2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature SkyActiv-D – Does It Have A Niche In America Or Is It Too Late?

Two of the most common bits of conventional wisdom in business are “location, location, location” and “timing is everything. With Mazda finally launching the CX-5 diesel into the American market, it is facing severe challenges on both of these fronts. The U.S. has never been a huge market for light-duty diesel-engine vehicles and by all appearances, 2019 appears to be well past the sell-by date for diesel cars, especially in America. Is the CX-5 diesel a viable product in America or just another example of sunk cost fallacy?

Mazda has always been a fascinating brand, often marching to the beat of its own internal drummer. The company stuck with Wankel rotary engines decades after every other automaker abandoned them. They continue to produce the last great relatively affordable roadster and now four years after Volkswagen dieselgate seemingly drove the last nails into the coffin of diesel cars, Mazda is adding a diesel option to its best-selling model.

Even prior to the scandal, diesel was never huge in America. VW managed to sell about half a million diesel vehicles between 2009 and September 2015. Since then, GM tried and failed to sell many diesels in the Chevrolet Cruze and Equinox. Ford announced and cancelled a diesel Transit Connect and Jaguar Land Rover has had limited success in several of its offerings.

Mazda’s plan to sell diesel engines here goes back nearly a decade when it originally planned to use an innovative new way to make a NOx trap that required less catalyst material. The Unfortunately, when it came to actually trying to meet the stringent US emissions standards, they were never quite able to make their engine clean enough. Rather than cheating, Mazda stepped and used a more expensive solution that was known to work by adding a urea injection system.

While they were working on that, the VW scandal broke, it seemed like we might never see a diesel Mazda on our shores. By the time they were ready with an updated emissions system, regulators in California were far less inclined to take automakers at their word that the system would function for the life of the vehicle, further delaying the final certification required to put it on sale.

But now it is finally is available to buy.

Mazda’s distinct approach to diesel goes beyond just what they tried to do with the emissions control system. The SkyActiv-D engine is designed to try to limit the production of those unwanted toxins in the first place. The SkyActiv-D has the lowest compression ratio of any current diesel engine at just 14.0:1. Diesels require a higher compression ratio than spark ignition engines because the intake air has to be heated by squeezing it so that the fuel will ignite when it is injected.

A high compression ratio tends to lead to hot spots in the combustion chamber when fuel is sprayed in which in turn leads to soot formation and NOx production. According to Mazda, the lower compression in the SkyActiv-D allows for better mixing of the fuel and air and more uniform ignition. The result is fewer particulates and less NOx to treat downstream. The lower compression also means lower pressures in the cylinder and the ability to produce a lighter engine overall.

But Mazda’s are all about a great driving experience. While diesels traditionally make a lot of low-end torque, they aren’t typically known for being good at revving to higher speeds. Most diesel engines start to run out of steam above about 4,000 rpm. The SkyActiv-D by contrast happily revs to 5,500 rpm, still relatively low by gas engine standards, but better than any other diesel.

Performance is further aided by the use of a dual-stage, sequential turbocharger system with a smaller turbo giving quicker low-end response and a larger one taking over at higher speeds for more flow. Ultimately the 2.2-liter SkyActiv-D peaks at 168-hp and 290 lb-ft of torque. The 5,500 rpm red-line isn’t actually that far off the 6,300 rpm limit of the 2.5-liter gasoline turbo. Even with the required diesel exhaust fluid system, the diesel CX-5 Signature is only about 115-pounds heavier than the gas version.

For now, the diesel is only offered on the top-end Signature trim level which comes standard with all-wheel-drive and almost all the available goodies in this compact crossover. That means items like all-wheel-drive, Nappa leather, adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring, front and rear heated seats, navigation and a heads-up display (HUD). Like other contemporary Mazdas, there is a rotary controller on the center console to manage the infotainment. This remains my preferred human-machine interface since you get more precise and responsive control over the system. Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are now fully supported as well.

As a smaller brand with only about 1.5 million sales globally, Mazda is struggling to carve out a niche for itself in the market and it has decided it needs to be a premium player. For the past decade, Mazda has done a great job on its interiors with high quality materials and an upmarket look and feel. The HUD is a prime example. While some previous Mazdas have used a lower cost HUD system with a separate piece of glass that flipped up from the top of the instrument cluster hood, these were small and generally too low to be very useful. The CX-5 HUD projects right onto the windshield with a larger display that remains visible even when wearing polarized sunglasses, something that is often the bane of these systems.

The diesel is another aspect of this upmarket move. While the German premium brands have all run away from diesel in the post-scandal years, Mazda thinks there is a market for diesel, especially among premium customers. There is apparently still a brisk market among diesel fans for VW and Audi models have that have been retrofitted with upgraded emission controls. Jeep, which has also become a more premium brand is also bringing new diesel engines to the Wrangler and Gladiator so maybe there is something to this.

One argument Mazda gives for offering a diesel in the CX-5 is enhanced towing capability. Gas engined CX-5s are limited to 1,500-pounds and while the diesel isn’t going to challenge the F-150, Ram 1500 or Silverado for its ability to haul boats or horses, it can pull 3,500 pounds. That’s enough for a trailer with a couple of jet-skis or snowmobiles making this a suitable vehicle for active lifestyles. While the new 2020 Escape can pull a similar amount when paired with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine, these engines get substantially worse fuel economy when working hard. Ford itself acknowledged when launching the F-150 diesel that it was targeted at customers that tow frequently because a diesel gets substantially better efficiency under load.

The CX-5 diesel is EPA rated at 28 mpg combined compared to 24 mpg for the 2.5-liter turbo gasoline engine. While driving the CX-5 some 600 miles to northern Michigan, I saw an average of 31 mpg although I didn’t connect anything to the trailer hitch. While those numbers are far short of the Toyota Rav4 hybrid and its 40 mpg, it’s not too shabby and the Toyota can only pull 1,750-pounds.

The Mazda offers excellent driveability with its relatively easy-revving character and plentiful low-end torque. The low-compression engine is also noticeably quieter than many other diesels. Of course it can’t compete with the hybrid when cruising through a neighborhood on electricity, but it offers its own advantages.

I’ve had my concerns about Mazda’s strategy to become a premium brand. It has at times seemed like it was giving up on Zoom-Zoom and Driving Matters philosophy that made it so beloved by fans. The CX-5 may not be a Miata, but not everything has to be. It’s still one of the best driving compact crossovers and feels more upmarket than most mainstream competitors. While consumers may not yet think of Mazda when considering BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz, maybe they should. While we think of a $40,000 CX-5 as costly, when compared against the Germans, it’s a relative bargain since most of them start in that price range. All-in, the CX-5 diesel I drove went from a base sticker of $41,000 for the Signature SkyActiv-D to $44,040 delivered including roof rails and the trailer hitch package.

The timing of this model may not seem ideal as we start to transition away from internal combustion to electric in the post-dieselgate era, but there are clearly still customers that like this engine technology including yours truly. The American market has never been huge for diesel but given that the direct competition has disappeared there is almost certainly a niche for this vehicle to slide into. The only question is it a big enough niche to justify the cost of engineering and certifying the Mazda CX-5 Signature SkyActiv-D?