It seems that the Mazda CX-5, the family SUV of choice in various markets around the world, is more important to out-and-out car enthusiasts than it may seem. Speaking at the ongoing Los Angeles motor show, Mazda’s head of R&D Kiyoshi Fujiwara said that the business case for the RX Vision concept car could be strengthened if the CX-5 SUV proves successful.
Unveiled in 2015, the RX Vision concept car was meant to test the idea of a successor to the RX-8 sports car. It would feature a rotary engine of some form, continuing a lineage dating back to 1963. With the introduction of the new CX-5, Fujiwara said that the business is now “back at its original starting point,” thanks to the ‘rebirth’ of the Mazda brand, powered by SkyActiv technology and impressive ride and handling across the board. Since 2011, Mazda has been riding a truly strong wave of sales, undoing any and all failings the company had under its belt in the years prior.
“Starting with the CX-5, we will try to build robust business health from here. Then after, if we are successful, we can build a robust business structure for the next generation [of products], and then the RX Vision will be a possibility. So the next CX-5 is important,” Fujiwara commented.
A 2020 launch date remains very tempting to Mazda, as the Hiroshima firm will be celebrating its 100th birthday then. By then, Mazda plans to see SkyActiv tech in all of their products. The RX Vision, if it makes production, will definitely be powered by a Wankel engine of some form, as Mazda says rotary engines are “part of our DNA.”
Following that point, Mazda will be focusing on bringing the next generation of SkyActiv tech to market, with a targeted 50% increase in efficiency across the board. Crucial to achieving that target will be the inclusion of high-efficiency homogenous compression technology, which should see series production by 2018.
Interestingly, Fujiwara let slip that there is a dedicated team within the company that is devoted to developing rotary engine technology. He wouldn’t say how big the team was, but he did say that “There is no word to say ‘stop’ for rotary technology in my dictionary. I want to do that.”
"In terms of the technology for rotary, we are developing new tech still. I'm an engineer and I believe there is a possibility to find new technology to make rotary work,” the R&D head commented. He went on to say that electrification would probably feature in tandem with the rotary mill, though the engine must debut on its own first, in a nod to enthusiasts.
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