Who Wants The SKYACTIV-D?

[CorkSport]

  I have been getting more and more excited about the Mazda Skyactiv Diesel engines which are due to arrive in North America this spring.— My thoughts have been a bit skewed with estimating power numbers with down-pipes, cranking up the boost, and doing crazy low RPM burnouts in the first 4 gears with mountains […]

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[Lex]

Unfortunately reading between the lines here is that the SkyD is not North American compliant with emissions requirements either currently or in the near future. This is bad news since this can be a very costly situation for Mazda.

[[R]usty]

I wish. I wanted to buy a diesel AWD CX-5 but like lex said doesn't look like it's coming to the US.

[dale_gribble]

From what I have read, it has a lot to do with our bullshit emissions standards in the US. Our standards are based on overall emissions per mile, specifically NOx. This is why we aren't seeing some of the stupid high mileage that Europeans are enjoying with their diesels.

Even though some of these diesel cars travel TWICE as far as a regular car on a gallon of fuel, it is creating more emissions while consuming that gallon of gas although it is able to travel much further. It may take a regular car 2 gallons of fuel to create the same level emissions (and go as far as the diesel on a single gallon). Since its broken down by emissions per mile, the regular car is ok even though it has way shittier mileage and the higher mileage car is fucked even though it went further on a gallon of gas and created slightly more emissions.

If you read into it, you'll see that VW and others have had ridiculously high MPG diesels that can't make it into the states based on this. My guess is this is where Mazda is tangled up since they are selling oversees now.

[magicka]

I hope they can get it sorted out soon. I'd love to give Mazda my money for a diesel 3 hatch or 6 wagon. Bonus points for a manual transmission and AWD.

[Cheapspeed]

Twin turbo diesel RWD (or even AWD) Mazdaspeed 6!

Chevy has managed to put out their diesel Cruze. I wonder why Mazda is having trouble complying.

[SpencerC]

Anyone think maybe Mazdas pocketbooks aren't deep enough? Everyone is always talking about the Oil companies being, well.... you know... curious if there is resistance to Diesel fuel usage becoming more common, and VW and Chevy can get around it thanks to deep pockets and connections.

This is just personal speculation. It might just be that Mazda wants it perfect for North America.

[InkedInspector]

Originally Posted by Spencer@CorkSport Anyone think maybe Mazdas pocketbooks aren't deep enough? Everyone is always talking about the Oil companies being, well.... you know... curious if there is resistance to Diesel fuel usage becoming more common, and VW and Chevy can get around it thanks to deep pockets and connections. This is just personal speculation. It might just be that Mazda wants it perfect for North America.

The complete opposite in fact. We make much more money on diesel, even the improved mileage wouldn't offset the profit, refineries are making little to nothing on gasoline right now. Of all our products asphault, naptha, gasoline, diesel, etc gasoline is the bottom of the profit line.

[magicka]

I think it's partly due to shallow pockets, but more aligned with what Dale said. Mazda is a small manufacturer, and they don't have Ford's help any more. Getting a new engine certified for the US is costly, and 50 state certification even more so. It gets especially pricey when you figure that the US market for diesels hasn't historically been, well, present. The Europeans have had some small success, and Chevy has dipped their toes with the Cruze, but it's got to be a tough business case.

[Cheapspeed]

Well after reading CS's blog, it sounds like Mazda is trying to get rid of any NOx after treatment that Chevy/VW are using, all together.

I would figure it would make more sense to get into the market now, and make such an improvement later.

[donjohnk]

I thought the Sky-d was supposed to be the cleanest burning motor in the market

[jm211]

It makes it difficult when USA polititians are freaking retarded.

Other than ULSD, diesel needs less net refining still right?

Even though it burns more in a car, is the NET effect of drilling it, refining it, shipping it and using it less than petrol?

[InkedInspector]

Originally Posted by jm211 It makes it difficult when USA polititians are freaking retarded. Other than ULSD, diesel needs less net refining still right? Even though it burns more in a car, is the NET effect of drilling it, refining it, shipping it and using it less than petrol?

Yes and no. Drilling is not cheaper because gasoline and diesel are both part of crude oil pulled from the ground. They are separated in a distillate tower in a crude unit which strips naptha, diesel, gasoline, asphalt, etc by their specific gravity. From there Diesel doesn't go through as many processes as gasoline. Gasoline is put through cracking processes in several units. Most of the remaining treatment for diesel involves stripping away sulphur which is why we have so much H2S gas in refineries. Gasoline prices cover our costs to produce, plus the fuel oils we get keep us energy independent from the grid with a thin profit margin leftover. Most the money we make is off the other petroleum products produced, thus refineries are always striving to maximize diesel yield and sacrifice a few percentage points of gasoline from the put through.

[jk_ms3]

I'm officially disappointed in MSF, as not a single person has made a dick joke.

[Gr33ntumb]

Yes but want corn here first

[CorkSport]

Originally Posted by jk_ms3 I'm officially disappointed in MSF, as not a single person has made a dick joke.

Facebook likes the D

[Celestspeed3]

I would have loved to see the 6 diesel here. I picked up a 2000 VW Jetta TDI as a beater now that the Speed is basically track use only and the thing goes 1150km to 55L in the summer. In the winter it's down to 1000km. But it's crazy cheap to operate compared to the Speed, when I was driving around 950-1200km a week for work.

[The Ridge]

I read somewhere that they were having issues certifying it because they were not using diesel exhaust fluid to combat emissions. So either they need to add a DEF system or come up with another place for increased efficiency and/or lower emissions. I would definitely shop a skyactivD 6. AWD would be epic. Wagon and AWD more epic-er

[Ferdball]

I'm interested in a turbo deisel because of the increased efficiency. Plus, you have the option of using BioDeisel and even heating fuel. Now, I haven't explored the benefits to either, but I would imagine that it adds being a little more protected against refinery issues, govt taxes, etc. So, yes I'm interested.

Bottom line, how moddable would it be. Could I keep my 40 MPG and get 300-350 WHP?