Mazda Motor Corporation today announced that its newly developed ‘SKYACTIV-G 1.3’ engine has been named the 2012 Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists Conference of Japan (RJC) Technology of the Year.  The SKYACTIV-G 1.3 engine is available in the new Mazda Demio (known in New Zealand as the Mazda2) in the Japanese market.  RJC chairman, Hiroshi Fukunaga, announced the award after the final round of balloting.
Andrew Clearwater Managing Director, Mazda New Zealand said “Although the SKYACTIV-G 1.3 is not available in New Zealand, winning the prestigious RJC Technology award shows that the direction Mazda is taking with its SKYACTIV technology is gaining wide acceptance from motoring experts. 
“We look forward to bringing the SKYACTIV technology to the New Zealand motoring public when we launch a number of new vehicles in the coming months.’
The breakthrough achieves a record high compression ratio* of 14.0:1 and exhibits outstanding efficiency, especially under high load at low rpm. In order to avoid knocking – an unavoidable issue with conventional high-compression engines – the SKYACTIV-G 1.3 features a number of new technologies, such as piston cavities that are specially designed to support ideal combustion, and multi-hole injectors that enable precise fuel injection control.
The Mazda Demio 13-SKYACTIV model grade combines the SKYACTIV-G 1.3 engine with Mazda’s unique idling stop system, i-stop, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to deliver high fuel economy of 30.0km/L (under Japan’s 10-15 mode test cycle) or 25.0km/L (JC08 mode).

* For a regular gasoline mass production automobile engine, as of October 30, 2011 (Mazda data)