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Internal combustion engines may not be around forever but they’re certainly going to be the most common propulsion systems on our roads for many years to come, so it’s always good news to hear that automakers are making good progress in terms of ICE efficiency and emissions reductions. Recently, Mazda has announced the exciting news that by 2015 their entire fleet of vehicles will be 30% less thirsty than it is now. How is this to be achieved?

The first fuel saving method is the simplest - weight reduction. All new Mazda models from around 2011 onwards will be at least 100kg than the outgoing model.

Petrol-engined Mazdas from 2011 will all feature next-generation direct spark injection (DISI in Mazda-speak) that will reduce fuel consumption by about 20% and increase performance by 15-20%. Their diesel-powered siblings will also feature state-of-the-art direct injection, hi-tech turbochargers and exhaust emission reduction technology to ensure a 20% increase in fuel economy, as well as keeping NOx and other emissions in line with the strictest upcoming legislation.

By 2009, at least one Mazda model will already feature their exciting SISS or Smart Idle Stop System. Unlike, other auto stop start systems that use a beefed-up battery and an electric motor restart the engine on pull away, SISS injects fuel directly into the cylinders while the engine is stopped and ignites the fuel to create downward piston force that starts the engine seamlessly and quietly. SISS should allow for a 7-8% increase in fuel economy.

This all bodes very well for consumers in the next few years, as many recent Mazda models have been very good cars indeed (the current Mazda 2 is the 2008 World Car of the Year) . So what can we expect then from, say, the next generation Mazda 2? Let’s plug in some of Mazda’s claims into the current car.

A 2008 Mazda 2 1.5 produces 76kW of power and 136N.m of torque while using an official 6 litres of fuel per 100km (this is actually one of the most fuel efficient cars in its class already). It weighs accelerates from 0-100km/h in about 10.9 seconds.

If Mazda can live up to its promises, a 2015 Mazda 2 would produce around 89kW of power, and use fuel at a rate of about 4.6l/100km. Add to this a weight reduction of around 100kg and you should have a fairly athletic little fuel sipper that can dash to 100km/h from standstill in under 10 seconds. Sounds quite nice, doesn’t it?

The good news for South Africans is that Mazda plans to roll out these technologies worldwide, so we will be seeing them here too.