Mazda6 diesel sedan offers up to 60 mpg US

Both the wagon and sedan versions of the new Mazda6 made their collective debut at the Paris Motor Show. The Mazda6— now in its third generation— is also the company’s first mass-production model equipped with i-ELOOP, its brake energy regeneration system.

i-ELOOP joins the i-stop idle-stop system and SKYACTIV powertrains, chassis and body (introduced on the CX-5) to deliver fuel consumption as low as 3.9 l/100 km (60 mpg US) and CO₂ emissions of 104 g/km (European combined cycle with standard diesel SKYACTIV-D 2.2 and SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual), in the CD-segment without sacrificing performance.

Mazda is offering the choice of five SKYACTIV engines (two diesels and three gasoline powerplants) coupled with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions in the Mazda6. Most are available with i-ELOOP as well as i-stop.

i-ELOOP (short for “intelligent Energy Loop”) uses a supercapacitor to store electricity recovered during deceleration to power the vehicle’s electrical systems, thereby improving fuel economy.

Mazda’s engineers determined that a typical vehicle deceleration phase lasts only about 10 seconds. Realizing that the effectiveness of regenerative braking to date has been limited by the charging and storage drawbacks of conventional lead-acid starter batteries, they instead adopted an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), which recharges fully within only a few seconds. An efficient 12V-25V variable voltage alternator generates the electricity and charges the EDLC; a DC/DC converter then steps down the voltage to power electrical components like the climate control and audio systems, with any surplus going to the starter battery.

A full capacitor charge is enough to run the vehicle’s electrical systems for a minute or so. This makes i-ELOOP an ideal companion for i-stop, as there is no need to revert to battery power even when Mazda’s idle-stop system has shut the car off. During stop-and-go city driving, charging often resumes before the capacitor is fully discharged. i-ELOOP can therefore produce most if not all of a vehicle’s electricity needs, whereas normally some of the engine’s output is required just to drive the alternator. By freeing up this engine capacity, i-ELOOP increases fuel economy under everyday urban driving conditions.

Mazda6 Engines
	Gasoline			Diesel
	SKYACTIV-G 2.0 Standard Power	SKYACTIV-G 2.0 High Power	SKYACTIV-G 2.5	SKYACTIV-D 2.2 Standard Power	SKYACTIV-D 2.2 High Power
Displacement (cm3)	1,998		2,488	2,191	2,191
Valves	16
Camshaft drive	Timing chain
Fuel injection system	Direct injection
Compression ratio	14.0:1		13.0:1	14.0:1
Max power (kW)	107 @ 6,000	121 @ 6,000	141 @ 5,700	110 @ 4,500	129 @ 4,500
Max torque (N·m)	210 @ 4,000		256 @ 3,250	380 @ 2,000	420 @ 2,000
Powertrain	FWD
Transmissions	SKYACTIV-DRIVE (AT) SKYACTIV-MT		SKYACTIV-DRIVE	SKYACTIV-DRIVE SKYACTIV-MT

The gasoline engined models achieve Euro 5 emissions standards, while the diesel models are Euro 6 compliant.

The SKYACTIV-Body on the Mazda6 is lighter yet stronger than the current model through the use of more ultra-high tensile steel and other innovations to bolster the body’s structures.

Source: Green Car Congress