Mazda certifies its diesel engines in the USA

Dieselgates have hurt European sales of cars running on heavy fuel so much that Mazda plans to discontinue its Mazda6 model in the Old World before the year end. Fortunately, things look differently in the United States so far, where the Japanese marque now has all the necessary compliance certificates for the diesel-burning Mazda6 and CX-5.

The crossover SUV received a heavy fuel engine last year, while the sedan never shipped with one before. The top Signature trim of the CX-5 is the only one where diesel is available, and it starts from U.S. $41,000. To put things into perspective, the gasoline lineup culminates in a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-pot version that costs $37,155 before options.

In its U.S. spec, the 2.2-liter diesel mill pumps out 170 hp (127 kW) along with 393 Nm (290 lb-ft) of peak torque. The transmission is six-speed automatic, and the SUV ships with AWD listed under standard features.

On a side note, the same engine has gone through a series of updates in Europe, gaining new pistons, fast piezoelectric injectors and a two-level induction system. This makes it stronger than the current U.S. version at 184 hp (137 kW) and 445 Nm (328 lb-ft).