Hang on, someone's making a NEW diesel engine? Yep, it's true, and the someone in question is Mazda. The Japanese carmaker has cooked up a new 3.3-litre turbocharged straight-six diesel engine, and it's going to make its debut in the CX-60 early next year.
Same trim levels as the PHEV
The CX-60 has just launched in Ireland in plug-in hybrid form and is priced from €54,100. The 3.3 diesel model will be available to order shortly and should come in the same Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line, Homura, and Takumi trim levels. No Irish prices have yet been set.
While diesel is hardly fashionable right now, Mazda is making some impressive-sounding claims for the cleanliness and efficiency of the new engine. It uses Distribution-Controlled Partially Premixed Compression Ignition (DCPCI) technology, the short translation of which is that it's super-frugal and thermally efficient. Indeed, with a claimed thermal efficiency of 40 per cent, it's up there with the best hybrid models.
Big engine, better efficiency
Why is it such a big engine? Well, it turns out that having a cylinder capacity of around 500cc is the best for overall efficiency, so a bigger engine can be more efficient than a smaller, more highly-stressed unit. The 3.3-litre engine will come in two power outputs - 200hp and 245hp - and a maximum torque rating of up to 550Nm. The 200hp version will be offered with rear-wheel drive, while the 245hp model will come with four-wheel drive as standard.
Both engines get 48-volt mild-hybrid systems, which improves their stop-start performance around town and brings down overall emissions and fuel consumption. In fact, for a big engine, the 3.3 is capable of some impressive CO2 figures - 129g/km for the 200hp model and 137g/km for the 245hp, four-wheel drive model. Fuel economy starts from 5.0-litres per 100km for the 200hp engine and 5.3-litres per 100km for the 245hp version.
Lightweight construction
Mazda reckons that the straight-six engine design leads to exceptional refinement (they've obviously been driving some classic BMWs...), and the high torque level makes for good towing capacity - up to 2,500kg. The engine itself is also incredibly light for a big, six-cylinder diesel. In fact, Mazda claims that the 3.3-litre engine weighs the same as the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine already used in the CX-5.
Still feeling angry that Mazda is developing a new diesel? Well, the company has also promised to launch five new electrified products in the next three years and that in 2025 it will launch its all-new Skyactiv EV Scalable Architecture, which will spawn an entire range of fully-electric models.
More immediately, in 2023, Mazda will launch a new CX-80 model - essentially a bigger CX-60 with three rows of seats. The 3.3 diesel CX-60 will also be joined by a new 3.0-litre straight-six mild-hybrid petrol unit next year.