2000 Mazda E2000 Reviews

Mazda is set to recall more than 18,000 vehicles over an engine stalling issue, with the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 impacted. The brand will recall 1709 units of the all-new Mazda3 (2019), 1693 units of the Mazda6 (2018-2019), and 15,317

When Mazda committed to resurrecting the rotary engine in late 2015, it was clearly on the basis of having overcome the Wankel engine’s intrinsic efficiency, emissions and reliability issues. But how? The then-rumoured and now production-ready Skyactiv-X compression ignition technology seemed like the only possible solution, but Mazda executives weren’t ready to discuss the still-industry leading technology at the time.  We had the chance to check in on the future rotary with Mazda’s global engine development boss Eiji Nakai at last week’s international launch of the Mazda3 Skyactiv-X in Germany. Asked whether the brand could make a new rotary work without Skyactiv-X, Nakai-san wouldn’t confirm that it was a dependency, but did admit its compatibility. “We have this technology to create air fuel mixture, controlling technologies for ignition, so these technologies are even applicable to rotary engine, so you can get the better efficiency.”This is elementary given that a rotary engine natively relies on high compression to work, while struggling for an efficient burn of the air/fuel mixture on each combustion cycle. The fact that spark plug location has always been a compromise with previous rotaries adds even more to this rationale, with the plug being forcibly located outside the combustion chamber to avoid interference with the passing rotor/s. Skyactiv-X offers a solution to both of these issues, with compression ignition ensuring a cleaner burn and only relying on a spark plug to trigger the ignition process.   Reliability is likely to have been sorted by Skyactiv-X’s advanced cylinder pressure sensors and computer power, along with advances in material technology since the most recent production rotary appeared with the RX-8 in 2002.Then-global R&D boss Kyoshi Fujiwara suggested to CarsGuide that a turbocharger is also likely for the rotary’s return at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, contrasting with what we now know of the supercharger used for the new Skyactiv-X piston engine.“Turbocharger is one of the big contributor for future rotary engines,” he said at the time. Aside from this theoretical sports car application, the use of a rotary engine as a range-extending generator in a plug-in hybrid application is now a firm part of Mazda’s future product plans. However, Fujiwara’s intentions as of 2015 were for the rotary to appear as a stand-alone performance engine first. “I want to introduce new rotary without electrification first. If I introduce with both, people will say electrification helped the rotary engine.”These intentions were supported by recent patent application images, which show a turbocharged, twin spark plug design for an upcoming rotary engine. It’s still our hope that a production version of the 2015 RX-Vision design concept will herald the return of the production rotary as the centrepiece of Mazda’s 100th birthday celebrations in 2020.

Mazda has no current plans to reincarnate a hot hatch performance version of the Mazda3, despite numerous senior executives demonstrating a desire to do so. The fastest Mazda3s we’ve seen since the 2014 demise of the MPS versions that spanned the first two generations of Mazda’s small hatch, have been the petrol SP25 models and the short-lived diesel XD Astina. These could be described as warm hatches at best, while traditional hot hatches like the Golf GTI have only been getting hotter alongside new entrants like the Hyundai i30 N. Reports from the Mazda3’s local launch in April suggested there was a plan for the return of a proper Mazda3 performance hatch. These were supported by a recent report from the UK where Mazda3 Program Manager Kota Beppu clearly stated his desire to see the return of such a model. This sentiment has also been echoed by senior Mazda Australia staff. There were also chuckles and wry smiles all round when Mazda global development and product planning boss Hiroyuki Matsumoto was asked about such a model at the international launch of the Mazda3 Skyactiv-X last week. But his body language changed altogether as he delivered his answer: “We are capable of creating engine to answer such demands for more power, but at the moment we have no plan to do it.”This comes just a fortnight after news suggesting Mazda is about to enter the 3 in the production-related TCR motorsport series, which would seem an ideal fit alongside a showroom hot hatch.   Perhaps such a model has been deemed a mere distraction, as the company prepares for the return of a rotary-engined sports car, which we hope will form a centrepiece of the brand’s 100th birthday celebrations in 2020.  Either way, you can stop holding your breath for a hot Mazda3.

