The Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain have long had one ace up their sleeves: both offer a thriftier diesel engine to court a different kind of buyer. However, Mazda, after years promising such a vehicle was coming, unveiled its CX-5 diesel at the 2019 New York International Auto Show last week.
The CX-5 diesel arrives with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine, which Mazda calls the SkyActiv-D engine. It will be available on just one CX-5 trim: the Signature AWD, effectively making it the costliest CX-5 offered. Buyers scouting the CX-5 Signature AWD will be met with a $38,235 with the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The addition of the diesel engine sees the price climb to $42,045.
The least-expensive Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain with GM’s 1.6-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive are $32,495 and $34.795, respectively. Chevy and GMC offer the engine with front-wheel drive as well, which knocks a few thousand dollars off of the price.
However, Mazda has continued to push itself as a more premium brand with high-quality materials, technology, and more bundled at a value compared to brands like Buick, Acura, or Infiniti.
On the specifications front, Mazda’s 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine makes 168 horsepower and peak torque of 290 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. Those are better figures than GM’s 1.6-liter diesel engine, which makes 137 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. However, both the Equinox and Terrain are more fuel efficient.
The CX-5 will return EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 27 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined with the oil burner. Keeping the comparison apples-to-apples, an Equinox or Terrain with the diesel engine and AWD will net drivers EPA-estimated ratings of 28 mpg city, 38 highway, and 32 combined.
Will the Mazda steal sales from potential Equinox or Terrain buyers? It’s possible. Yet, the market for diesel-powered crossovers is a small one.
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Comments
Chevy once offered a diesel in the Cruise but it was impossible to buy one. I tried 3 different dealers and none would make the effort to locate one for me. Merely offering a diesel in the Equinox isn’t enough. They need to be willing to sell it too.
@Bill:
Oh, how true a statement! Dealers will be the first to shoot themselves in the foot because they are not willing to “take” certain inventory. Really drives me crazy some times.
They offered one until it was discontinued in 2019 (1st gen CTD: ’14-’15, 2nd gen CTD: ’17-’19).
We have a ’14 Cruze Diesel, and while our dealer did not have one, they had no issue locating one and having it transported from the other dealer to their lot. No issues in obtaining it, for us, thankfully.
Have you ever tried ordering a car? Iys amazing, the car comes to the dealer of your choice, the color you choose, and all the options you want.
If you wanted a D Cruze that bad you would of found a way to get one.
Dealers here don’t want to order. They have their buddy dealers that they will trade a vehicle with, if the other dealer needs what the first dealer has to trade, otherwise, you’re out of luck. But, you are correct, I did later have a dealer in Florida tell me that he could get one but by that time we had already bought something else. There must be a significant financial incentive for dealers to sell from their existing inventory. I thought it quite odd that the 3 closest to me didn’t offer to order.
That Mazda looks fantastic. Ford was dumb for selling their stake.
I think the only reason they’ve been putting out such great products is because they’re free from Ford’s reigns. I’ve driven Mazdas from that era and it seemed like Ford was almost turning Mazda into Mercury with all the platform sharing and, I feel, Mazda would have probably had the same fate as Mercury had it not freed itself from Ford.
Let’s not dismiss that Mazda is probably only here today because Ford saved them. Same with Volvo. Please don’t use platform sharing as a reason. All brands do just that. With the amount of cash Ford pumped into Mazda, they best be grateful.
Couple things. First, I’m a huge fan of diesels. I grew up on a farm in IL and have always liked them. I’ve owned numerous diesels and certainly wish they would take a better hold in the states. Second, I now work for a Volvo/Mazda store for 3 1/2 years now. I’ve been watching Mazda bait us on the diesel for that entire time. They have never offered any more real info until now. What a HUGE disappointment!
Let’s start with the mandatory Signature package. I realize that many brands (that have offered a diesel) would often “package” it with certain options and/or packages, thus driving the price up. But for Mazda to only offer it in the CX5 Signature and the Mazda 6 Signature is plain stupid. To top it off, that means you only get AWD and a very dark poop brown leather interior with the CX5. I don’t mind the brown so much, but it’s so dark most people can’t tell it’s brown at first and they think is black. The salt on the open sore is the dismal MPG numbers. Ok, I fully understand that many people out there with diesels (of any brand) end up getting better MPG’s than the rating. But 30 combined? Really? I don’t even think the Chevy/GMC twins at 32 combined is very good, but that’s with the AWD. If you go with the front drive, that number goes up even more.
So my question is just who Mazda feels they are targeting with a $42,000+ CX5 and MPG’s that are barely better than the gas engine? Then we can talk about “Mazda Premium”!! Just yesterday I had to suffer through a 3 hour training from Mazda where they sent trainers in to push the Mazda Premium thing. It isn’t going to happen. Mazda buyers will not pay those prices and potential clients won’t look at Mazda because it doesn’t have the brand name (higher end) recognition that it will need. They actually think it will work to go after Audi, BMW, Acura and Jaguar!
Mazda sales have been down nearly 20% year over year for the past 4 or 5 months now. That’s not going to change based on their new strategy and I won’t be feeling sorry one ounce for them on this one. Shame on Mazda for not offering a CX5 touring front drive diesel for under $30,000 and the Mazda 6 diesel for under $28,000 and both with better MPG’s!!
Way to late, the era of diesel ICE for personal transportation is fading fast.
Mazda should be investing in EV’s, but I have seen no sign of that. One foot caught in the past might be survivable, but two feet stuck there is quick sand and the sucking sound of a last gasp.
And they are such good and fun cars. I have owned quite a few, own one now, and I’m a big fan and don’t want to see them leave the automotive scene.
As a dealer inventory manager/sales manager I have stocked diesels in the past few years for Cruzes and Equinoxes. Guess which ones are always the last to sell? We pay floor plan interest on these vehicles and by the time they move the next model year is usually out. We discount them so much to usually a negative profit, the Cost/benefit is not there to stock the vehicle for such a small market that is out there to purchase it. You can always factory order a car if you really want one. it will usually be there for you in 6-8 weeks.
@Joe:
I’m just asking. Did your store advertise them? It just seems like the dealers kind of bring this on themselves. GM too for not advertising them. Kind of reminds me years back at the Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Honda store where that dealer refused to stock certain models. When the sales staff asked them to stock them (due to people asking for them), the owner/managers said no because we didn’t sell them. Can’t sell from an empty shelf!
Maybe I’m just backwards, but shouldn’t advertising be to bring people in on a product that may not be selling as well? Why advertise the sh– out of a Silverado just to let others wither on the vine?
“Negative Profit(?), Joe. A contradiction of terms. _ ‘Profit & Loss’_ Unless you meant reduced profit.
My 2016 CX-5 Touring with the 2.5L, AWD gasser puts out 184hp, 185lb-ft torque and and gets 29.3 combined mpg. Why would I want to trade for a diesel that gets pretty much the same mpg using a much costlier fuel? OK so you get more torque but is it usable?
Why pay a premium for a diesel engine and also have to pay 40 to50 cents a gallon more at the pump. That’s why they don’t sell.