MZR is the brand name of a generation of
Straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engines engineered and built by the
Mazda Motor Corporationis a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
between 2001 and 2011. The
MZR generation includes
gasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and
dieselA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
powered engines ranging in displacements from 1.3L to 2.5L. All gasoline-powered
MZRs feature an all-aluminum block construction with iron cylinder liners. The diesel
MZR-CD engines use a cast-iron block (virtually identical to the
Mazda F engineThe F engine family from Mazda is a mid-sized straight-4 piston engine with iron block, alloy head and belt-driven OHC. Introduced in 1983 as the 1.6L F6, this engine was found in the Mazda B-Series truck and Mazda G platform models such as Mazda 626 as well as many other models internationally...
) and an aluminum cylinder head.
There are three specific engine families within the
MZR which include:
- the small 1.3L to 1.6L Mazda Z-engine
The Mazda Z-series is a smaller inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine ranging in displacements from 1.3L to 1.6L. They are the evolution of the cast-iron block B-engine....
,
- the mid-sized 1.8L to 2.5L Mazda L-engine
The Mazda L-series is a mid-sized inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine ranging in displacements from 1.8L to 2.5L. Introduced in 2001, they are the evolution of the cast-iron block F-engine...
, and
- the 2.0L and 2.2L common-rail diesel Mazda R-engine.
Each engine has its own engine code and for accuracy should be identified with such.
The DISI turbocharged MZR
L3-VDT was on the
Ward's 10 Best EnginesWard's 10 Best Engines is an annual list of the ten "best" automobile engines available in the U.S. market, that are selected by Ward's AutoWorld magazine. The list was started in 1994, and has been drawn every year since then....
list for 3 consecutive years for 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The
Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
owns rights to build and use the
MZR generation of engines under their Duratec brand name for global service in its vehicles since 2003.
As of 2011, Mazda discontinued development of the
MZR generation of engines to be replaced by their new
SkyActiv generation of engines. Ford continues to develop and manufacture variants of the
Z-engineThe Mazda Z-series is a smaller inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine ranging in displacements from 1.3L to 1.6L. They are the evolution of the cast-iron block B-engine....
and
L-engineThe Mazda L-series is a mid-sized inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine ranging in displacements from 1.8L to 2.5L. Introduced in 2001, they are the evolution of the cast-iron block F-engine...
for their Duratec and EcoBoost four-cylinder engines.