Mazda Has a “Surprising” New Diesel Engine in Store for 2020

One could be forgiven for not knowing exactly where Mazda is going right now.

Just as the small Japanese automaker prepares to unveil its first-ever all-electric vehicle at the Tokyo Auto Show, we hear from one executive that Mazda is still committed to diesel engines despite their rapidly decreasing popularity. It actually has bigger plans with an innovative new technology coming in 2020.

European R&D chief Christian Schultze told Autocar: “We are sticking to diesel engines. In 2020, we have a new approach to diesel engines. We will show you how clean and very efficient diesel engines can be. […] We will surprise you.”

He stopped short of saying if Mazda would use similar technology to its pioneering SKYACTIV-X gasoline engine, but added: “There are not so many differences between petrol and diesel.”

Photo: Antoine Joubert

Seemingly questioning the environmental benefits of EVs, the company believes that it’s important to consider real-world emissions over the life cycle of a vehicle instead of just looking at local emissions. That’s why it has a “multi-solution approach” to sustainability.

While continuing to improve internal combustion technology with both gasoline and diesel engines (which will be "the base power for 85 percent of all cars up until 2035"), Mazda will offer electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender vehicles in the future.

"We hope governments wake up and see that electrification is one way but there are others, too," Schultze concluded.

The new diesels in the works might be part of a 48-volt mild hybrid system or a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, who knows?

The biggest question is, will we see them in North America? That’s doubtful. Remember, the aforementioned SKYACTIV-X is still not sold here and the current-generation SKYACTIV-D diesel engine made its way into the CX-5 lineup only recently.

Share on Facebook

More on the subject

NewsHere’s How Much the Mazda CX-5 Diesel Will Cost You
Back in April at the New York Auto Show, we learned that the long-awaited diesel version of the Mazda CX-5 would go on sale in late summer. What the company failed to mention at that time was how much the vehicle would cost. We now have the answer. The 2019 …
New York2019 Mazda CX-5 Gets a Diesel Engine… For Real
Forget about the long-promised diesel version of the Mazda6 sedan. On Wednesday at the New York Auto Show, the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature Diesel was announced as the brand’s first diesel-powered vehicle in North America. Some will say it took more than a while, but I guess it’s better late …
ElectricMazda Compares MX-30 Emissions to a Diesel Car
Following the debut of its all-electric MX-30 crossover this fall, Mazda has just made a controversial statement to defend the vehicle’s limited range. Before going any further, we need to remind you that it’s not part of the company’s plans for North America yet. The MX-30 is aimed first and …