Mazda cars to go hydrogen in 2020

Japanese auto maker Mazda has predicted hydrogen-powered cars will not be widely produced before 2020.

At an international oil conference in Spain, Mazda executives said the hydrogen cars would not be mass produced for the public until infrastructure, including refueling stations, is put in place.

Mazda is one of several auto makers working on the development of hydrogen-powered cars amid growing concerns over soaring oil prices and pollution.

Electric-powered vehicles are also in the works.

Earlier this month, Japanese manufacturer Honda started the first commercial production of a hydrogen-powered car which run on an electric motor powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

They will go on sale to residents of southern California by the end of August.

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Mazda test drives hydrogen hybrid vehicle

apanese car maker Mazda had begun testing a hydrogen/petrol hybrid vehicle on public roads.

The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid minivan has a range of 200km on hydrogen fuel, which increases to 550km when running on petrol. The 4.5 metre-long vehicle can hold five passengers.

"We will continue to advance our development programme and strive to start commercial leasing during this fiscal year," said Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda's programme manager in charge of hydrogen RE development.

The vehicle is powered by a hydrogen rotary engine, which can run on hydrogen and petrol, and an electric motor. The driver can switch between the two fuel sources by pushing a button.

Hydrogen is stored in a high-pressure tank, while a generator is used to charge lithium-ion batteries which power the electric motor.

From information released by Mazda, it is not clear whether the rotary engine can drive the Premacy's wheels directly.

Mazda 2 1.4 diesel three-door

Mazda's 2 supermini has been very successful since its launch in the autumn of 2007, garnering awards around the world that culminated in a World Car of the Year plaudit.

It's also proved popular with buyers, with Mazda expecting to sell 85,000 cars across Europe in 2008.

So the Japanese carmaker is expanding its portfolio of models with the launch of a three-door variant and the addition of a new diesel to the engine line-up, a 1.4-litre common-rail turbocharged unit that produces 67bhp at 4,000rpm and generates 118lb-ft of torque at 2,000rpm.

The three-door model is intended to look a little sportier than the five-door model, with more than a nod to the Mazda Sassou concept seen at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. The front doors are slightly wider (an extra 162mm) and the rear side windows have a different shape, which have been designed to visually combine with the car's beltline, which rises towards the back of the car to create a wedge shape.

With fuel prices heading skywards, the addition of a more efficient diesel should come as welcome news to potential Mazda 2 buyers, but will an oilburning lump spoil the car's cheeky, nippy character?

Mazda Destroys Thousands of Cars From Ship Mishap

Mazda Motor Corp., the Japanese carmaker controlled by Ford Motor Co., is destroying more than 4,000 new cars caught up in a shipping mishap in the Pacific two years ago, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The carrier Cougar Ace, with 4,703 vehicles held securely in straps on board, developed a list in bad weather and drifted for several weeks, the newspaper said.

The ship was eventually righted and Mazda, which said it didn't know whether the cars had been damaged, decided to build a ``disassembly' line in Portland, Oregon, where metals such as platinum are separated from catalytic converters, air bags are inflated and accessories such as CD players and alloy wheels are removed and destroyed, the Journal said.

Finally the cars, worth an estimated $100 million dollars, are crushed and shredded, to be sent back to Japan for recycling into cars again, the newspaper said.

The Mazda 6 1.8TS

Even within the context of the first-class magical realism that tends to inform mission statements in the automotive industry, Mazda's desire to "challenge everything you thought you knew about motor cars" is an advance into new territory. I'm not sure what the car that "challenged everything you thought you knew" about cars would look like, but my suspicion is that it may turn out like a boat. Or an elephant. Or a boat crossed with an elephant.

Either way, such a car probably wouldn't, if we're being honest, come out looking like the Mazda 6 TS hatchback. Don't get me wrong: this is a handsome, highly desirable and rather cool car, with an energetic, feline crouch to it. But at the same time: four tyres, one in each corner; bumper on the front; doors on the sides; wing mirrors on the wings ... A lot of what I thought I knew about cars before I met the Mazda 6 turned out to be confirmed by it, rather than tossed aside in a breathtaking top-to-bottom rethink of the basics.

Still, it's like they say: you can't reinvent the steering wheel. And who wants a car that looks like bits of a boat welded to bits of an elephant in any case?

Mazda cars are in favour of Russians

Mazda, a Japanese car manufacturer, sold approximately 57.7 thousand vehicles at the Russian market in the business year of 2007-2008. Thus, the companyТs annual sales in this region have advanced by 63%.

