2009 Tokyo Motor Show: Press Conference Speech

[Takashi Yamanouchi, Representative Director, President and CEO]

The Mazda SKY is our development concept for a series of next-generation powertrains that will be introduced from 2011.

The word “sky” reflects our desire to deliver driving pleasure as well as an everlasting blue sky to all our customers. To achieve this, our engineers have adopted a “sky’s the limit” approach and are embracing unconventional thinking in their pursuit of ultimate efficiency.

As part of Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, Mazda’s long-term vision for technology development, we aim to improve the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold globally 30% by 2015. By progressively developing a range of next-generation powertrains based on the Mazda SKY concept and introducing them to the global marketplace from 2011, we are confident that we will accomplish this goal. We are deeply committed to it.

Development of these next-generation powertrains is steadily progressing, and our prototypes have already met initial targets. Today they are displayed at the center of our stand so you can see this progress for yourselves.

First, we have the Mazda SKY-G, our next-generation gasoline engine. SKY-G will be a core engine in future Mazda vehicles. We worked to maximize fuel efficiency by completely re-examining the combustion characteristics of gasoline engines. Our engineers’ efforts yielded an improvement of approximately 15 percent in both fuel economy and power output. With the SKY-G, the fuel economy of the current Demio (Mazda2) can be achieved in a vehicle the size of the Axela (Mazda3). The Mazda SKY-G will be launched in Japan in 2011, before being rolled out to global markets.

Next is our new diesel engine, which we call the Mazda SKY-D. It achieves low fuel consumption, low emissions and high power output. Thanks to innovative combustion improvements and low mechanical resistance that rivals a gasoline engine; SKY-D offers about 20 percent better fuel efficiency than Mazda’s current 2.2-liter diesel. That means a vehicle the size of the Atenza (Mazda6) will offer fuel economy on a par with the Demio, two segments lower. We plan to introduce SKY-D globally. It will be offered in Japan from 2012, where it will be combined with our next-generation, high efficiency automatic transmission, the Mazda SKY-Drive.

Also on display here today, the Mazda SKY-Drive transmission will improve fuel economy by around 5 percent and achieve a direct performance feel similar to dual-clutch transmissions.

Mazda will first work to enhance our base technologies — engines, transmissions, weight reduction and aerodynamics — in order to optimize basic vehicle performance. We feel that by doing this, we will be able to offer not just a small number of customers, but all our customers, driving pleasure as well as eco-friendliness and reassuring safety levels.

It is this commitment to benefit all our customers that has led us to prioritize technology improvements that will minimize the cost burden on consumers. After this, we will progressively introduce electric devices. The first of these, i-stop, is already on the market, and will be followed by regenerative braking and then an HEV. These stages will form the building blocks of Mazda’s future.

Joining me on the stage is the Mazda Kiyora. Kiyora is a next-generation concept car that demonstrates the range of Mazda’s upcoming eco-technologies.

It combines a 1.3-liter SKY-G engine, the SKY-Drive transmission, the first two stages of our electric device program — i-stop and regenerative braking — as well as weight reduction and aerodynamic advancements. All of which combine to achieve extremely high fuel economy of 32 kilometres per litre, without any assistance from an electric motor.

These “Tomorrow’s Technologies” that I have talked about are all on our stand here today. More than this, Mazda is also exhibiting “Today’s Technologies,” which include i-stop, and “Future Technologies” that are represented by our hydrogen rotary engine vehicle. Together, they represent Mazda’s mid- to long-term technology development plan.

I took over as Mazda’s president during the height of the global economic crisis last year. Since then, I have been striving to enhance the factors that set us apart from our rivals: our excellent value and our attractive products. My aim is to ensure we survive this crisis and emerge with a solid footing to prosper in the new automotive reality. A major part of this effort is the Mazda SKY concept.

All of us at Mazda endeavour each day to ensure all people everywhere will always be able to enjoy carefree motoring under a perfect blue sky. It would make me extremely happy if you go home from the show today convinced that Mazda is heading in the right direction.

Download the official Mazda Tokyo Motor Show 2009 Press Release