The Mazda 6 on sale for the last couple of years is a stellar midsize sedan, but it was supposed to have been bolstered by a repeatedly delayed diesel engine for the U.S. Apparently it isn’t dead, just still late.
A source at The Truth About Cars claims Mazda has had to fit the SkyActiv Diesel for the 6 with an after-treatment emissions system in order to comply with federal standards, something Mazda had not originally planned on doing.
This comes after the diesel engine, which was expected to launch in fall 2013, was first pushed back to April 2014, and then “indefinitely” at the beginning of 2014.
Mazda has previously cited resistance to an after-treatment system like a diesel exhaust fluid that most vehicles of this type use in the U.S. to meet emissions standards in all 50 states. The company said in January it was working on balancing fuel economy with “Mazda-appropriate driving performance.” And apparently those tweaks will take the wait into the 2016 Mazda 6.
That move, however, may coincide with a heavy refresh Mazda plans for the 6, according to Automotive News. So the delay isn’t all bad news, in this case.
By Zac Estrada