Diesel version coming to US?

well without a hybrid vehicle I believe mazda will bring a diesel to the market to meet MPG regulations. to which car is unk. Mazda is in talk with toyota for a hybrid vehicle. with combine effort from toyota means less profits. the diesel tech in mazda has been developed a lot further therefore i believe mazda will rather sell more diesels.

The agreement with Toyota is a stop gap and they knew it would take time.
The effort put into the long list of Skyactiv technologies was worth it, although it has hurt their bottom line.

It's expected for example, that all future Mazda vehicles will get at least i-stop (then i-Eloop).
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/skyactiv/vis.html

In Australia, the Diesel CX-5 already beats the hybrid Camry for fuel consumption, performance and emissions (yes! emissions too).
Imagine then what will be achieved when they release a hybrid diesel.
 
in the US, the demand for a diesel cuv will be off the charts. the new mid sized [with an enormous back seat] TDi Passat is a four month wait and is setting sales records. the CX5 diesel will fill a void in this market in the exact same way. i don't think they'll be able to make enough of them, exactly what Mazda needs right now. to wait is a huge fail, all they have to do is look at the passat, it's right there in front of them.

i feel very strongly that if Mazda introduces the diesel 6 sedan first in this market, they'll be making a big mistake. No one digs the 6.
 
i feel very strongly that if Mazda introduces the diesel 6 sedan first in this market, they'll be making a big mistake. No one digs the 6.

The Mazda 6 Diesel will be a while off. The new model will be coming out later this year with all the Skyactiv components - but it's going to be the second Skyactiv vehicle. My that stage, the CX-5 will already have 6 months of running the diesel in. It will be the same diesel that's on the 6.

I doubt therefore that Mazda will release the diesel 6 in the US prior to the diesel CX-5.
There has to be something else holding it up.

As far as certification of the diesel for the US market - I doubt it will have issues. The CX-5 is already Euro 6 compliant and in terms of emissions, it's ahead of any of the VW, Audi and Merc competitors.

I've driven the VW, Audi and Merc diesels. The latest I drove was the TDI Passat. Getting behind the wheel of the CX-5 it's easy to tell that their diesel is a significant improvement. Firstly the CX-5 diesel is extremely quiet (not very diesel like at all). Secondly it has lower emissions. Thirdly it doesn't require NOx filters. Lastly, it's kicks all the competitors for torque.
It's a bloody brilliant piece of kit.
 
i was going to buy a TDi '13 passat this fall when my son steals our wrangler [he's 17, just got his license]. the only problem with that is we would have to keep my pig of a pilot to pull our waverunners. this diesel CX5 is perfect for us. if it doesn't come to our shores until next spring, i'm just gonna slap some snows on my NC2 next winter and have at it. remember, you have to install a hitch, pull some stuff around and report back. (drinks)
 
to wait is a huge fail, all they have to do is look at the passat, it's right there in front of them.

i feel very strongly that if Mazda introduces the diesel 6 sedan first in this market, they'll be making a big mistake. No one digs the 6.

The only reason that makes it an advantage to wait is to one-up the new Rav4 and Escape that will be released towards the end of this year. There’s always so much hype on new models. By bringing the Diesel one year after the Gas would maintain the high interest for the CX-5.

The reason why the 6 didn't sell particularly well in the States is because of when they introduced the car (during the recession). It is also quite far from the original 6, being bigger and softer, and doesn't have great fuel economy. Fix all of those problems and make it look as nice as the Takeri concept, and you have a winner. In my eyes, the 6 would be the best way to introduce the diesel in North America. It has many more competitors than the CX-5 that offer good fuel economy because of the abundance of hybrids in that class. Show that the Diesel is better in every way, which it is, and you'll have all the other manufacturers searching for a new eco-button to press.
 
slapping the diesel in the existing 6 would be a fail. slapping the diesel in the "new" takeri 6 would be wonderful, i semi agree with you. how about a 6 for the wife and a cx5 for me? awesome. (drinks)
 
While I'm not generally one to resurrect old threads on forums... I think this topic bears resurrecting in light of recent developments! At this point the announcements from last month's LA Auto show that the 2.2L Skyactiv-D is confirmed for the 2014 Mazda 6 to follow the initial release and the new 2.5L Skyactiv-G will be offered in CX-5 Touring and Grand Touring trims in the 2014 model year. I know I'm not the only one who's been more than slightly disappointed by the second part of this announcement, particularly given the excellent press and awards the CX-5/Skyactiv-D combination has been getting in other global markets and my own desire to have a high-mpg crossover with a boatload of torque!

I've been scouring the web for any updates without avail..... anyone else hear any news?!?
 
