A diesel-powered Mazda CX-9 featuring the brand’s 2.2-liter SkyActiv-D engine could be on the horizon soon.
While we know that Mazda is moving to scrap its V6 to use its SkyActiv technology, North Americans have been more-or-less in the dark about the diesel variant making it into a production car.
The automaker has been strongly hinting that the next-generation Mazda6, based on the Takeri concept, will be available with a diesel engine but official confirmation is still missing.
The larger CX-9, which is popular in the U.S., currently uses a 3.7-liter V6, but the diesel engine could offer a reasonable alternative with 310 lb-ft of torque and much improved fuel economy.
Still, the news of a diesel CX-9 refers to the large crossover moving into the European market where diesels account for a much larger market share than the U.S. The SkyActiv-D is also currently available in overseas versions of the CX-5, yet absent in our market.