After years of broken promises, Mazda is finally set to offer a diesel engine in the United States.
That’s good news, but it looks like the company’s Skyactiv-X engine won’t be coming here anytime soon. According to Automotive News, Mazda’s North American CEO revealed the Skyactiv-X engine can meet US emission regulations but the company has no immediate plans to offer it in America.
Masahiro Moro declined to say when the engine would eventually arrive, but he noted it is in “our road map going forward.” The executive also stated the company wants to introduce new technologies in “each region when the time is right.”
This is unfortunate as Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto has previously described the Skyactiv-X engine as one of the company’s key environmental technologies. It uses an innovative Spark-Controlled Compression Ignition that promises to provide diesel-like efficiency without all the baggage.
That being said, the decision not to immediately release the Skyactiv-X engine in America isn’t too surprising. At the Geneva Motor Show, Marumoto said the engine would be launched in Europe before being gradually rolled out to other markets.
The news isn’t all bad as Moro did confirm the US-spec Mazda3 will eventually be offered with a new engine. It will apparently be a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder with a 14:1 compression ratio. The engine could have an output of approximately 178 hp (133 kW / 180 PS) and that would make slightly less powerful than the current 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G that produces 186 hp (139 kW / 189 PS).
