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8 cars we're most looking forward to driving in 2015

Now that 2014 is officially in the books, it's time to look ahead. And following our list of the cars we liked best last year, we're now setting our sights at the hot new metal that's coming our way in 2015. Some of these, we've already seen. And some are still set to debut during the 2015 auto show season. But these are the machines that keep us going – the things on the horizon that we're particularly stoked to drive, and drive hard. Jeep Renegade Not the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Not the Ford Mustang GT350. Not the new John Cooper Works Mini. Nope, I'm looking forward to the adorable, trail-rated Jeep Renegade. And that's because I really, really, really like our long-term Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. I do not, however, care too much for the Cherokee's looks, and I really don't like its $38,059 price tag. The Renegade Trailhawk, meanwhile, promises much of the same rough-and-tumble character as its big brother, but at what we expect will be a more reasonable price (I'm personally wagering on the baby Jeep's off-road model starting at no more than $23,000). With a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a nine-speed automatic, it should also be a bit easier to fill than the V6-powered Cherokee. Also, I can't help but love the way the Renegade looks. It's like someone took a Wrangler, squished it by 50 percent and then handed it off to George Clinton for a healthy dose of funk. The interior, with its bright, expressive trims and color schemes should also be a really nice place to spend some time. I'll be attending the Renegade's launch later this month, so I'll have a much shorter wait than my colleagues. Here's hoping the baby Jeep lives up to my expectations. – Brandon Turkus Associate Editor Mazda MX-5 Miata Here's an uncomfortable truth: I'd rather spend a day driving a properly sorted Mazda MX-5 Miata of any generation on a winding road than I would nearly any other vehicle, regardless of power, price or prestige. It's not just that I prize top-down driving and enjoy the Miata's small size because it gives me more road to play with. I just find there's more motoring joy to be had with high-fidelity handling and an uncorrupted car-to-driver communication loop than I do with face-distorting power or grip – let alone valet-stand gravitas. But perhaps most of all, I love Miatas because they can deliver that level of feedback and driver reward at modest speeds that won't put the locals on edge or endanger lives – you can use more of the car more of the time.

Mazda delays US launch of Skyactiv-D engine

Japanese automakers haven't lead the charge towards diesel power in the same way as, say, the Germans have. But Mazda is out to change that. It has been following Audi's lead on the racetrack with oil-burning racecars right here in America, and will soon translate that excitement to the road by introducing its Skyactiv-D engine in North America. It just won't happen as soon as we expected.
Mazda announced today that, while its diesel engine meets current emissions requirements, the company has decided once again to push back an introduction originally slated to kick off in the Spring. According to the brief statement below, Mazda wants to take more time to find "the right balance between fuel economy and Mazda-appropriate driving performance."
In other words, the Zoom-Zoom brand apparently thinks its diesel engine doesn't deliver the zoom-zoom American drivers would expect, so we'll have to wait just a little bit longer. Details to follow closer to launch, whenever that will ultimately take place.

Mazdaspeed3 concept tipped for Frankfurt debut

The last quarter of 2015 could be a big one for Mazda as a report has emerged from Australia claiming that the company will come to the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with a near-production concept of the third-generation Mazdaspeed3, while a second-generation CX-9 will be shown a few months later in Los Angeles. Motoring.com.au ran the initial report, and although the news seems plausible, the outlet doesn't provide sources for either piece of news. Likewise, our friends at Mazda USA refused to comment on "speculation." Speculation it may be, but it's surely tantalizing considering the recent popularity of both the hot hatch and three-row crossover segments. According to the Aussies, the concept Speed3 will quickly evolve into a production model, which will launch alongside a mid-cycle refresh for the current 3. A turbocharged 2.5-liter will spit out 295 horsepower, and could have all-wheel drive. Even if only the front axle is doing the work, the MS3 will easily be able to stand toe-to-toe with hotter half of the segment based on output alone. As for the more mundane offerings, Motoring reports the long-in-the-tooth CX-9 will get a replacement in LA, although it doesn't offer much in the way of details beyond that. It should be interesting to see how the company's Skyactiv philosophy will be implemented on such a large vehicle. Perhaps the biggest surprise from the Australian report, though, are the outlet's reports on the CX-7, which will return sporting a third row of seats after its larger sibling debuts. That'd give Mazda a versatile lineup of four crossovers, with the sub-compact CX-3, the compact CX-5, the midsize, seven-passenger CX-7 and the fullsize CX-9. As we weren't able to confirm any of this with Mazda, we'd still warn that this news should be ingested with grains of salt. Still, it looks like the company could be set to make some waves in the first two shows of the upcoming auto show season.