Mazda plans to bring their new engine technology to market as early as the 2019 model year. It’s the compression ignition technology that they report will increase fuel economy by 33%. I think we had a discussion about this a while back. Anyway, it behaves like a diesel in that higher compression causes autoignition of the gasoline. The article in USA Today said that Mazda will use the Highly Descriptive term Skyactiv-x to designate the engine family. ICE will be with us for some time to come. I wonder if Mazda will share it with their new partner Toyota?
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If it eliminates the need for an ignition system — crank and cam sensors, spark plugs, coils, and ignition module – it seems that would definitely have the potential to improve reliability. By the posts here anyway. On the other hand if the downside brings a complicated injection pump system … perhaps not so much.
It still has a full ignition system. It shuts that down when it runs in compression ignition mode.
I certainly wouldn’t want one until they’ve been on the road long enough to show that the bugs have been worked out.
I read that article earlier this a.m. I believe it said that Mazda was going to combine that high compression technology with a turbocharger. What could possibly go wrong? 
I hope these engines (and head gaskets and bolts) are built “strong like bull” to handle it. Remember when GM made diesels out of gasoline engines?
Otherwise there’s going to be a lot of used cars with their tongues hanging out on the used car lots. 
I think they can pull if off, but it really makes me wonder if the ICE is going about as far as it can go, eh?
The article implies that the improved mileage will stave off the EVs for a while. I’ve never wanted an EV because of inadequate batteries, but the battery technology is improving rapidly and these cars are becoming almost practical and more affordable at the same time the ICEs are being stretched to their limits. It won’t be long…
Car technologies are at a crossroads. I believe this is a last gasp before they meet at the intersection and we have a new leader.
CSA
I learned that lesson with my Vega.
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Might it be good for use in hybrids?
Folks have been saying this for decades.
It’s a possibility. The article says that a 30% mpg increase can be achieved, but I haven’t read any break-down of city/hwy mpg.
CSA
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I see the Mazda engine as an alternative to hybrids. Once you get to a certain level (say, 50 mpg), you can’t save much money by further improvements. If all the engine mods (direct injection, supercharger, and heftier construction) cost a significant amount, it won’t be worth combining them with the costs associated with a hybrid system, unless gas costs are MUCH higher than they are now, or have been.
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I don’t see turbocharging as a downside. What diesels aren’t turbocharged these days? I wonder if the new Mazda engine uses premium gasoline or will regular be satisfactory?
40mpg city, 60mpg hwy? for a midsize car. who needs a hybrid? or EV?
It would be weird if they spec’d premium. They’re making an engine with high enough compression to diesel on gas - I would imagine it’s going to have to have some way of controlling compression in order to prevent predetonation anyway, so why not just make it control it such that it won’t ping on regular?
They made a special effort to drop the compression on the previous Skyactiv motor for the US market so we could get away with using regular gas. I’d imagine they’d do the same with the new one.
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This wouldn’t be the first time Mazda bet on new technology (and lost) , remember the rotary, or how about the Atkinson cycle engine?
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It’s possible lower octane gas would perform better then premium when the engine is running in diesel mode.
Octane and cetane ratings are somewhat reciprocal.
I’m inclined to agree. Many years ago turbochargers in cars were prone to failure due to the high rpms and exhaust temperatures they were subject to… and the need in cars to keep the cost down as far as possible and keep the turbochargers small to fit in the shrinking underhood space. But turbochargers have come a long way. Modern designs aren’t as prone to premature failure as the old ones were.
But I myself would rather not have one. Unfortunately, I may not have that choice for my next car. Every manufacturer is using them now.
Time will tell how well the new design works.
Like Shadow, I’d rather wait and see.
Like Mike, I learned that lesson on my Vega. 
Honda is going turbo in the 2018 Accord. The base engine will be a 1.6L turbo and the V6 will be replaced with a 2L turbo.
I’m thinking about replacing my 2005 V6 with the current 4-cyl EX-L. I was pleasantly surprised by the CVT performance in a test drive. I did highway and suburban driving and found it responsive. My son in law bought a 2016 EX and is very pleased with it.
I have had 2 turbo cars - one from the 80’s and another from the early 2000’s. The first car had lag that could be measured with a calendar and it needed a turbo mid-life. The latter has nearly no lag and the turbo is fine with over 100K. So I am OK with turbocharging.
Interesting that Mazda is bringing this to the market first. Others are working on very similar things. Efficiencies don’t come from the diesel part because it still uses gasoline so no gain in BTU’s with diesel fuel over gas. I don’t know if there will be a throttle plate or not so pumping losses the diesel doesn’t have may, or may not be a part of this. A friend working on this for another manufacturer, described this as a very lean burn engine extracting so much energy from each stroke that heating the catalytic convertor was a real problem because the exhaust was quite cold (relatively speaking).
From what I read the Mazda will be supercharged, no turbo.
You could be absolutely correct. I was using information found in the August 8 U.S.A Today article…
“Mazda dubbed its new compression-ignition technology Skyactiv-X. The new engine technology pairs a turbocharger with a piston-compressed fuel-air mixture in a proprietary process that would allow combustion from compression alone, like in a diesel engine.”
CSA