Mazda Engine to Power Toyota Small Car

Toyota Motor Corp. will use one of Mazda Motor Co.'s 4-cylinder Skyactiv engines to propel the replacement for its subcompact Yaris five-door hatch in the U.S. next year, Automotive News reports.

The Mazda2-based cars will be built by Mazda at its new 230,000-unit assembly plant in Salamanca, Mexico, at a rate of about 50,000 vehicles per year.

The factory currently makes the larger Mazda3 and will add the Mazda2 later this year. AN says the Toyota model, which will get its own exterior sheet metal and interior design, is expected to go into production there in the fiscal year beginning April 2015.

Mazda uses "Skyactiv" to describe an array of engine, powertrain and chassis improvements. For engines, the term means two-stage direct injection, a relatively small bore and long stroke, sequential valve timing and pistons with a volcano-shaped face to control combustion. Mazda says the configuration delivers about 15% better fuel efficient than standard engines.

Mazda is converting its entire engine lineup to Skyactiv design. Each engine has its own bore and stroke, but all powerplants maintain the same bore/stroke ratio. All Skyactiv engine plants including the one at the Salamanca complex use CNC machines rather than transfer lines. The approach enables each facility to produce every engine in the company's portfolio, according to Mazda.

AN notes that Toyota uses engines from other manufacturers in a handful of other models. They include diesels from BMW (Verso minivan), a 4-cylinder gasoline engine from Subaru (Scion FR-S sport coupe) and V-10 engine from Yamaha (now-discontinued LFA sports car).