Product Assault, SCR Fix Behind Mazda’s Diesel Delay

CHICAGO – A bevy of new-product introductions, plus disappointment in performance, is what’s behind the continued delay in the U.S. launch of Mazda’s Skyactiv diesel, a top official says.

The engine was supposed to launch last year, but the mill failed to deliver the sporty driving characteristic critical to the brand and would have disappointed customers, North American CEO Jim O’Sullivan says.

“We’re going to do things that are right for the Mazda brand,” he tells WardsAuto at the auto show here. “We met all the regulatory environments on diesel but didn’t deliver the performance aspects we wanted. We decided to delay it to get it right.”

Development of the clean-diesel 4-cyl. also was hampered by a slew of vehicle launches, including the all-new Mazda MX-5 Miata sports car and CX-3 small CUV. O’Sullivan says the small Hiroshima, Japan-based automaker prioritized development work on the new models over the diesel.

“We decided to get the heavy lifting done and then work on some of the peripheral stuff,” he says.

Original plans called for the diesel to go without urea-based selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment, which adds price and complexity. But O’Sullivan says aftertreatment technology likely will be used, but with an engineering focus toward boosting performance, not making the engine cleaner.

“That way, we get the performance aspect up and still meet the regulatory requirements,” he says.

Reports have suggested the engine now will hit the U.S. in 2016, but O’Sullivan offers no timeframe for the diesel’s arrival, though he says it’s still in the plans.

Customers have lauded Mazda for its decision to delay the engine, he says, noting they would rather not spend their money on a product that doesn’t deliver on its promise.

When the diesel does launch, O’Sullivan expects it to play an important role in Mazda’s lineup.

“I can tell you the TDI brand is probably stronger than the VW brand,” he says of Volkswagen’s diesel offering.

“If I’m going to be the only Asian brand using clean diesel in North America, I want to make sure I get it right and that it becomes the benchmark and the standard relative to the industry of what clean diesel is supposed to be.”

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