The SkyActiv-X engine was all the rage about a year ago when the first ever compression ignition petrol option was installed in a Mazda. It promised to combine the best features of petrol and diesel engines and also to remove their downsides. It was supposed to improve fuel consumption of petrol engines drastically, increase compression and torque, while also keeping and also improving on the eco properties of modern petrol engines.
More than a year of experience later, the SkyActiv-X is not as incredible as the official figures suggested, but it most definitely is a groundbreaking advancement and one that does exactly what it promised – just at a bit lower level. Still, more than any of the competitors in this respect.
The engine is available in the Mazda 3 and also the Mazda CX-30 in Australia but only in the top trim called Astina. The designation is X20 Astina and, aside from the famous engine it also stands for the best equipment available in these models, mimicking the level of perks found in the G25 Astina models.
The Mazda 3 with this engine and trim starts off from just over $40,000, while the CX-30 X20 Astina AWD starts from about $6,000 more. Those of you more familiar with the pricing policy in Mazda will notice that this is about $3,000 more than the versions with the G25 engine.
The 2 L engine has 132 kW and 224 Nm of torque from 3,000 rpm. Officially it consumes 5.3 L per 100 km and while that is actually possible in reality, it greatly depends on your driving style and cycle.
Mazda seems persistent in making this technology a part of the future and it certainly deserves to. Bringing the cleaner fuel to enjoy the benefits of improved torque and fuel efficiency is most definitely a noteworthy achievement and one that seems destined to be offered in lower trims and other models really soon.