Despite Mazda’s world-leading Skyactiv-X technology doubling the complexity of the equivalent 2.0-litre petrol engine, it will cost no more or require any more frequent servicing, according to the brand’s global engine development boss. Speaking with CarsGuide at last week’s international launch of the Mazda3 Skyactiv-X in Germany, Eiji Nakai assured us that the engine won’t be accompanied by any ownership surprises.“No change to that, we make sure this engine can be used as per normal engines,” he explained.This follows the same pledge from SkyActiv-X technical research and control system boss Mitsuo Hitomi from the new tech’s preview event two years ago.  Hitomi-san also explained that the SkyActiv-X engine will use conventional spark plugs in lieu of expensive bespoke parts, and that the suggested oil will be no more exotic than that specified for conventional turbos, and the engine will continue to use a timing chain instead of a belt requiring regular replacement.This is despite the new engine being twice as complex as the existing 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G engine, with engineering parameters growing from 14-28. Incidentally, the existing Skyactiv-D diesel engines sit somewhere between the two for complexity.And while the Skyactiv-X engine may be more complicated, we understand much of this complexity lies within the sensors and computer power required to make it all work, rather than just mechanical elements. So when the new Mazda3 Skyactiv-X appears in local showrooms early next year, bank on the same 12 month/10,000km service intervals and circa-$1800 over five year servicing costs as the Mazda3’s conventional petrol engines, along with the recently implemented five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.The only big question mark hanging over the Mazda3 Skyactiv-X is how much it will cost to buy in Australia.

Mazda isn’t just pushing upmarket with its ever more refined and luxurious new models, with the Japanese brand committed to retaining traditional buyers at the mainstream end of the market. Speaking with CarsGuide at the international launch of the new CX-30 small SUV last week, Mazda global development and product planning boss Hiroyuki Matsumoto spoke of the “volume zone” the brand is targeting.He explained via a hand-sketched graph that there is a significant chunk of the new car market further up the price scale that sits adjacent to Mazda’s typical buyer demographic territory, which the brand is now targeting. “Instead of moving upwards, we’d like to retain existing but expand our customer base,” he said. It all started with the surprisingly comfortable second-generation CX-9 three years ago, before the top-spec Mazda6 scored some of its fairy dust with one of its many updates in 2016.Fast forward to 2019 and the new-generation Mazda3 has taken big strides in terms of refinement and comfort, which has carried over to the new CX-30 that is set to appear in Australia in early 2020.Tellingly, the brand’s long-term Zoom Zoom driver-focused marketing catchcry wasn’t mentioned once at the CX-30 event or in any press materials.The Mazda3 team has previously confirmed that non-traditional benchmarks like the current Peugeot 308 had been used as a benchmark during its development, but Matsumoto-san shook his head when asked whether any particular premium products had also been included. “Our target is not to win over BMW and Audi as such. We do not aim to copy the German brands,” he said. “The German brands seem to be targeting mechanical advancement, we like to address for the customer what makes them happy - human centric.”“I like the customer to choose Mazda cars, not because it looks like BMW, but because it is a Mazda unique technology we offer.”Asked about whether there’s a degree of pride in achieving something like Skyactiv-X for production, where much bigger and well resourced companies like Mercedes-Benz couldn’t, Matsumoto-san explained: “I think this the essence of drive our engineers depended on.”“Our ultimate goal has not been to do something different, we’re just purely trying to find the right way to solve a problem or meet the target.”This aligns with the philosophy behind the brand’s new Skyactiv-X petrol drivetrain technology, which on the surface might appear a touch incremental in the face of the electric-focused race favoured by all other global brands.  “Our reason why we pursue the ideal combustion, instead of pursuing the use batteries or further electrification, we did that because that was the right thing to do,” he added.As the discussion for adequate infrastructure to enable mainstream electric vehicle use continues with no total solution in the foreseeable future, it’s hard to argue with Matsumoto-san. Mazda is indeed planning electrified and fuel cell drivetrains, but aims to bring such technology to market when it is more commercially realistic for the mainstream.

Mazda already makes the five-seat CX-3 and CX-5 SUVs, but the CX-30 could actually be the best fit yet.

Mazda predicts we'll be depending on combustion engines for a long time yet, so has somehow made the impossible happen with Skyactiv-X.

Mazda's new CX-7 will share components, suppliers and its American factory with an upcoming Toyota SUV, believed to be the FT-4X concept revealed in New York, according to media reports from the USA.Toyota and Mazda have both confirmed they'll be joi

How big is too big for two babies? Does such a thing exist?

The design of latest Mazda3 hatch has polarised opinion, but a new sedan version has arrived to calm the debate, with more traditional lines and a huge boot.