Mazda takes off ‘Skyactiv-ward’

Senior Managing Executive Officer Hirotaka Kanazawa, who is in charge of R&D, discusses the Skyactiv package of technologies that he hopes will lift the company's eco prospects.

Mazda has introduced the Japanese-market Demio (Mazda2) Skyactiv super-fuel-efficient hatchback, marking the first application of the Hiroshima automaker's innovative Skyactiv technology.

Step two will be a Mazda3/Axela Skyactiv version for the U.S. and Japan, to be followed by the third and “full” Skyactiv vehicle, the all-new Mazda CX-5 crossover slated for global launch next spring.