Mazda Launches Diesel-Powered CX-5 SUV in U.S.

After several delays, Mazda Motor Corp. is adding a diesel variant of its CX-5 SUV/crossover vehicle in the U.S.

Initially, the 2.2-liter 4-cylinder Skyactiv-D powerplant (pictured) will be available only in the top-end Signature trim line of the CX-5 with all-wheel drive. The diesel-powered model will start at $42,000, about $2,800 more than a comparable CX-5 Signature with a 2.5-liter gasoline unit.

With an estimated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel efficiency rating of 28 mpg, the diesel mill is nearly 8% more fuel efficient than its gasoline counterpart. But the Skyactiv-D generates only 168 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque, compared with the 2.5-liter unit’s 250 hp/310 lb-ft output.

Featuring a two-stage twin turbocharger with variable turbine geometry, the Skyactiv boasts a diesel-best compression ratio of 14.0:1. The low compression ratio decreases engine temperatures and pressure, which Mazda says improves the air/fuel mixture and reduces emissions of oxides of nitrogen and soot.

Mazda says the Skyactiv-D can meet most global emissions regulations without using aftertreatment devices. In the U.S., however, the CX-5 diesel will be fitted with a selective catalytic reduction system.

Mazda has long offered diesel engines on vehicles it sells in Europe and Asia. But the Skyactiv-D application in the CX-5, which was certified by the EPA last year, will be the first time the carmaker has sold a diesel-powered car in the U.S. The company also is working on a diesel option for the Mazda6 sedan in the U.S.