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?!?