A report coming out of Japan finds that Mazda is developing an ultra-efficient new powertrain that could arrive as soon as 2017.
According to Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun, Mazda is currently working on a diesel-hybrid system that will likely pair a variant of Toyota’s hybrid hardware – already used in the JDM-only Mazda3 Hybrid – with either a 1.5- or 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder.
An early 2017 launch is possible in the European and Japanese markets, though it’s unclear whether the diesel-hybrid powertrain will be available in the United States. Also unknown is which model – or models – the setup could be offered in, although the Mazda3 and new-generation Mazda2 strike us as likely candidates.
Mazda is said to be targeting fuel efficiency of 40 km per liter on the Japanese JC08 test cycle.
The diesel-hybrid system isn’t the only green tech rumored to be in Mazda’s pipeline – previous reports have claimed that the automaker is also preparing a Mazda2 plug-in hybrid with a unique rotary range-extender engine.
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