Mazda Will Find MPG Increases Through Diesels, Reduced Weight
"We believe that improving today's conventional engines at a low cost is the most effective way to get fuel-efficient cars to proliferate," said Mazda research and development head Seita Kanai to reporters in Tokyo. In response to the growing list of automakers offering gas/electric hybrids, Mazda intends to use a new 2.0-liter clean diesel engine, under development, to match hybrid vehicles' mileage. They say their new diesels will feature simpler mechanicals and lower materials/production costs than hybrids. Pro-hybrid automakers like Toyota have said that cleaning the exhaust stream from diesel engines is too costly and complicated.