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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/Japanese_Flag_30x22.jpgHybridization route is too expensive for Mazda (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10207241-48.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Mazda3_MPS.jpgCNET News (http://reviews.cnet.com) - April. 04, 2009

With a hybrid price war in the horizon, Any car maker who did not get into the hybrid game early is bound to find the hybrid game's admission price too high. -- Ed.

TOKYO--Mazda's message on hybrid vehicles is clear: don't believe the hype.

Managing Executive Officer Yuji Hara blasted enthusiasm for the gasoline-electric green cars as the fleeting "mood" of a "brand society." He spoke at a media event here last week.

R&D chief Seita Kanai added that Mazda Motor Corp. has no plans to join the hybrid competition of domestic rivals Toyota and Honda. Instead, Mazda will boost fuel efficiency with cheaper measures, such as better engines and lower vehicle weight.

But he acknowledged that Mazda lacks the money to join the expensive hybrid race.

Without electric or hybrid vehicles, Mazda plans to improve the mileage of its global fleet by 30 percent compared with 2008 levels, Kanai said. Technologies such as engine idle-stop, gasoline direct injection, and efficient transmissions will deliver most of the savings.

To boost mileage, Mazda also plans to chop 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds, off each model that gets redesigned in the coming years. Most of the weight loss will come through re-engineering the structure of each car, Kanai said.

He said substantial reductions in global carbon emissions will come from improving technologies at hand--not by equipping a small number of cars with exotic drivetrains.… http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10207241-48.html

How about they start by wiping that smile off the new Mazda 3.

There's certainly a reason 50% of the exterior shots are from the rear.

Yes, that smile turned me off from considering this car as a possible future purchase. I'm not sure what Mazda Management was thinking when approving of this design. /shrug

That "smile" is supposed to mimic the grin you wear when you drive the car.

Seriously, I think this a good strategy for Mazda. No technology is ever really "mature" and, as we're seeing, the ICE can still be pushed to much higher levels of efficiency with technologies such as direct injection and turbocharging that are less expensive to develop for a smaller company such as Mazda (or Subaru, Suzuki, etc.)

Keep in mind, too, that while Mazda doesn't have ultra-efficient hybrids in their stable, they don't have many fuel sucking pigs either (such as Tundra, Sequoia, Land Cruiser, FJ Cruiser, etc.). I haven't crunched the numbers, but I'd bet that their corporate average fuel economy (with trucks included) would beat Toyota's.

I am glad Mazda is taking this approach and I wish them well. Private vehicle transportation supply should be regarded as a really big tent, with room for all good ideas.

DAS