Mazda's turbo-diesel coming ... slowly

THE plan for Mazda Australia to add turbo-diesel power to its Mazda6 passenger car line-up seems set to bear fruit in 2006.

That’s when Australia’s diesel fuel quality standard improves to limit sulphur content to 50 parts per million. That timing also coincides with the arrival of a more powerful Mazda common-rail 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

The second generation Mazda6 should also be due for release in Australia around then.

"We think it has got some real potential, but the engine that is available to us does rely on high-grade diesel fuel availability," said Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson. "At this stage I can say we have our hand up for it and if all goes well then we’ll have it sometime in 2006." Mazda Australia has had a UK-spec Mazda turbo-diesel sedan in Australia doing evaluations, particularly among dealers.

"We’ve mainly sent it around to the dealers to drive because it was more important with this one to assess whether they felt there was a market for it, given the difference in the way it drove and so on," Mr Dickson said. "They were pretty keen."