Mazda Skyactiv-X 2.0L Engine Confirmed With 178 HP, 165 lb-ft

Motor1.com reached out to Mazda North America about the Skyactiv-X engine's chances of coming to the United States. The company sent the following statement:

"We are currently studying when to launch Skyactiv-X in North America, in consideration of the business environment and the market needs. Skyactiv-X is not the only way we are making our cars more competitive. We are making continuous updates to our existing Skyactiv-G and Skyactiv-D engines, including adding cylinder deactivation, optimizing displacements, and adding turbocharging. With all new technologies, our approach is to take a comprehensive look at the needs, business environment, and regulations of each market and make a decision on the most appropriate technologies to introduce and the appropriate timing at which to launch them."

Following printing figures in a Slovakian market brochure, which is no longer online, Mazda now confirms the official European specs for its highly anticipated Skyactiv-X engine in the Mazda3. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant makes 177 horsepower (132 kilowatts) and 165 pound-feet (224 Newton-meters) of torque. Deliveries of the Mazda3 with the new mill begin in the fall, and pricing isn't available at this time. For comparison, the earlier numbers from Slovakia put the specs at a very similar 178 hp (133 kW) and 164 lb-ft (222 Nm) of torque.

The Skyactiv-X engine in the Mazda3 also comes standard with a 24-volt mild hybrid system. The tech is able to harvest energy during deceleration and releases it to boost fuel economy.

European buyers can order the Skyactiv-X engine on either the hatchback or sedan body styles. Customers also have a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.

At its best in the six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive sedan, the Skyactiv-X engine delivers 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers combined fuel economy in the WLTP test. This figure is roughly equivalent to 44 miles per gallon, but it's worth noting that the American EPA evaluation is different, so the Mazda3 with this mill would not have an identical rating in the United States.

The Skyactiv-X engine is capable of running both on spark-controlled ignition, like most gasoline-fueled vehicles, and compression ignition, like a diesel. While the mill arrives in Europe and Japan soon, Mazda isn't yet saying when or if the powerplant is coming to the U.S. Americans can currently only get the Mazda3 with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 186 hp (139 kW) and 186 lb-ft (252 Nm).