September 8, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): Mazda is all set to welcome its newest family members with diesel engines and direct-injection gasoline which is expected to arrive next year. The Sky engines are also expected to be much more fuel efficient at the lower displacements than the current Mazda engines. Mazda is liable to make extensive changes in the platforms of their vehicles to accommodate the more efficient engines.

While the Sky engine running on gasoline is likely to appear in the United States by 2011, the diesel version will take another year and may hit the markets around 2012. The company is tightlipped about revealing the details especially those that pertain to which particular model likely to get a complete overhaul of its engines done but the entire line up is supposed to migrate to the updated power trains by 2014-2015.

The authorities at Mazda revealed that fuel efficiency had been their handicap and they will take concrete steps to improve it. Their next generation rotary engines will not be able to survive otherwise. CX-5 the next vehicle in the offing is also likely to be fitted with the same type of engine although the company has declined to reveal anything so specific.

The Sky-G is a direct injection gasoline engine with increased fuel capacity due to more thermal efficiency. The engine will consist of i-stop, regenerative braking system and can work well in lighter vehicles providing at least 30% increase in fuel efficiency for the end user.

The entire prospect looks tempting enough especially when we do some simple math to calculate the fuel consumption of the current Mazda vehicles.