2015 Mazda 6 Diesel Sedan Further Delayed, Company Says
Bad news for fans of diesel passenger cars, it seems.
Mazda said today that the launch of its new SkyActiv-D diesel engine would be delayed past the previous date of sometime this spring.
A terse press release attributed the delay to the time required for "further development...to deliver the right balance between fuel economy and Mazda-appropriate driving performance."
Mazda noted in its release that the diesel SkyActiv engine can meet current emission limits without the use of a urea-injection aftertreatment system--unlike virtually any other new diesel engine planned for future U.S. sales.
That would not only be a technical coup for the small Japanese company, but it would significantly reduce the cost of fitting the diesel engine, which is derived from Mazda's highly efficient line of SkyActiv-G gasoline engines launched in 2012.
Those engines are now offered in its Mazda 3 compact sedan and hatchback and its CX-5 compact crossover.