Mazda's Diesel Dreams for U.S. in Doubt After Volkswagen Scandal
- Skyactiv engine for Mazda6 already two years behind schedule
- Mazda struggling to balance performance and emissions
A Mazda Skyactiv-D clean diesel engine is seen during a news conference in Tokyo on Feb. 27, 2015.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Mazda Motor Corp.’s plans to introduce a diesel car in its most important market risk falling further behind schedule after Volkswagen AG flouted U.S. rules and unleashed global regulatory scrutiny on the technology.
The cloudy outlook for Mazda’s U.S. diesel ambitions stands out as an example of collateral damage from Volkswagen’s cheating on U.S. emissions tests. Revelations that the German company achieved its promise of “clean diesel” by using software to beat laboratory tests not only sullied consumer perception of the cars, they also cast doubt on Mazda’s ability to create an engine that’s both fuel efficient and clean.