Years after announcing plans for one, Mazda is finally putting a diesel-powered CX-5 on sale in the United States.

(Getty Images)

The small SUV making its debut at the New York International Auto Show is powered by a new 2.2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that Mazda calls Skyactiv-D.

Mazda has been toiling all this time to create an engine that could meet both its performance goals and the American market’s stringent diesel emissions standards. In order to do that, it had to add a nitrogen oxide scrubber and exhaust fluid treatment system, which it originally tried to work around with other engineering methods. All diesels on sale today use a similar setup, including the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain, which are Mazda’s only direct competitors.

(Mazda)

The result is a motor rated at 168 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque that’s good for 28 mpg combined in the CX-5 Signature AWD, which is the only model that It will be available in at launch. For comparison, the gas-powered version has a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 187 hp and 186 lb-ft that has an EPA combined rating of 27 mpg. The tow rating, which is a typical diesel strength, has not yet been revealed.

Pricing starts at $42,045 and the order book is open now.

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