Skyactiv-D Turbodiesel Mazda6 Emissions Certification Delayed, Additional Gas Models Allocated to U.S on Strong Sales

by TTAC Staff

February 17th, 2014 11:51 PM

Citing what they say is a need “to accommodate final emissions testing and certification,” Mazda confirmed to Automotive News that the U.S. launch of the diesel powered Mazda6 will be delayed from the end of this year until late April 2014.

Earlier, Robert Davis, senior vice president of U.S. operations for Mazda North American Operations, had sent a letter to Mazda employees about the delay Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter turbodiesel’s availability in the Mazda6. Certification testing is apparently taking longer than the company had hoped or expected. “I know we had discussed it being in showrooms before the end of the year, and everyone involved in the program is disappointed it will not be, but final certification testing — the results of which are looking encouraging — is taking longer than we had initially expected,” Davis wrote. Mazda has eschewed hybrids and electric power in favor of diesel engines as a path forward to better fuel economy.

Even without the diesel, the new Mazda6 is doing well, with June-August sales this year doubling last year’s figures and the Automotive News reports that the car is in short supply. To make up for not having the diesel, Mazda will be allocating U.S. dealers an additional 4,000 gasoline powered Mazda6 cars in the first quarter of 2014.

#EmissionsCertification #EPATesting #Mazda6 #SKYACTIV #Skyactiv-D2.2-literTurbodiese

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16 of 17 comments

Kyree on Sep 13, 2013

The Passat TDI breathes a sigh of relief....

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- Brettc on Sep 13, 2013
  
  My local dealer actually sells VW and Mazda (along with Audi and Porsche). It'll be interesting to see the gas/diesel mix for Passats and 6s on the lot when the 6 diesel does show up.
  
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Thegamper on Sep 13, 2013

I suspect that Mazda does not have high sales projections for the Diesel version of the 6. Mazda is just not on too many buyers radars. Maybe its a different story with this crowd, but what do they have like 2% market share? I am considering a 6 with an MT as my next car so hopefully they get significantly more inventory on the ground. Tough to deal on a car when it only has 2 week supply on dealer lots.

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- Cwallace on Sep 13, 2013
  
  Down here in Houston diesel costs at least thirty cents a gallon more than 87 octane-- is it more on par with gasoline elsewhere? Seems like that cost premium would pretty much negate the mileage advantage.
  
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- Truckducken on Sep 13, 2013
  
  @cwallace Let's see...based on the typical diesel, 10% more cash per gallon delivers 20 or 30% better mileage, and way more torque. Easy math. The tough part is justifying the cost premium of the engine; that takes a while to pay back. We'll see what Mazda's upcharge will be.
  
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- PrincipalDan on Sep 13, 2013
  
  @Truckducken As I've argued on this site before, if the diesel versions of these sedans (like the Mazda 6 and Cruze diesel) end up either posting better numbers (0-60, 1/4 mile, mpg) and/or feeling more powerful in the real world then the diesel versions might end up becoming the enthusiast choice like the sport/ss/speed versions were in the past.
  
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- Bumpy ii on Sep 13, 2013
  
  @cwallace Locally, diesel runs within 5-10 cents either side of whatever premium gas is going for and 87 octane is about 10% below that, so the mileage gains easily recoup the initial price bump.
  
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- Tinn-Can on Sep 13, 2013
  
  @PrincipalDan I'm hoping this is true... My 07 Mazda 3 with the 2.3 is kind of gutless... I really like the new 6 but I can't imagine the 2.5 in a larger car can be all that great. Fingers crossed for the oil burner.
  
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- Scoutdude on Sep 13, 2013
  
  @bumpy ii Until you factor in the price premium paid for the engine and the added maintenance costs and then you are at a wash, unless of course they don't figure out a way around the 1200mi oil change interval and then you would be behind significantly.
  
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- Redav on Sep 14, 2013
  
  @PrincipalDan From reviews of the car in other countries, it seems that the diesel has a ~0.5 sec slower 0-60 time.
  
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- Redav on Sep 14, 2013
  
  @Scoutdude This engine is the replacement for the V6. People buy upgrade V6s even though they get worse mpg. The improved mpg on this engine is just a bonus.
  
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Pagani Baguette on Sep 13, 2013

Interesting video .... at about 0:40 it starts showing the cycles in the engine. Stellar animation, very well done, just funny how the intake stroke (shown with blue-ish fog in the intakes) occurs when the piston is going up :)

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Big Al from Oz on Sep 13, 2013

I mentioned on this site months ago about the Skyactive design issues. US diesel is different, different scar, cetane, 50% more sulphur, etc.

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- PrincipalDan on Sep 13, 2013
  
  If we could just get some high quality diesel like the rest of the planet!
  
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- Redav on Sep 14, 2013
  
  @PrincipalDan I don't believe our diesel is lower quality than other countries. I think it's just different.
  
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- Pch101 on Sep 14, 2013
  
  The US allows sulfur levels of 15 ppm, vs 10 ppm in Europe. In practice, US diesel that consumers buy at their local service stations has sulfur levels that are below 10 ppm. The US also exports refined ULSD diesel to Europe, as the Europeans can't refine the stuff fast enough to satisfy local demand. Developing countries typically have much higher sulfur levels than the US. I hate to break it to you, but there is no US vs. the rest of the world fuel standard.
  
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