Remember when the Mazda6 Diesel was announced at the LA Show last year and we all popped an oil burning boner for the zoom-zoom sedan's arrival in the US this fall? Yeah... It just got delayed until 2014. Damn. I wanted one for Christmas.
Mazda says that the reason for the delay is coming in the final parts of the emissions and certification process. Ok, no sweat. And for their trouble, Mazda will be giving dealers an extra allocation of gas powered Mazdas.
But our friends over at The Truth About Cars paint a different story. Apparently, Australian market cars have had problems with diesel fuel entering the oil sump, which isn't a good thing. The only solution thus far has been calling for oil changes every 1,200 miles in cars that use the 2.2 liter Skyactiv D, which is mainly the CX-5.
While we don't doubt that certification takes forever on our shores, perhaps Mazda is also taking this opportunity to address the concerns expressed by their customers Down Under. If they're taking the time to make sure that the car is correct, take all of the time you need. Better to wait at the beginning than face 6,923 recalls later on in the life of the car.
If it's as good as the 2014 Mazda6, then the wait will be worth it.