- mazda has promised a diesel-powered, all-wheel-drive version of the current 6 sedan for the u.s. market.
- that company even has a splashy page on its website touting the new car.
- like the last decade or so of promises and plans, though, the timing of the car's appearance is up in the air.
after a nearly decade-long drama, mazda has finally gotten into production a diesel-powered vehicle in the united states, the 2019 cx-5 compact crossover. mission accomplished, right? well, it would seem that there's at least one more episode of this vehicular telenovela.
the company revealed at the 2019 new york auto show in april that its mid-size sedan, the 6, would also be offered with the 2.2-liter skyactiv-d engine, coupled with an all-wheel-drive system. you'll forgive us for being skeptical.
the 6 was supposed to be one of the first u.s. mazdas with the diesel engine, way back in 2013, as a 2014 model. and it was a few years before that that mazda first revealed to us its american diesel plans, including a drive in europe of some oil-burning crossovers. mazda even fielded three diesel-powered 6 race cars in the 2013 24 hours of daytona. that went spectacularly badly. a long series of missed deadlines, changed plans, and frustrated, sighing mazda public-relations people brings us to today.
while a splashy page on mazda's consumer website promises the new diesel-powered 6, we are again left with eerily familiar non-specific promises. according to a mazda representative, the 6 diesel is still going through the carb and epa certification process. this is despite the fact that it's essentially the same engine that powers the cx-5. remember that in the time mazda has been working on its diesel engine for the u.s. market, the volkswagen group was caught cheating emissions test for its diesels.
"we're hoping that it will be available in the 2020 model year," said mazda brand communications man, drew cary. (no, not drew carey).
tune in next year for the exciting conclusion to the sage, probably. maybe.