing.
Under normal circumstances, it always says SPCCI, which means Spark Controlled Compression Ignition. And it will hold on to that up to...
well above 4.000 RPM. When you reach 4.500 RPM however, you can feel the engine holding back and SPCCI will disappear.
That's when it continues like a regular petrol engine, and you have 180 horsepower at 6.000 RPM. That's why it's nice and quick.
This kind of is the ideal drivetrain if you don't want a diesel, really.
Other than that, it's still a Mazda 3 with all of the perks and disadvantages we already know. It doesn't have a lot of advantages luckily.
The offered space is slightly limited, and you can get an automatic gearbox in this, but it kind of kills the buzz.
Fortunately, Mazda is one of the manual gearbox-masters. It's such a nice gearbox. Smooth, light, a lot of feedback, and the same goes for the clutch.
You won't miss the automatic gearbox, but if you need one, that's kind of a thing.
So what does it cost? Well, it's cheaper than you think. Without taxes, it would a lot more expensive than the SkyActiv G.
However, because the Dutch system is based on CO2-emissions and the emissions of this car are very low, on paper that is...
You'll only pay €950 than a SkyActiv G. For that you get an additional 60 horsepower, an engine which is more economical.
In theory that is, because I can't really comment on that. I'm driving in the mountains and I'm trying the engine, but it says it's doing 16 km...
per litre. If that's truly the case, this actually is the miracle engine Mazda promises us it is.