While I'm not generally one to resurrect old threads on forums... I think this topic bears resurrecting in light of recent developments! At this point the announcements from last month's LA Auto show that the 2.2L Skyactiv-D is confirmed for the 2014 Mazda 6 to follow the initial release and the new 2.5L Skyactiv-G will be offered in CX-5 Touring and Grand Touring trims in the 2014 model year. I know I'm not the only one who's been more than slightly disappointed by the second part of this announcement, particularly given the excellent press and awards the CX-5/Skyactiv-D combination has been getting in other global markets and my own desire to have a high-mpg crossover with a boatload of torque!

I've been scouring the web for any updates without avail..... anyone else hear any news?!?

I copied this right from Consumer reports, which is a reputable source of information.

"The new Mazda6 follows on the heels of a number of midsized sedan redesigns this past year. Mazda's midsized sedan will offer the company's SkyActiv fuel-efficiency technology, but no fuel economy numbers have been released. The Mazda6 will be available in January, and a diesel powered version will come out in the fall of 2013"
 
Like you, and probably many others, I have been monitoring this VERY closely, daily in some cases. I have needed a 2nd winter vehicle for a year now and have been holding off that long, waiting for the CX-5D. I watched the LA announcements via live streaming, and also scoured the follow-up interviews.

I have heard and read so much, I don't have the link, but I saw Jim O'Sullivan, President, Mazda North America, say that they are going to wait and see how the diesel goes in the 6 and go from there.

Considering that Mazda is a relatively small, recently financially wobbly company, that can't afford a misstep, as much as I hate to say it, this is a logical, cautious strategy. Many of us would jump on the diesel in a hearbeat but they may need hard U.S. sales data to sell the idea to Mazda Coporate in Japan, since the U.S. has been relatively diesel adverse, so they need to test the U.S. waters with the 6D . And they may not be ready for additional production of the 2.2 D since they are selling so many of them elsewhere in the world. And they may want to keep bringing out upgrades to keep selling CX-5s. Jim O'Sullivan said that they are selling all the 2.0s they can get and the 2.5L will get them incremental buyers. The logical extension of that strategy is that the CX-5D will get them more yet.

But this is definitely not what I, and probably many others, wanted to hear. With the 6D coming around Sept or so, if it stays on track, and them testing the market waters with that, I can't imagine a CX-5D coming before early 2014, at the very earliest, maybe much later.

I don't think that I can make it through another winter, let alone 2 more, without a second vehicle, so as much as I hate to, I think that I am going to have to bite the bullet and buy a 2014 CX-5 now and either keep it or take a big hit on depreciation and sales tax if I want to upgrade to the diesel when it comes out. The only good news is that now I can get the 2.5L instead of the 2.0L. But I want the diesel! But I can't get it. :-(

While I'm not generally one to resurrect old threads on forums... I think this topic bears resurrecting in light of recent developments! At this point the announcements from last month's LA Auto show that the 2.2L Skyactiv-D is confirmed for the 2014 Mazda 6 to follow the initial release and the new 2.5L Skyactiv-G will be offered in CX-5 Touring and Grand Touring trims in the 2014 model year. I know I'm not the only one who's been more than slightly disappointed by the second part of this announcement, particularly given the excellent press and awards the CX-5/Skyactiv-D combination has been getting in other global markets and my own desire to have a high-mpg crossover with a boatload of torque!

I've been scouring the web for any updates without avail..... anyone else hear any news?!?
 
Last edited:
I agree. I am most likely going to purchase a 2014 as I dont know how much longer we can wait for the Diesel. We need to replace the Mazda 3i soon.
 
You articulated it far better than I could have, Philmich. I never happened upon the clip you mentioned with Jim O'Sullivan talking about roll-out strategy for the Skyactiv-D motor in the US market, but it makes perfect sense.

I imagine that Mazda is still struggling with maintaining sufficient capacity for the diesel powertrain as is, I recall reading a Mazda press release a few months back about doubling engine capacity due to significant increases in demand... and the flavor of the various Mazda promotional materials I've seen about the success of the Skyactiv-D in other markets has strongly suggested to me that both take rate and total sales have come as a pleasant surprise to the company.

For me, the fear is that the Skyactiv-D Mazda 6 won't be as great a success as the CX-5 D has the potential to be in the US market. The family sedan segment is remarkably competitive, and nearly every manufacturer is offering some form of high mileage premium variant... only VW has gone the diesel route with the Passat, the rest hybrids. (And admittedly, my father-in-law's '12 Camry Hybrid is an -amazing- vehicle if you don't particularly value driving dynamics!)

