2005 Mazda6 Wagon Leather Sunroof V6 Automatic Mazda 6 S 6s Low Miles One Owner on 2040-cars

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Mazda still really wants to bring diesels to America

Mazda's Skyactiv program has delivered much of what it promised for the brand's latest crop of products, namely great fuel economy and excellent driving dynamics. However, the Skyactiv diesel engine has yet to reach our shores. It's been promised ever since the new Mazda6 showed up here for the 2014 model year. According to a new report from Automotive News, Mazda's CEO Masamichi Kogai said that the Mazda Skyactiv D diesel powertrain is still set to make an American appearance. He told Automotive News that there is an internal timeline to get it to the States, and while he didn't reveal the timeline, he said he wants it to come here before he steps down as CEO. The powertrain is offered elsewhere, so it fits in the company's current vehicles, but the US has specific regulatory hurdles, and the engine's extra cost has to make sense from a sales and volume perspective. We doubt VW's diesel scandal helped the engine's sales pitch, either. Automotive News also reports that the next generation of Skyactiv designs and engines are also on their way and will advance and improve on the current generation's strengths. Engineers revealed to Automotive News that they expect a 30 percent improvement in efficiency and are developing an engine with the sky-high compression ratio of 18:1. This impressive ratio could be a further indication of Mazda's pursuit of homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines. Mazda has had plenty of success with its strategy of making very efficient internal-combustion engines, but there are some concerns that the company can only improve so much. The main worry comes from the company's lack of investment in hybrid and electric powertrains. Even Mazda's North American CEO Masahiro Moro expressed concern about meeting a 54.5 mpg mandate for 2025. That mandate will no longer take effect, but increasing fuel economy requirements will always be an issue. Related Video:

Why we can't have better headlights here in the U.S.

It wouldn't be a European auto show if we weren't teased with at least one mainstream vehicle we can't have here. At the Geneva Motor Show last week, the small but vocal contingent of shooting-brake buffs lamented that the Mazda6 wagon won't be coming to our shores, although they can take comfort in the fact that the vehicle won't get the torquey 250-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine we'll get here. Mercedes-Benz also announced a new headlight technology in Geneva that likely won't be available here anytime soon. It's just the latest in a long line of innovative and potentially lifesaving front-lighting solutions that the federal government doesn't allow in this country due to outdated standards — and a current lack of leadership at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mercedes-Benz's new Digital Light system that debuted in Geneva uses a computer chip to activate more than a million micro-reflectors to better illuminate the road ahead. The Digital Light headlamps works with the vehicle's cameras, sensors and navigation mapping to adjust lighting for the given location and situation and to detect other road users. The Digital Light technology also serves as an extended head-up display of sorts by projecting symbols on the pavement ahead to alert drivers to, say, slippery conditions or pedestrians in the road. And it can even project lines on the road in a construction zone or through tight curves to show the driver the correct path. Digital Light will be available on Mercedes-Maybach vehicles later this year, although like any technology it's bound to trickle down to less expensive vehicles. That is, if we ever get it here in the U.S. Audi, a leader in automotive lighting, has repeatedly run into snags trying to bring state-of-the-art car headlights to the U.S. The German luxury automaker's recently introduced matrix laser headlight system, which performs many of the same trick as Mercedes-Benz's Digital Light, also isn't legal on U.S. roads. And five years after the introduction of its matrix-beam LED lighting, which illuminates more of the road without blinding oncoming motorists with brights by simultaneously operating high and low beams, Audi still can't bring that technology to the U.S. either.

2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata finally has a great pair of seats

We all know the 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata is a truly wonderful car. It takes everything delightful about cars and driving and distills it into a compact and lightweight package. It's a car anyone can enjoy. My wife, who until recently has shown no real interest in sports cars beyond their design, wants one. I want one, too, but I couldn't get past the Miata's terrible seats. For 2018, there's finally an alternative. The 2018 Miata got a number of minor updates. Most people I know were fawning over the new cherry-red top, but I was far more interested in the leather-wrapped Recaro seats. These are now included in the $3,770 Brembo/BBS package. Previously, that package just added a set of two-piston Brembo front brakes and black BBS wheels. Having put thousands and thousands of miles on various NDs, I didn't think it was really a worthwhile option unless you were planning to track the car regularly. These seats have changed my tune. The standard seats in the Miata are bad when new and get progressively worse as they break in. I'm a big guy (6-feet tall and about 220 lbs.), but I know I'm not alone in the assessment. They're thin, unsupportive and wrapped in some cheap fabric. Just look at this photo from our old long-termer. The seats kill any real desire to own one. These Recaros are different. Yes they're still thin, but they have bolstering and padding in all the right places. I no longer feel like I'm riding along on a cheap, worn-out couch. Plus, they're heated (though you can now get heated cloth seats), making the brisk Michigan-morning commute far more comfortable. Now all the Miata needs is a slight bump in power. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Design/Style Mazda Convertible Performance