New Mazda technology points to a bright fleet future
For the past twelve months or so Mazda has been making a concerted effort to appeal to the large fleet and business sector in the UK, and the Japanese carmaker has enjoyed success in this endeavour. While the manufacturer experienced an overall reduction in UK sales during 2010, its fleet registrations rose over the same period with fleet sales now accounting for 23% of all new car business.
The majority of sales can be attributed to the Mazda6, as Peter Allibon Mazda’s fleet director explains: “The model [Mazda6] continues to be Mazda’s fleet best-seller, meanwhile demand for the Mazda3 keeps rising and corporate registrations of the Mazda2 and MX-5 also rose in 2010.
“Mazda delivers stylish and sporty vehicles at a competitive price with strong whole life costs. This is continuing to prove an attractive proposition to fleet decision-makers and company car drivers. Additionally, specification-adjusted prices make the Mazda product range even better value versus our rivals.”
Great news for the company, but the latest news out of the ‘zoom-zoom’ carmaker points to an even brighter fleet future. On the horizon at Mazda is a raft of new technology, collectively given the SKYACTIV moniker, and all developed to improve the fuel efficiency of all new models – not just select ‘green’ variants.
Falling under this SKYACTIV umbrella includes two brand new engine families – the SKYACTIV-G petrol and the SKYACTIV-D diesel engines. Further innovations come in the form of a new lighter chassis design and a stronger, lighter body structure.
The Japanese carmaker has confirmed that these new technologies will be rolled out on all new models – and we can also expect elements to be used on their existing model line-up. The Mazda2 in Japan will see the first deployment of the new petrol engine late in 2011, while their new CX-5 SUV model (due in April 2012) will be the first in the UK to feature SKYACTIV.
Important news for fleet managers will be the option of a diesel automatic – something missing from Mazda’s current range. Both the auto transmission and engine are brand new, and help to considerably reduce fuel consumption – thanks to lightweight construction techniques and wide ranging refinements. The result should be a car which is around 15-20% more fuel efficient than non-SKYACTIV Mazda cars. A similar reduction in CO2 emissions should also be apparent. And thanks to Mazda’s clever engineering, the diesel will be Euro VI compliant, without the need for expensive after treatment technology, which should be reflected in a very competitive price.
It is not just their diesel engine which should be looked at closely, Mazda has promised that the new petrol unit will offer near-diesel fuel economy. This coupled with favourable BIK rates for petrols should lead to plenty of interest from fleets. The SKYACTIV-G features plenty of new technology, including optimised piston cavities and a radical new exhaust system, and these changes have enabled the final product to be 10% lighter with fuel consumption cut by 15%, yet deliver 15% more torque than Mazda’s previous petrol engines.
With the pressure on fleets to go-green continually increasing – from CSR and financial perspectives, Mazda could well become an integral part of your fleet over the coming years. So if you think Mazda already has an attractive fleet offering and the sales results suggest that plenty of you do, 2012 will see Mazda become even more popular.
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