Mazda6 Diesel Could Offer 60 MPG, If They Sell It In US

When I first laid eyes on the Mazda6 wagon diesel, me (and most of the auto blogging world) were smitten with the looks, the options, and the infinite possibilities. Now that the Mazda6 diesel has made its official Paris Auto Show debut, we are getting some new details, including fuel economy figures that could be as high as 60 mpg on the U.S. standard.

As I said before, the Mazda6 diesel, and especially the wagon version, offers pretty much anything anyone could ever need in a vehicle. Car makers can just stop designing cars, because Mazda has achieved automotive perfection. The 60 mpg (on the sedan model) is just icing on the cake-of-a-car that offers a manual transmission, sport-tuned suspension, and a SkyActiv-D 2.2 liter turbodiesel engine with racing credentials.

But there is more than just a kickass diesel engine at work here. Mazda is also offering two fuel-saving feature in conjunction with the diesel engine. i-ELOOP uses a supercapacitor uses recovered deceleration energy to power the car’s electrical systems. Mazda engineers have turned 10 seconds of stopping into about a minute of energy for the supercapacitor. The implications of this technology are huge.

Then there is i-stop, an idle start/stop system, which combined with i-ELOOP drastically improves city driving economy. I know Mazda has been having a tough time with sales here in America, but this diesel wagon could appeal to a lot of customers who need a versatile-yet-fuel efficient vehicle. Alas, Europe gets first dibs, though diesel cars are slowly gaining popularity here in the States.

Have faith, brothers and sisters, that the automotive gods will deliver unto us a stylish diesel wagon of epic fuel economy and driving pleasure!

Source: Green Car Congress

Mazda6 Diesel Wagon Is Everything You Need In A Vehicle. Ever.

Station wagons once ruled the world in America, but they have fallen out of favor as first SUVs, and then crossovers came to dominate the market. But the Mazda6 station wagon is an affordable, practical, and fuel efficient diesel-powered people mover that is every bit as awesome as it looks. Or at least so declares the Internet.

Everything For Everything

See, there is something of a running gag among American auto writers, because almost all of us want a vehicle that, at least in the U.S. market, doesn’t exist. That car is a diesel-powered station wagon that looks good, drives fast, has a reasonable price tag, and comes with a manual transmission.

Mazda literally just built that car, and debuted it at the Paris Auto Show. Naturally, it isn’t for sale in the U.S., at least not yet. Nope, this is a European and Japanese model for now.

The key here is the diesel engine. Diesel engines, especially those built for the European and Japanese market, have a penchant for being both fuel-efficient and fun to drive. Mazda in particular has developed a reputation for “zoom-zoom,” though it is more often associated with rotary engines than clean diesel.

Racing Roots, Diesel Efficiency

Powering this sexy station wagon is a twin turbo 2.2 liter four-cylinder SkyActiv-D clean diesel engine. While this engine’s primary purpose is to power cars, Mazda’s new line of SkyActiv-D engines will also be exercised in the motorsports arena. The Japanese automaker will pit the 2.2 liter 4-cylinder diesel against the alt-fuel competition in the new Grand Am GX class.

Reports indicate that this engine will make its American debut in the Mazda CX-5 sometime in early 2013. Does that mean no station wagon? Let’s hope not.

Because of the practical station wagon body style, this Mazda6 wagon could replace a pickup in many situations, while also hauling grandma, grandpa, and the kids halfway across the state. The diesel engine will ensure awesome gas mileage, and when you’re all alone the twin turbochargers and manual transmission will definitely allow for some fun.

Source: Gas2.0