Photo: EPA
Over in Europe and its in home country of Japan, the CX-5 is available with a 2.2-liter turbo diesel four-cylinder engine since January 2012. But over in the United States, the SkyActiv-D makes its first appearance for the 2018 model year, packing 29 miles per gallon combined (28 mpg city and 31 mpg highway) according to the EPA. And that, ladies and gentlemen, isn’t what we expected from Mazda.
Promised since 2016 for the U.S. market, the disappointment surrounding the CX-5 with the 2.2-liter SkyActiv-D is all the greater if you consider that the 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G returns 28 miles per gallon combined (25 mpg city and 31 mpg highway). That’s too small of a difference to even considering paying the extra, more so if you bear in mind that diesel is more expensive than gasoline.
The 2019 model year, on the other hand, will see the engine range welcome the turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter, which we all know and love from the CX-9 and Mazda6. On 87-octane gasoline, the SkyActiv-G 2.5T is good for 227 horsepower while 93 octane bumps that figure to 250 and 310 pound-feet of torque.
Turning our focus back to the diesel-fueled CX-5, it should be mentioned that Mazda isn’t alone in this segment. Chevrolet made the rounds with the Equinox a lil’ while ago, adding the 1.6-liter CDTI from Opel to the range to improve fuel economy. As per the EPA, the Equinox with the Euro-designed diesel option is good for 32 miles per gallon combined (28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway).
With the spark controlled compression ignition engine coming for the next generation of the Mazda3, the Japanese automaker might regret the efforts it made to bring the SkyActiv-D to the United States. After all, the SkyActiv-X will render the oil-chugging engine obsolete, intersecting gasoline and diesel technologies for a perfect blend of performance and efficiency.
A rotary engine is on its way as well, as are hybrid and even electric vehicles.
The 2019 model year, on the other hand, will see the engine range welcome the turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter, which we all know and love from the CX-9 and Mazda6. On 87-octane gasoline, the SkyActiv-G 2.5T is good for 227 horsepower while 93 octane bumps that figure to 250 and 310 pound-feet of torque.
Turning our focus back to the diesel-fueled CX-5, it should be mentioned that Mazda isn’t alone in this segment. Chevrolet made the rounds with the Equinox a lil’ while ago, adding the 1.6-liter CDTI from Opel to the range to improve fuel economy. As per the EPA, the Equinox with the Euro-designed diesel option is good for 32 miles per gallon combined (28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway).
With the spark controlled compression ignition engine coming for the next generation of the Mazda3, the Japanese automaker might regret the efforts it made to bring the SkyActiv-D to the United States. After all, the SkyActiv-X will render the oil-chugging engine obsolete, intersecting gasoline and diesel technologies for a perfect blend of performance and efficiency.
A rotary engine is on its way as well, as are hybrid and even electric vehicles.
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