With 2020 halfway over, the Mazda CX-5 is still proving to be a very strong seller for Mazda, with the offering rapidly transforming into a vital part of Mazda’s sales strategy. However, amid all the success, one absence is very apparent, the Mazda CX-5 diesel.
Look through Mazda’s national dealer inventory, and the sheer lack of diesel models in hand becomes quite apparent. With many automakers preparing to begin their model year turnovers soon, the folks at CarsDirect decided to do some sleuthing to try and find out the fate of the slow selling oil burner. While the publication was ultimately unable to crack the case, a whole host of secondary evidence seems to suggest that not only will the CX-5 diesel miss the 2020 model year, but could be on the fast track to being cancelled in the U.S. for good.
When asked about the crossover back in April, Mazda chose to release a brief statement that said “with the current state of the world, many things are tentative.”A short time later, an early version of the automaker’s fleet ordering guide revealed that the CX-5 diesel production would end sometime this month, with the final batch being made in August. Mazda had nothing to say then either, and when the publication tried to get in touch with Mazda again, the company issued a brief comment saying” We cannot confirm any details on the Mazda CX-5 diesel at this time.”
That last statement leaves us with more questions then answers, but look at things from a broader perspective, and it appears that the writing is figuratively on the wall for the model. Even if Mazda is able to get a few 2020 diesels out into the marketplace, it will be interesting to see if it is even worth the effort. Selling diesels here in the U.S. has never been more challenging than it is now, with the infamous Dieselgate scandal a few years ago serving as the figurative deathblow for mainstream diesel offerings. While a few diesel powered SUVs have emerged into the marketplace since then, they make the news these days for their five figure discounts and slow sales.
We even made a stop at Mazda’s official vehicle inventory finder, and discovered that you can no longer select the Skyactiv D (the formal name for the CX-5 diesel) to search. This is usually a sign that a model is on the way out. Meanwhile, Autotrader only lists a mere 106 models being available for both the U.S. and Canadian markets.
The gasoline versions of the 2020 Mazda CX-5 launched in November of 2019, so it shouldn’t be long before we find out whether the CX-5 diesel has indeed cheated the axe or not. However, with all signs pointing to the latter, it would seem that the CX-5 diesels days are numbered.