Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Mazda Goes Loopty Loo: 2014 Mazda 6 gets 40 mpg with i-ELOOP System

Don’t even try to explain this one to your buddies: “You see, i-ELOOP uses a freewheeling alternator that reduces parasitic drag…” Just stop right there; all you need to do is tell them your mid-size Mazda is rated for 40 mpg on the highway while their compact Toyota Corollas can only muster 34. It’s a big deal, and while i-ELOOP is a ridiculous name to weave into any conversation—even among car geeks like us—the technology is too promising to bury deep within an options package.

Evidently it’s too expensive to offer as standard across the 2014 lineup, so i-ELOOP is bundled with the $2080 GT Technology package that’s only on the top-end $30,490 Grand Touring. So while $32,570 will get you a 6 sedan that is almost fully loaded—replete with that package’s active grille shutters, sport mode, adaptive cruise control, collision alert, lane-departure warning and auto high-beam control—if you want one, you’ll most likely have to special-order it. As with similar fuel-saving trims from Chevrolet, Ford, and Honda, the Mazda 6 with i-ELOOP is built to brag, and its premium price means dealers probably aren’t going to have a wide selection available in showrooms.

Until we can check the fuel economy of an i-ELOOP-equipped 6 for ourselves, we’re not so sure this extra technology is truly necessary. The regular 6 with the 2.5-liter 184-hp four-cylinder engine gets 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway with the six-speed automatic, compared to the i-ELOOP’s 28/40 rating (which, by the way, is close to a Ford Fiesta with the Super Fuel Economy package). In advertising, Mazda knows it’ll matter dearly, and neither the Nissan Altima (27/38), Honda Accord (27/36), nor the Ford Fusion (25/37) can boast the 6’s magic 40-mpg rating.

The i-ELOOP—which stands for Intelligent Energy Loop (couldn’t they have called it IEL?)—system combines a variable-voltage alternator that generates electricity from engine braking and a high-density capacitor to quickly store bursts of charge. When the i-ELOOP system is providing electrical power to the car’s 12-volt system, the alternator is essentially decoupled from the engine; combining that with the active grille shutters makes the stellar EPA numbers possible. Unlike GM’s eAssist system, which requires a heavier battery that reduces trunk space, Mazda claims the capacitor setup transfers electrical power more smoothly without additional weight. We hope that will be the case, because we haven’t been impressed by the abrupt braking effect we’ve experienced in some BMWs with a similar regenerative alternator setup.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/qpvjNVeV7fI/

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

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