European Drivers Are Right Behind Mazda's Pro-Combustion Stance

Mazda stands out as the only car maker to have publicly set its weight behind internal combustion, and recent research in Europe suggests it's right to do so...
European Drivers Are Right Behind Mazda's Pro-Combustion Stance

You’ve got to love Mazda. The relative minnow among Japanese giants is the only car manufacturer to have pledged itself to internal combustion, not just for the next generation with its SPCCI engines, but well into the future.

The company has now released research that backs its stance that combustion is something Europeans still want. The Mazda Driver Project research, carried out across ‘key European markets’ last year, found that an average of 58 per cent of people believe that there is plenty more innovation and development to come from petrol and diesel engines, despite the knee-jerk bans in the wake of dieselgate.

The CX-5 may not be very CT, but it is still quite good...
The CX-5 may not be very CT, but it is still quite good...

Doom mongers will say what they want, but in the UK 55 per cent of ordinary Joes and Janes questioned by Ipsos Mori on behalf of Mazda said they saw a ‘positive future’ for combustion. That figure rises to almost 60 per cent on mainland Europe.

Back in Britain, some 36 per cent of people said they’d even prefer a petrol or diesel car if overall ownership costs were the same as for EVs. Only 29 per cent said they welcomed self-driving cars, and interestingly there was absolutely no evidence of greater support for autonomous cars among you guys, the younger drivers (and will-be drivers) in the survey.

European Drivers Are Right Behind Mazda's Pro-Combustion Stance

In a press release, Mazda said:

“The headline results demonstrate that consumers don’t necessarily share the view of many organisations that the internal combustion engine has no role to play in the future of cars.

“Mazda believes driving is a skill that people want to keep. It is an activity that can be fun as well as functional and many would like to see this skill retained for future generations.

“These sentiments are certainly evident in the research results which showed a significant emotional connection between car and driver.

“For example, an average of 69 per cent of drivers “hope that future generations will continue to have the option to drive cars” – the figure is as high as 74 per cent in Poland and 70 per cent or higher in the UK, Germany, France and Sweden.

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Comments

Twopoint0

Ethan AlexKersten

Hey, I believe there are some problems with the owners clubs communities, I can’t access them because I can’t scroll down in the owners clubs category, and if I access them via the search function then it won’t let me post in them. Says my account isn’t activated, but posting in any other community works fine.

Is there a bug or did I miss an announcement for server updates or anything like that?

Thanks in advance!

02/13/2018 - 09:57 |
0 | 0
JenstheGTIfreak (pizza)

In reply to by Twopoint0

They’re still closed from the bot-thing

02/13/2018 - 11:42 |
1 | 0
Klush

Mazda is slowly turning into my favourite car maker…. Of all time!

02/13/2018 - 10:07 |
11 | 0
Bring a Caterham To MARS

In reply to by Klush

IES
However, let’s not forget those who stuck to small size, petrol engines, light weight and simplicity even more!

02/18/2018 - 14:46 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Well if every other manufacturer goes crazy, now we know there will be at least one that we can count on 😃

02/13/2018 - 10:11 |
0 | 0
dmackster1124

69 percent, am I right…… 👌🏾

02/13/2018 - 12:07 |
2 | 0
LukeyWolf

Zoom zoom for combustion engines!

02/13/2018 - 12:35 |
0 | 0
Ewan23 (The Scottish guy)

Love you Mazda haha

02/13/2018 - 12:37 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

I really like mazda they are the only ones who still properly belive in whats the correct way at least for now

02/13/2018 - 13:07 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Miata really is the answer to everything

02/13/2018 - 13:34 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

I hate the stigma against having fun whilst driving. The belief that if you’re having fun you must be doing something illegal.

02/13/2018 - 15:16 |
0 | 0
Dave 15

What I think manufacturers in Europe are struggling to realise is that the case for combustion remains strongest in the sports car segment.

So as brands like Jaguar abandon their legendary V8 to be replaced, presumably, with a downsized engine/hybrid setup or even pure electric they fail to see that this technology would be better used to replace the bottom-of-range 4-cylinder models where running costs are a major factor in the buying decision… and the character of the engine isn’t!

I say Jaguar should keep the V8 and use electrification to replace their 4-cylinder engines instead!

02/13/2018 - 15:48 |
2 | 0