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2019 Mazda CX-9 improves its IIHS rating to Top Safety Pick +

The 2019 Mazda CX-9 three-row crossover has managed to improve its overall safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety from an already respectable Top Safety Pick to the higher Top Safety Pick +. The area it needed to improve was in the headlight department, and now the crossover features a set of headlights that gets the highest "Good" rating, a prerequisite for the Top Safety Pick + award. The headlight improvement does have caveats. The top-rated headlights are only available on Signature and Grand Touring trims built after June 2019. Headlights on other trims and older models range from "Poor" to "Acceptable." All versions of the CX-9 have top scores in crash tests, though. Mazda's optional forward collision prevention system also earns full marks, stopping the crossover before hitting a car at speeds up to 25 mph. Child seat LATCH anchor access is rated as "Acceptable." Four other similarly sized and priced crossovers earn the Top Safety Pick + designation: the Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Ascent and Kia Telluride. And of those, only the Pallisade, Ascent and Telluride offer three rows of seating.

Remember that diesel Mazda has been promising? It's coming in the CX-5

Mazda has been talking about bringing a diesel to the US since the current Mazda 6 debuted. It's been delayed, delayed some more, and then seemingly forgotten, but now comes word that the diesel four-cylinder will arrive here in the second half of 2017. It's just coming in the CX-5 first, not the 6 sedan. The diesel in question is Mazda's Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter four, which makes 173 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque in other models. Putting it in a small crossover makes some sense, especially considering the recent announcement of a diesel Chevy Equinox. It's good news for choice and another sign that the diesel scandal brewhaha's effect on diesel decisions is blowing over. If it works in the CX-5, we may see this option spread throughout the Mazda lineup. Now if only someone could make a case for that rotary... Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Mazda CX-5 View 9 Photos Green LA Auto Show Mazda Crossover Diesel Vehicles mazda cx-5 2016 LA Auto Show

Mazda engineers say current Skyactiv-X might not suit U.S. market

We've been watching Mazda roll out the 2.0-liter four-cylinder Skyactiv-X engine in Japan and Europe, waiting our turn. When European authorities released fuel economy information for the high-tech motor last June, we wrote, "Mazda has yet to make an official decision on timing for the U.S market's launch of the engine." Automotive News spoke to Mazda engineers in charge of the powertrain, and based on the answers AN got, the question might not be when we get the Skyactiv-X, but if. Seems that the automaker now isn't certain whether the cost/benefit analysis for the U.S. market favors the engine, and there's concern the 2.0-liter might not be powerful enough for us with its current output of 178 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. At the moment, our Mazda3 is served only with a 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine producing 186 hp and 186 lb-ft., not too far ahead of the Skyactiv-X. The Skyactiv-X would return better fuel economy, but requires a noteworthy price premium over the Skyactiv-G. The Truth About Cars says the Skyactiv-X has become the top-seller in the Japanese-market Mazda3, even though it costs 27% more than the base, 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G for a 9% improvement in fuel economy. Mazda's not sure U.S. customers would care much for that kind of math. Engineer Yoshiaki Yamane told AN, "Maybe U.S. customers require more power, because fuel economy is not the top requirement." There isn't much Mazda can do about the tech-heavy engine's cost, since pricey equipment like the high-pressure fuel injection and combustion systems, supercharger, three-way catalyst, and 24-volt mild-hybrid system provide the mileage gains that are the engine's reason for being. Instead, engineers are researching the system's effects with larger displacements. If it works as desired, a larger and more powerful Skyactiv-X could come to the U.S. on the large-vehicle architecture Mazda's developing for new sedans to arrive in a couple of years. That's the hope, at least. Remember, Mazda's Skyactiv-D was meant to go into the 2014 Mazda6, but didn't because Mazda said it needed more time to find "the right balance between fuel economy and Mazda-appropriate driving performance." After five years of "Soon," the engine showed up on the 2019 CX-5 that starts at $42,045. Based on that template, it could be awhile before we know how the U.S.-market Skyactiv-X story ends. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.