Photo: Florin Profir
It’s been almost ten years since Mazda promised U.S. customers a diesel. After many delays over reasons that were never properly explained by the Japanese automaker and very poor sales of the CX-5 Signature AWD with this powerplant, the SkyActiv-D has been officially killed off in this part of the world in favor of EVs and range-extended EVs.
Spokesperson Justin Pagtalunan let it slip to our friends at Cars Direct that “consumer demand” is to blame, which is borderline obvious if you remember that diesel has never been popular in the United States in terms of passenger cars and SUVs. Even the EU is transitioning back to gasoline before it bans the sale of internal combustion-engined vehicles for good.
Speaking of the Old Continent, the Japanese automaker has discontinued the Mazda6 with the SkyActiv-D, which is pretty interesting if you ask me. For starters, the mid-size sedan and station wagon are on their last legs. And secondly, the next generation has already been confirmed with rear-wheel drive and at least two straight-six engine options, including a turbo diesel.
It would be counterproductive for Mazda to keep making the SkyActiv-D 2.2 for the U.S. market as the remainder of the lineup in the rest of the world transitions to a different engine, don’t you think? But still, Mazda has greater plans for North America in the guise of the MX-30 compact SUV.
In addition to battery-powered EV, the quirky crossover with rear doors inspired by the RX-8 will be available as a range-extended electric vehicle with a rotary engine. SkyActiv-R is how the engine is called, and the U.S. will receive this variant of the MX-30 in 2022, probably as a 2023 model.
If I may turn our focus back on the SkyActiv-D with 2.2 liters of displacement, the 2020 Mazda CX-5 with the 168-horsepower turbo diesel used to retail at $41,300. Although $4,100 costlier than the gasoline-fueled configuration, the SkyActiv-D isn’t all that efficient either because it returns 29 miles to the gallon (7.9 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined cycle.
Speaking of the Old Continent, the Japanese automaker has discontinued the Mazda6 with the SkyActiv-D, which is pretty interesting if you ask me. For starters, the mid-size sedan and station wagon are on their last legs. And secondly, the next generation has already been confirmed with rear-wheel drive and at least two straight-six engine options, including a turbo diesel.
It would be counterproductive for Mazda to keep making the SkyActiv-D 2.2 for the U.S. market as the remainder of the lineup in the rest of the world transitions to a different engine, don’t you think? But still, Mazda has greater plans for North America in the guise of the MX-30 compact SUV.
In addition to battery-powered EV, the quirky crossover with rear doors inspired by the RX-8 will be available as a range-extended electric vehicle with a rotary engine. SkyActiv-R is how the engine is called, and the U.S. will receive this variant of the MX-30 in 2022, probably as a 2023 model.
If I may turn our focus back on the SkyActiv-D with 2.2 liters of displacement, the 2020 Mazda CX-5 with the 168-horsepower turbo diesel used to retail at $41,300. Although $4,100 costlier than the gasoline-fueled configuration, the SkyActiv-D isn’t all that efficient either because it returns 29 miles to the gallon (7.9 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined cycle.
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