Has Mazda just saved the petrol engine? Mazda 3 SkyActiv-X fuel figures confirmed

Mazda UK has announced performance and fuel economy data for its upcoming SkyActiv-X engine, which will be launched into the Australian Mazda3 towards the end of 2019. 

Going on sale in the UK in July, the 2.0-litre supercharged SkyActiv-X engine with the company’s new compression ignition tech will reportedly produce 133kW of power and 223Nm of torque, which is slightly less than the current 2.5-litre SkyActiv four-cylinder petrol engine used in the G25 variants locally. 

The SkyActiv-X engine has a high 16.3:1 compression ratio, and thanks to the supercharger, its peak torque is produced 1000rpm lower than the current G25 engine, at 3000rpm. 

As for fuel economy, Mazda UK claims that the SkyActiv-X engine will use as little as 5.4L/100km on a combined cycle - 1.2L/100km less than the Australian G25. Although Australian figures are yet to be announced, we expect the combined figure to be comfortably below 6.0L/100km despite possible weight differences, larger wheels and different fuel quality. 

Emissions are similarly improved - the SkyActiv-X engine emits as little as 96g/km of CO2, which compares well with the current 2.0-litre (143g/km) and 2.5-litre (153g/km) variants of the Mazda3.

The UK-spec SkyActiv-X engine is also combined with a mild-hybrid system that allows the car to have its engine switched off for “extended periods of time”, according to the brand. Whether or not the SkyActiv-X engine will be paired with the same mild-hybrid system locally is unknown.

When it goes on sale in the UK, Mazda will offer the SkyActiv-X engine in both the sedan and hatchback bodystyles, and with either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox - and possibly with either front- or all-wheel drive. 

Mazda Australia is yet to comment on when the SkyActiv-X engine will be sold locally, but we expect it to be offered only in higher-spec versions of the Mazda3 range, possibly as an option.

Mazda has confirmed that the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-X engine will be offered in the CX-30 small SUV when it goes on sale locally in 2020. It’s also announced that larger six-cylinder versions of the SkyActiv-X engine concept will be produced in the future, though smaller iterations for cars such as a future Mazda2 are yet to be confirmed.

Will you be waiting for the SkyActiv-X engine in the Mazda3? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.