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2016 Mazda3 SkyActiv-D 1.5 Diesel Now Available in Europe, Priced from €23,190

Most European countries tax engines with a displacement of over 2,000 cubic centimeters as if they were luxury goods. Compared to brands that don’t understand the necessity of smaller displacement engines in this part of the world, Mazda took notice and made amends with the 1.5-liter SkyActiv-D.
2016 Mazda3 SkyActiv-D 1.5 Diesel 6 photos
Photo: Mazda
Mazda3 SkyActiv-D 1.5 dieselSkyActiv-D 1.5 dieselSkyActiv-D 1.5 dieselSkyActiv-D 1.5 dieselSkyActiv-D 1.5 diesel
This mill is a smaller version of the SkyActiv-D 2.2, a turbo diesel that made its debut in 2012. The SkyActiv-D 1.5 was presented at the 2014 edition of the Geneva Motor Show under the hood of the Mazda2 subcompact hatchback. Now, though, the 1.5-liter is available in the Mazda3, a considerably more popular model than the Mazda2 is on the Old Continent.

On sale in select European markets, the 2016 Mazda3 SkyActiv-D 1.5 starts from €23,190 in Germany for the hatchback in Center-Line specification. The 6-speed automatic transmission adds €1,800 to the retail price. In the case of the four-door sedan, the price balloons to €23,690 and there’s no automatic available. Other than the fact that owners are taxed considerably less, what makes the smallest SkyActiv-D so special?

From a technical point of view, the compression ratio of 14.8:1 and variable turbine geometry turbocharger are the highlights. For people with practical reasoning, the party piece of the SkyActiv-D 1.5 is the fuel economy figure. Combined with the Mazda i-stop idling stop technology and i-ELOOP brake energy regeneration system, the oil-chugging turbo diesel drinks as little as 3.8 liters per 100 kilometers on the New European Driving Cycle. That'll be 74.3 imperial miles per gallon or 61.9 US mpg, thank you.

With 105 horsepower on tap and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) between 1,600 and 2,500 rpm, the 1.5-liter diesel is more at home in the urban jungle than on the motorway. For overtaking and cross-country adventures, the Mazda3 is better suited with the 2.2-liter turbo diesel. You can find out more about how the SkyActiv-D 1.5 feels in our test drive of the Mazda CX-3, one of the best compact crossovers money can buy these days.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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