Mazda Tribute

Designed for real-world driving, the Tribute is at home cruising on the freeway, tackling unpaved roads or in the rough-and-tough urban jungle. Car-like front-wheel drive is standard. If extra traction is necessary – either for off-road driving or pulling heavy loads in slippery conditions – the Tribute is available with Mazda's innovative Active Torque Control Coupling (ATCC) four-wheel-drive system. This ingenious system is available on both four-cylinder and V6 Tribute models equipped with automatic transmissions. A sophisticated computer monitors the engine, wheel speeds and transmission, and automatically transfers torque between the front and rear wheels. The split to the rear wheels varies between zero and 50-percent. It senses where traction is strongest and delivers the appropriate amount of torque for optimal grip.

Mazda Tribute HEV

A "full" hybrid, the Tribute HEV can run on 100 percent electric power up to approximately 25 mph, maximizing in-city fuel economy and making it one of the least-polluting vehicles sold. Still, the Tribute HEV stays true to the Zoom-Zoom Mazda owners have come to expect by delivering the performance required by SUV owners. The Tribute HEV provides plenty of power yet meets California's strict Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) requirements by achieving Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle II (SULEVII) standards, plus zero evaporative emissions standards – the strictest emission regulations a gasoline-fueled vehicle can meet. Tribute HEV technology, at a glance:
- A special 2.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine features Atkinson-cycle combustion for improved efficiency and produces 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm.
- A 70-kWatt (equivalent to 94 horsepower) electric traction motor provides an added boost to the drive wheels when maximum acceleration is desired.
- A generator-motor recharges the batteries, starts the engine and helps regulate how the two propulsion channels blend together in the transaxle.
- A special electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission (eCVT) harnesses internal combustion and electric power sources to drive the vehicle.
- A 330-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack located and sealed at the rear load floor stores electrical energy.
- An electronic vehicle system controller manages charging, drive assist and engine-starting functions. This device shuts the engine down during coasting and at stoplights to save fuel. It also converts the traction motor into a generator during braking to help recharge the batteries.