I just see the CX-5 D having a much greater relative impact on its segment from a green car perspective... even if the Sky-D only scores in the ballpark of 37mpg combined (Australia's 5.7l/100km = 41.2mpg) in the EPA testing, it'll have 10mpg over any AWD crossover other than its Skyactiv-G stablemates. In a segment nearly as crowded as the family sedan range where the 6 competes, that's an utter game changer.

But alas, we are but a few voices crying out in the wilderness....

P.S. Philmich - freaking -love- Traverse City, my best friend's family has a vacation home on the peninsula up near bowers harbor... beyond beautiful in all four seasons!!!
 
Hi J!
Thanks for your kind words but you articulated many great points yourself! We are very much on the same page and I think that there are many others who would buy a CX-5D today if it were available, but as you say, we are voices crying in the wilderness.

As you implied, let's hope that the the 6D is enough of a success in the US that Mazda is eager to roll out the diesel in the US in other models, especially the CX-5!

I tried to find the clip on the rollout strategy and reviewed the entire clip of Jim's remarks at the press conference, but it wasn't in there. I am sure that I heard it somewhere though on the LA show coverage - approximately Sept for the 6D and they will evaluate for other models after that. If I find the clip, I will post the link.

For future reference, in case that you are not already aware, Mazda USA has a website on justin.tv which they had live streaming of their press conference in LA. Good to know for future announcements!

Keep the faith!

P.S. Yes, we love TC including zoom zooming through the beautiful twisty country roads in our Miatas!
 
You guys are all making good points about Mazda being cautious and testing the waters, but it still makes zero sense to me to introduce a diesel in family sedan category before simply certifying a diesel SUV that is playing to rave reviews all over the world. Small SUVs are almost the perfect vehicle for a diesel powertrain; conversely, their utility and cost-effectiveness in a family sedan is much more marginal.

I fear this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy - the 6D won't sell over well, they'll declare the US market doesn't like diesels, and decline to consider importing the CX-5D.

- Mark
 
I have to say that the diesel does look like a good option in the CX-5 compared to the new 6, and think markjenn has a valid point. What cards Mazda is going to play is up to them, the price premium on diesel fuel in the U.S. can also play a part in this. I for one would like the diesel CX5, and think that if Mazda equipped all of the diesel versions with a tow package and a recommendation for types of trailers (even a discount coupon with local trailer manufacturers) standard, they could bill it as a replacement for the small pickups that are going the way of the dinosaurs. I have a Ford Ranger as well ('02) and the utility it provides is awesome, as well as being a decent daily driver, but it gets almost as lousy MPG as an F150. The towing capacity for the diesel CX5 overseas is around 4000 pounds from what I can tell. My Ranger is 5000 pounds towing capacity, and I very seldom tow. With a trailer and a CX5 with 4k towing ability, you can make home improvement runs, haul a boat, small camper, etc and still have a high mileage daily driver. My 2.0G has a capacity of 2k lbs, and this will do for now, but doubling that capacity opens up a whole new world for capabilities IMHO
 
The diesel is a treat. Coming from an impressive diesel kia I didn't even test drive the petrol which has incidentally has 163HP over here. My old diesel had 320 Nm of torque (236 lb/fb) My cx-5 has 380 nm (280 lb ft) and it's lighter so you can imagine it's a welcome upgrade. this is the lower powered (150ps) of the 2 diesels. there is a 175ps with 420 Nm (310 lb ft) of torque but it's only available in AWD version. It makes short work of steep hills!
 
On January 31, 2013, I wrote Mazda and asked when they were going to introduce the CX-5 Diesel in the US. This is their noncommittal response:

"Thank you for contacting Mazda. We appreciate your interest in the MAZDA CX-5 Diesel. It will be available in the near future but there is no exact date unfortunately. The 2014 MAZDA6 Diesel is scheduled to be available around September 2013. I will document your feedback for our corporate records which is reviewed by our product planning department.
Thank you again for contacting Mazda."

I think Mazda risks falling behind the "power curve." By the beginning of 2014, there will probably be viable alternatives to the Mazda diesel.
 
I just sold my 98 Jetta TDI, I had owned it since it was new, and I really wanted to replace it with another diesel. I saw the writing on the wall in regards to the Mazda Diesel. I'll believe it when I see it. I am very skeptical, so much so that I bought the the gasser CX5, instead of waiting for the diesel.
 
Wasn't really waiting for the diesel but if pricing was out so I can caculate the higher cost of the diesel model & diesel fuel, then I might have considered it. Our '06 3 GT hatch was getting small w/ a 2 y.o. bc of the car seat, front passengers that are above 5'6" have no leg room.
The 2.5l SkyActiv G has ample power. It's not fast, but won't leave you feeling underpowered.
 
Back