Mazda CX-5 crossover to get a diesel-engine option for 2014

Mazda's CX-5 compact crossover will get a diesel option for the 2014 model year, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.

The CX-5 goes on sale in the United States in February with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine.

The vehicle will have Mazda's new Skyactiv fuel-saving technologies, which include direct-injection engines, a more efficient transmission and a lightweight frame and chassis.

Mazda allowed a group of journalists to drive pre-production European-spec prototypes at a press preview in Iceland last week. A CX-5 with a 2.2-liter, direct-injection turbodiesel produced more than 160 hp and about 310 lb-ft of torque, Mazda said. The engine will be the first diesel offered in the United States by Mazda.

A Euro-spec powertrain with a gasoline engine tested here was rated at 165 hp and about 150 lb-ft of torque. Power and torque will likely fall slightly for the U.S. version with the same setup. Mazda plans to lower the Euro-spec engine's high 14:1 compression ratio to 13:1 to run on 87 octane regular gasoline, engineers said during the media event.

Final U.S. specifications won't be released until the CX-5's North American debut at the Los Angeles auto show in November.

At 178.7 inches long, the CX-5 is more than 5 inches shorter than Mazda's CX-7 crossover. The 106.3-inch wheelbase is 2 inches shorter than that of the CX-7.

By Ryan Beene- Automotive News