Interestingly, demand increase for Mazda cars in Russia is higher than in European countries. E.g. in Belgium demand for companyТs vehicles grew 36% (4.9 thousand cars), in Hungary it made up 25% of growth (3.1 thousand cars), while Ireland showed a 24% increase (4.9 thousand cars).

Russia surpassed the United Kingdom (53.4 thousand cars), Austria (17.3 thousand cars) and France (15.1 thousand) in terms of total volume of Mazda vehicles sold.

Mazda 2 is World Car of the Year

The Mazda 2 has beaten off competition from the Ford Mondeo and the Mercedes-Benz C-class to be crowned World Car of the Year.

Thirty-nine new vehicles from all over the globe battled it out for the 2008 award, which was announced at the New York International Auto Show.

The World Car of the Year is chosen by a secret ballot of almost 50 motoring journalists from all over the world.

As well as taking the overall crown, the Mazda 2 supermini was a finalist in the top design category – alongside the Audi R8 and Volvo C30.

2008 Mazda5 GT Road Test

Look at the Mazda5 long and hard, what do you see? It's inherently van-like, with lots of glass space, its wedge-shaped profile and sliding doors reminiscent of bigger people movers. And yet, somehow you know it just isn't normal; the taut yet precise lines that Mazda has graced the 5 with convey the message that this won't be the standard minivan driving experience. It lacks the bloat or boxiness that's visible in minivans like the Odyssey or Sienna. The Mazda5, by comparison, is trim and fit, with its 17-inch wheels and nail polish-thin smear of rubber, which are standard equipment on all models. As far as minivans go, this is the best looking one on the market.

Besides the new instruments, which are white instead of green, the big new addition to the interior is the new navigation system, a $2,000 option on the GT that includes a six-disc changer and an auxiliary input. Previously, in some markets, dash-top navigation could be had, similar to the flip-up system in the Mazda6, which is operated by a quirky removable remote. That's now gone, in favor of a new integrated nav system that doesn't just look better, it works better. The big, bright 7-inch touch screen access allows information to be directly punched in, increasing its ease of use, not to mention that the new screen displays the new refined graphics very very nicely, and includes clear, easy-to-understand directions.

Mazda CX-9 One of the Most Award-Winning Vehicles in Recent Times

In addition to a long list of awards, CX-9 has also received the top rating of 5-stars in frontal and side impact crashes from the US government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) vehicle safety tests and a top rating of Good from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for front and side crash protection.

The three-row Mazda CX-9 deftly blends sporty driving spirit with seven-passenger sport-utility vehicle (SUV) practicality. CX-9 is powered by a 273-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine and features standard Roll Stability Control and an available advanced Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system, which helps see and prevent the unexpected. Also new to the CX-9 is the Mazda accessory Dockable DVD Rear Seat Entertainment System (DES) for Moonroof equipped vehicles, which provides endless enjoyment, truly enhancing the driving experience of the passengers and driver alike. Priced from $29,400, the CX-9 is available in three trim levels -- Sport, Touring and Grand Touring -- and offers cutting-edge safety technology.

Hot Mazda 6 gets diesel engine

We’ve learned that Mazda will be launching a 175bhp diesel version of the new 6 at the end of the year.

The engine is understood to be based on a new 2.2 litre capacity version of Mazda’s own 2.0 litre diesel unit, which was recently upgraded to 138 bhp in the new Mazda 6 – and is not related to the Ford-PSA joint venture diesel motor of similar capacity and power.

It will come with a six-speed manual gearbox and will give Mazda a competitor to the growing number of high-output four-cylinder diesel motors being offered by Volkswagen, Renault, Ford, Peugeot and Citroen.

The launch of the new car is tipped to be at the Paris show in September. An idea to bring the launch forward to the London show in July is understood to have been scrapped.

2008 Mazda CX-9

he CX-9 delivers a cavernous interior with seating for seven, a long list of safety equipment, and a smooth on-pavement ride, but can't match the car-like performance or value of others in its class. If you're in the market for an affordable large SUV, you should also consider the highly rated Chevrolet Tahoe and the Toyota Land Cruiser.

With seating for seven and a fun ride, the 2008 Mazda CX-9 is an attractive alternative for prospective minivan buyers. The 2008 CX-9 was voted North American Truck of the year, an award that's voted on by 45 automotive journaists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Clearly, the CX-9 has made a positve impression on automotive experts.