Diesel Mazda6: Still In The Cards, But…
As soon as we heard about Mazda’s plan to launch a diesel-powered Mazda6, we were ecstatic: the midsize sedan is already dominating its segment, so a hyper-frugal version would cement its position at the top of the food chain. The original release was planned for 2013.
We are now in the last months of 2014, and a quick look at the Mazda6 brochure will show you that there is no diesel engine offered. So what happened?
In a recent interview, Mazda USA is clear: the Skyactiv-D is still in the cards, but it won’t come out just now.
One of the main problems with importing a diesel engine to North America is that our pollution laws are very strict. The Mazda powerplant currently meets those laws, but it lost its Zoom Zoom in the process. This won’t fly for Mazda, though; they want to give it a little more power before launching it.
One of the solutions would be to add a urea injection system; for now, the Skyactiv-D is so clean it doesn’t need it, but if the manufacturer wants to boost power output, it could need one. However, this would increase the complexity (and cost) of the engine, thus increasing the retail price of the car.