Mazda3, fitted with company's new Sky-G engine, could hit 40 mpg

Mazda's upcoming Sky engines will feature unique technology that will push many of the company's vehicles towards "best-in-class" fuel efficiency ratings. With both the gasoline and diesel versions of the Sky engine expected to arrive in the U.S. next year, Mazda now claims that its compact 3, when fitted with the Sky-G mill (G means gasoline) will achieve "hybridlike fuel economy." Mazda notes that its Sky engines, when paired with its Sky-Drive automatic and manual transmissions, will help the company achieve its goal of boosting overall fuel efficiency of its U.S. lineup by 30 percent between 2008 and 2015.
During a recent presentation in Berlin, Mazda's head of product planning and powertrain development, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, spoke of the benefits of the Sky engine design. Automotive News reports that Mazda's powertrain guru is confident that:

The next Mazda3, due in about 2015, would get an estimated 40 mpg on the highway with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder Sky-G engine teamed with a Sky-Drive six-speed automatic.

If the upcoming Mazda3 can hit 40 miles per gallon, then it would match the projected EPA highway rating of the manual-equipped Chevrolet Cruze Eco and would beat the current Mazda3's fuel economy numbers of 33 mpg. Additionally, at 40 mpg, the Mazda3 would smoke the Honda CR-Z hybrid, thus giving credence to the company's "hybridlike fuel economy" claim.

[Source: Automotive News -– sub. req.]