Mazda's Skyactiv-D diesel engine is officially dead in the US
Briefly offered in the CX-5 crossover and slated for the Mazda6 sedan, the Skyactiv-D engine is now a thing of the past.
It's been nearly a decade since Mazda first confirmed it would offer its Skyactiv-D diesel engine in the US, and both the CX-5 crossover and Mazda6 sedan were on deck to get this torquey power plant. But after numerous delays and poor initial sales and reception, Mazda confirms it is officially pulling the plug on its diesel plans in the US, once and for all.
"After evaluating consumer demand, Mazda will no longer offer the Skyactiv-D diesel engine in the US market," a company spokesperson told Roadshow on Thursday. Mazda will continue to offer the diesel engine in other global markets, however.
The news comes as no surprise. We've been keeping tabs on Mazda's consumer site, where, for more than a year, the 2019 CX-5 Skyactiv-D was listed as a new model and the Mazda6 Skyactiv-D could be found in the Future Vehicles section. Go to the website today, and you won't find either car.
The Skyactiv-D engine has been dead in the water for a while now, and honestly, the whole thing's been quite a saga. Mazda first confirmed it would offer a diesel-powered Mazda6 in the US in late 2012, when the then-new 2014 Mazda6 made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. News about the CX-5 came a couple years later, though it didn't go on sale until 2019. The Mazda6? It never showed up.
Honestly, we can't really blame Mazda for the diesel's demise. The 2019 CX-5 Skyactiv-D cost around $42,000 to start, making it the most expensive version of that crossover. And while it was pretty nice to drive, its fuel economy ratings of 28 miles per gallon city, 31 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined weren't all that great. Factor in the higher cost of diesel and remember that this alternative fuel source has a bad reputation in America and it all starts to make sense. Neat as it was, the Skyactiv-D never really had a chance.
