Mazda News: Mazda: Guys, Mazda6 Diesel Is Still Coming

[William Maley]

It has been awhile since we heard anything on Mazda's Skyactiv-D engine due for Mazda6 sedan. Our last report back in January stated the automaker was still at work on delivering "the right balance between fuel economy and Mazda-appropriate driving performance." Well Mazda North American Operations' CEO, Jim O'Sullivan had the chance to sit down with Automotive News to give an update on where they stand on the Skyactiv-D engine project.

"We're still very much committed to diesel. We are still working on getting the performance aspects up to where we want them, and we do have a plan -- an engineering road map -- to get it done," said O'Sullivan.

Originally, Mazda was planning to launch the 2.2L Skyactiv-D last year, but ran into problems with meeting the strict tailpipe emission standards for the U.S. The company was hoping to engineer an engine that didn't use a costly after-treatment system, but that seems to be off the table at the moment.

"If [we were] a commodity brand and didn't care about that, it would be on the market right now. But I know the people were expecting something from us, expecting certain drive characteristics and performance, and I didn't want to disappoint them," said O'Sullivan.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

View full article