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Inside Mazda

Performance Art – Skyactiv Technology

Mazda SKYACTIV Parts

Scroll down for an up-close look at the artistry of Mazda’s Skyactiv Technology, and discover how Mazda’s engines combine class-leading performance with world-beating efficiency.

Mazda SKYACTIV GIF

Crank

Skyactiv Technology improves oil and water pump efficiency, which reduces friction in the crankshaft.

The crankshaft (above), which takes the vertical motion from the pistons and converts it into rotational motion, is one of the heaviest components you’ll find under the hood. Mazda engineers reduced this weight by crafting a thinner, lighter axle within the crankshaft. They also reduced friction and mechanical resistance around its sliding and rotating parts, resulting in a fuel-efficient engine capable of delivering Mazda’s trademark smooth, progressive and torque-rich performance.

“Mazda Skyactiv engines provide up to 15% more fuel efficiency and torque than their predecessors”

Mazda SKYACTIV Parts GIF

Piston & Conrod

The specially crafted, dome-shaped pistons help to raise the compression ratio, harnessing more energy from your Mazda’s fuel.

The piston (above) is made from aluminum alloy to reduce weight. It boasts an intricately modeled shape and cavity on its top that helps create more ideal combustion inside the engine. Using CAE (computer-aided engineering), the conrod has been sculpted into its slim shape from high-strength steel. This engineering has resulted in the Skyactiv-G engine being the first mass-produced unit to achieve a compression ratio of 14.0:1, ensuring improved efficiency and increased torque.

Mazda SKYACTIV Parts

Exhaust Manifold

The special 4-2-1 exhaust manifold is an innovation that helps make a high compression ratio possible.

“Mazda engineering has resulted in the Skyactiv-G engine being the first mass-produced unit to achieve a compression ratio of 14.0:1”

Most four-cylinder engines have a simple four-into-one exhaust, but the high-compression Skyactiv engine required a more sophisticated approach. Mazda’s engineers shaped this curvaceous 4-2-1 exhaust manifold (above) to create a long exhaust process, ideal for expelling unwanted residual gas from the engine. It’s Skyactiv thinking at its best and an ingenious solution that has led to the latest Mazda engines providing up to 15% more fuel efficiency and torque than their predecessors.