Published on October 6th, 2016 | by Daniel Sherman Fernandez
0Try the new generation of diesel technology
Diesel power is excellent technology and one of the biggest benefits, of course, is fuel mileage, but diesel also offers other advantages. For instance, diesel-powered trucks and SUVs offer better carrying and load lugging capabilities than their petrol-powered counterparts. And diesel-powered vehicles have better low-end acceleration than petrol-powered cars because they build up so much torque from a low speed. But there are also a few drawbacks to diesel, including cost and city fuel economy. So, under what circumstances is diesel the right choice for you?
Highway Driving
If you do a lot of highway driving, diesel is worth a serious look. Diesel engines don’t need to work very hard during highway cruising, which means they can boast serious fuel economy improvements over petrol powerplants. In fact, diesel-powered cars can even outshine hybrids on the highway, largely because hybrids gain a major fuel economy benefit from regenerative braking, which is rarely done on the highway.
Small Price Difference
Another major reason you might want to consider a diesel engine is if the technology only adds a small price difference over a petrol-powered car or SUV. For example, adding a turbodiesel engine to a Mazda CX-5 only increases the selling price by around RM10,000 over a similarly equipped petrol-powered model. For car shoppers who do a lot of highway driving, that figure can be made up easily over time. Likewise, a Mazda6 SKYACTIV diesel boasts a similarly small price increase.
Specifications Mazda CX-3 1.5L Diesel Skyactiv
Engine 4-cylinder Diesel DOHC 16 Valve
Capacity 1499cc
Transmission 6-Speed Skyactiv Drive with Manual Shift
Max Output 105bhp @ 4000rpm
Max Torque 270Nm @ 1600-2500rpm
0-100km/h 10.1 secs
Top Speed 177km/h
Price: not on sale yet