Mazda to Bring Diesel Engines in the US

Mazda is one of the manufacturers that are planning to boost their operations in the United States and, as part of its future goals, it might launch diesel engines in the country as well. Seita Kanai, head of Mazda's research and development, said the company is already testing diesels in the United States and revealed that it would need sales of around 10,000 diesel units to make the market profitable.

"As an engineer, ideally I would want to introduce diesels, but I am not sure if it makes a business case,” Kanai said.

The Japanese manufacturer will also launch the Mazda2 model in the United States by 2010 to compete with Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Chevrolet Aveo. Mazda2 will be sold in GM's domestic market only as a five-door hatchback.

In the United States, Mazda2 will be offered with a number of modifications, including slight revisions to the front fascia. The engine lineup might include some of the units current available in Europe but, according to various sources, the Japanese manufacturer will debut a single gasoline-powered 1.5-liter four-cylinder version in the United States.

Mazda is one of the manufacturers that benefitted the most from the Cash for Clunkers program. 57 percent of all Mazdas sold through the scheme were Mazda3, the company revealed after the campaign's closure.

"We're obviously very pleased by the sales improvement the Cash for Clunkers program has provided," said Jim O'Sullivan, MNAO president and CEO. "But even more exciting is the positive environmental impact it's having. Our dealers are reporting that cars like the MAZDA3, which gets up to 33 miles per gallon on the highway, are replacing vehicles that in some cases don't make one third of the mileage."