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Mazda 2 (2015) first to get new 1.5 Skyactiv diesel

By Michael Karkafiris Motor Industry 11 June 2014 15:32 Mazda’s new 2 will be the first model to premiere the company’s latest downsized Skyactiv diesel engine, it has confirmed. The Japanese car maker today revealed the technical specifications of its new 1.5-litre oil-burner, which promises to be highly efficient and low-polluting. The new member of the eco-friendly Skyactiv engine family produces 103bhp at 4000rpm and 184lb ft of torque between 1500-2500rpm, says Mazda.

BMW goes front-wheel drive for the 2-series Active Tourer

BMW's long-held reputation for producing only rear- and four-wheel drive vehicles comes to an end with the the new 2-series Active Tourer, its first-ever front-wheel-drive production model. The cornerstone of BMW's Geneva show stand next month, the 2-series Active Tourer marks a significant turning point for the German automaker, adopting a transverse-mounted engine and standard FWD. It arrives here in early 2015.

What the Future Holds, Nobody Knows

It's a testament to the talent, charisma and relative celebrity of Ian Callum, Derek Jenkins and Franz von Holzhausen - heads of Jaguar, Mazda and Tesla design, respectively - that they managed to captivate a crowd of industry insiders at the tail end of the Los Angeles Auto Show's second press-preview day. This despite being given a nebulous topic to discuss with a moderator who knew little about the subject. Dan Lyons, a technology columnist at Newsweek, oversaw the panel discussion that was to focus on "Tomorrow's Cars...Practical Transportation or Groundbreaking Design?" He asked only one question on that topic before digressing into a more general discourse on the design strategies of Jaguar, Mazda and Tesla.