Mazda is Working to Make Diesel Cool Again

For many years the diesel engine was thought of as reserved for trucks, especially semi-trucks as they trudge along bringing huge trailers loaded with materials to their destinations. At some point, automakers started putting diesel engines into smaller passenger vehicles which meant more of us could begin to learn how this type of fuel worked. The diesel engine was originally thought of as a dirty engine that was used only for hauling and carrying but the tradeoff was a huge amount of pollutants in the air. As the diesel made it into passenger cars the only concern was whether or not this engine burned clean enough.

We were assured by the EPA these diesel engines were burning clean enough to fall within the allowable emissions guidelines, but we were eventually let down with a company that chose to purposely cheat on these emissions tests. While this certainly gave a black eye to the diesel engines of small passenger vehicles, most companies that have offered diesel engines for years didn’t seem to have anything to worry about because the problem was isolated to one particular brand group and the engines they built a device that cheated in the emissions testing.

Because of the departure of the brand that faced the scandal from the US market, the doors have been opened for other brands to show off their diesel engines and try and offer them to the market. Mazda is one of these brands and as the king of the slow car fast, they might have the solution that’s needed for a new diesel engine to come to the US. For several years Mazda has offered a diesel option in other locations around the world but never in the US, where the regulations are stricter, but recently, they have cleared the EPA regulations in order to be giving us a diesel engine.

The expectation is the first diesel engine from Mazda that we see on the market may come under the hood of the new CX-5. This engine will most likely be a 2.2-liter offering that will use the SkyActiv technology but have a D at the end of the name. This will be a four-cylinder engine that’s paired with a two-stage turbocharger that will be able to make 173 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. This should be impressive enough power numbers to make this a fun engine to have under the hood, but also be the right build that we end up with an efficient powertrain that we can love on the road.

This won’t be the only small passenger vehicle in the Mazda lineup that will receive the diesel engine, and other automakers are bringing their own diesel engines to the market as well. Because there is a huge hole that has been left in the market by the deletion of the TDI engine from existence in the US, those who want a diesel model are looking for ways to have this with other automakers and Mazda may be the answer.

If you’re looking for a great new diesel model from Mazda, the CX-5 may be offered later this year to give you the right build and the feel you want from a diesel engine that comes from the brand that uses “zoom zoom” as its mantra. You’ll be able to enjoy the impressive power and fuel efficient that a diesel engine can offer with the confidence of knowing that new models won’t be able to cheat on the emissions testing but will instead be completely compliant with the strict emissions guidelines we have in the US.