Mazda6 Diesel Delayed Due to Emissions Testing

The launch of the Mazda6 diesel has been postponed due to delays in emissions testing, the Japanese automaker has announced.

Mazda had originally planned for its diesel-powered sedan to hit showrooms in North America by the end of the year, but now American buyers will have to wait until April 2014. The delay is in order “to accommodate final emissions testing and certification,” Mazda confirmed.

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Mazda was working hard on becoming the first Japanese automaker to sell a diesel passenger car in the United States. Now it just looks like Mazda will have to wait until next spring.

According to Robert Davis, senior vice president of U.S. operations for Mazda North America, the final certification testing results are promising, despite taking longer than initially expected.

To compensate for the lack of Mazda6 diesel vehicles hitting American showrooms at year’s end, the automaker plans to bring about 4,000 more standard gasoline-powered sedans than initially planned.

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[Source: Automotive News]

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