The Mazda6 could finally get a diesel
engine option in the United States like the company has been promising since at
least 2012. Autoblog recently discovered a California Air Resources Board
document certifying the Mazda6 with the same 2.2-liter turbocharged
four-cylinder diesel engine already available with the CX-5. It seems very
likely that this is indeed confirmation the SkyActiv-D engine will make its way
into the 6 as the certification is specifically for that model.
The certification mentions the 2.2-liter
turbo-four diesel being mated to a six-speed automatic transmission but doesn’t
say whether the car would be front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. In all
likelihood, the engine will not undergo any changes from when it’s found
beneath the hood of the CX-5 and continue to push out 168 hp and 393
Nm)of torque.
It’s difficult to say when we should
expect to see the Mazda6 diesel hit the market but it will likely land as a
2021 model meaning it should be unveiled before the middle of this year. The
diesel engine will most likely only be available in the range-topping Mazda6
Signature trim that starts at US$ 36,345 with the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged
four-cylinder petrol engine. It’s reasonable to assume that, like the CX-5
diesel, the oil-burning version of the Mazda6 will carry a similar premium of
about US$ 4,000, placing the model’s starting price at around the US$ 40,000 mark.
