2001 Mazda Miata Convertible on 2040-cars

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Mazda6 diesel engine delayed over low performance, still coming

Oh Mazda... we had many hopes for the promised diesel four-cylinder in the Mazda6, but those have remained largely unfulfilled, as the oil-burning powerplant has failed to appear on dealer lots following its 2012 LA Auto Show announcement. Despite engineering issues that forced the company to announce that the program was delayed back in September 2013, Mazda remains adamant that the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D is still coming to our shores. "We're still very much committed to diesel," Mazda's North American CEO, Jim O'Sullivan, told Automotive News. "We are still working on getting the performance aspects up to where we want them, and we do have a plan – an engineering road map – to get it done." According to AN, Mazda's initial plan with the 2.2-liter diesel was to build an engine so clean it could get by without an aftertreatment system, which generally accounts for the price premium of diesel engines versus their gas counterparts. The new system has come with performance issues, though, necessitating the delays. "If [we were] a commodity brand and didn't care about that, it would be on the market right now," O'Sullivan told AN. "But I know the people were expecting something from us, expecting certain drive characteristics and performance, and I didn't want to disappoint them." While O'Sullivan's defense of the diesel Mazda is admirable, the exec stops short of giving us an indication of when the new engine will finally arrive.

Autoblog's top 50 car photos of 2016

This one shouldn't need much explanation. We like cars a whole lot, and that includes not just driving them but taking great pictures of them. We've collected our 50 favorite images from this year in the mega-gallery above. It's a mix of old and new, with a healthy dose of vintage and modern race cars mixed in, and not one single shot under the harsh lights of an auto show. So click through and enjoy. Featured Gallery Autoblog's Top 50 Photos of 2016 View 50 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Autoblog.com Audi BMW Chevrolet Dodge Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Volvo Convertible Coupe Motorcycle Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics

Mazda Mexico debuts Mazda3 Turbo before official U.S. reveal

We should have been keeping an eye on our neighbors to the south, who did us the favor of showing off the turbocharged 2021 Mazda3 last week. The automaker teased the reveal for the U.S. market to happen on July 8. It's reasonable to expect slight changes between our two countries, but the Mexico introduction makes a good base to know what we're getting. The prime specs: 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G turbocharged four-cylinder with 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. As suspected, this is the same engine found in the Mazda6, CX-5, and CX-9. As such, we expect those output figures are based on using 87 octane gasoline; in the other three Mazda offerings, 93 octane gas unlocks 250 hp and 320 lb-ft. So at worst, the Mazda3 turbo makes 41 hp and 124 lb-ft more than the naturally-aspirated engine in the current hatch and sedan. At best, the improvement runs to 64 hp and 124 lb-ft. Comparing the turbo Mazda3 to the segment-standard Volkswagen Golf GTI, the incoming 2021 German will make 241 hp and 273 lb-ft. Only a test drive will reveal how the battle of sportiness vs luxury turns out for the Mazda. The numbers make a case for the former, but there's enough of the latter to sway us into believing this will primarily be a quicker Mazda3, with nary a hardcore edge. The only transmission mentioned is a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters that sends power to both axles via mandatory all-wheel drive. In Mexico there are only two Mazda3 trims, which start at 329,990 pesos ($17,050 U.S.) and 429,900 pesos ($19,294 U.S.). The turbo will introduce two new trims there that start at 489,900 pesos ($21,987 U.S.) and 529,900 pesos ($23,782 U.S.), MSRP increases of about 29%. For the supplemental dosh, the Mazda3 turbo in Mexico comes with a leather interior, sunroof, 12-speaker Bose audio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring and auto-tint side mirrors, reversing sensors, and black 18-inch aluminum wheels.  Other than those black wheels and some badging, though, there's nothing to differentiate the forced-induction model from the naturally aspirated one. When a Jalopnik source tipped that site to some 2021MY Mazdas based on dealer codes, there was a "MAZDA3 HB PP TURBO." That "PP" likely stands for Premium Package, which is the highest trim offered on our Mazda3 right now, already comes with 18-inch black wheels, and starts at $28,445 after destination.