Here’s something you probably didn’t know: Mazda recently sold a diesel-fueled version of its CX-5 SUV in the US.
We say that in past tense, since the diesel CX-5 was only offered for the 2019 model year, and Mazda confirmed to CNET that there are no plans to bring the diesel engine back to the U.S. market.
The CX-5’s turbodiesel engine was quite the saga, with Mazda first announcing plans to put the frugal engine in its Mazda3 compact car and its CX-5 small SUV more than five years before the CX-5 actually hit the market. The Mazda3 diesel never even made it to the American market.
Reviews of the engine, when it finally became available, were mixed. Performance figures were just so-so at 168 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque, and fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg combined with all-wheel drive were only slightly above the 26 mpg combined rating for a gasoline-powered CX-5. Additionally, Mazda restricted the diesel to the range-topping CX-5 Signature, a well-appointed but pricey SUV that had a sticker price of $41,000 when new with all-wheel drive.
Mazda wasn’t the only automaker to dabble with a turbodiesel SUV. Chevrolet and GMC briefly offered diesel versions of their Equinox and Terrain SUVs.
The good news is that a few CX-5s are available to buy — as long as you’re OK with buying a new 2019 model-year vehicle in the 2021 calendar year.
