As Mazda Talks With Toyota About Electrification, Is Its U.S. Diesel Dream in Peril?

Mazda loves its Skyactiv engine technology, as the high-compression fuel-sippers eliminate the automaker’s need for pricey hybrids or battery electric vehicles.

Boasting an increasingly rare all-gas U.S. fleet, Mazda has said it can handle increasingly stringent fuel economy requirements with improved second-generation Skyactiv engines, including their diesel variants.

It now looks like that plan won’t be enough.

According to Bloomberg (via Automotive News), Mazda is in talks with Toyota on a number of areas of cooperation, including electric vehicle technology. Last year, the two automakers discussed hybrid technology and agreed to jointly benefit from the Mexican-made Mazda2 (aka Toyota Yaris R in Mexico, Yaris iA in the U.S., and Yaris Sedan in Canada).

News of a potentially expanded partnership adds further doubt to Mazda’s long-held plan to sell diesels in the U.S.

In July, CEO Masamichi Kogai claimed oil burners were on the way, despite numerous delays. “We are not giving up,” he said. “We have a timeline.”

Kogai wouldn’t say what that timeline was.

Time will tell what the public’s appetite for diesel-powered small cars is in the post-Volkswagen emissions scandal era. Thanks to Wolfsburg-based emissions cheating, environmental regulators around the world have diesel engines in their sights, with emissions requirements posed to become even stricter.

For Mazda, the pre-scandal road wasn’t an easy one. The Mazda6 diesel was supposed to show up in the U.S. in 2013, but was delayed until 2014. Rumors at the time mentioned emissions issues, though Mazda later stated that U.S.-spec models failed to meet performance standards. A year later, and another delay. TTAC reported then that the diesel program was due for a revamp.

Since then, the automaker’s plan for a diesel Mazda6 — and Mazda3 and CX-5, perhaps — has turned into ghosts. As Kogai sang the praises of diesel this past summer, the automaker pulled its diesel 3 out of the Australian market after years of complaints, including fouled particulate filters and contaminated engine oil.

Bringing Skyactiv-D powerplants to the U.S. would boost the automaker’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy rating, something General Motors has in mind (but isn’t talking about) with its upcoming Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. Still, hybrids and electrics are the go-to solution for most automakers.

No automaker wants to be seen falling behind in the technology race, and fielding an electric vehicle is as much about PR as it is about the environment. Of course, that doesn’t mean an automaker can’t mix it up.

Jacob Brown, product communications specialist with Mazda USA, tells TTAC that “Mazda remains committed to bringing its diesel technology to the U.S.” He couldn’t provide a timeline.

While Brown couldn’t comment on what products the Toyota talks could bring, he did mention the need to prepare for the future.

“Globally, there will be many new regulations coming into effect in the near and not-so-distant future,” said Brown. “Mazda is a proudly independent automaker that looks to position itself for the longterm with solutions that work.”

[Image: Mazda USA]