Ever since Mazda unveiled the RX-Vision Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2016, hope for Mazda to pull through and mass-produce the vehicle has been very much alive.
But various reports suggested that the Japanese car maker had better things to do than to put the study into production, like developing a rotary engine that could actually power an RX successor and comply with the various emission standards.
Mazda even admitted in the past that they have a dedicated engineering team, working on the rotary engine for the past eight years, looking for a breakthrough. So, it’s not a matter of if the rotary-powered Mazda RX will return, but a matter of when that will happen.
According to Holiday Auto, (via Motoring) that should occur around 2020, as the Japanese magazine reports that Mazda’s board of directors has formally approved the vehicle’s design and engineering. It will allegedly sport the RX-9 moniker – having been registered by Mazda – and it will coincide with the car maker’s centenary.
A new prototype is expected to be revealed at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show to serve as a prologue to the public debut of the production model, slated for 2019, with sales to follow the next year.
Like other reports before it, this one too says that Mazda’s next-gen RX car will be powered by the 1.6-litre SKYACTIV-R engine, which will develop 400 hp and incorporate turbocharging and diesel-style HCCI compression ignition.
Note: Mazda RX-Vision Concept pictured
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