If you've been on the hunt for a 2020 Mazda CX-5 diesel and failed to find one on a dealership lot, you're not alone. The 2020 CX-5 oil burner has not yet gone on sale despite the gasoline version 2020 CX-5 having gone on sale over six months ago. What's going? Will there even be a 2020 model? Is the CX-5 diesel even still happening?

Cars Direct noticed the lack of diesel in the US and reached out to Mazda seeking answers. Unfortunately, the automaker offered nothing new. "We cannot confirm any details for the CX-5 Diesel at this time," was all the PR team had to say on the matter.

A few months back, Mazda was also asked about the crossover's status and said that "with the current state of the world, many things are tentative." This was at the height of the coronavirus pandemic and was a fair answer at the time.

It appears that Mazda still doesn't have an answer. What can be confirmed, however, is the CX-5 diesel's delayed arrival has nothing to do with emissions certification. As of this writing, there are less than 50 2019 CX-5 diesels in stock across the country. Further information reveals that 2020 CX-5 production will end later this month. The 2021s will start rolling off the line in August.

At this point, the chances of a 2020 CX-5 diesel actually happening are slim to none. Time has simply run out. But what about 2021? That's the mystery. Will Mazda even bother with the diesel?

The 2019 model faced a few challenges, among them an MSRP at least $4,000 higher than its gasoline counterpart and only so-so fuel economy; it only achieved an EPA-rated 1 mpg fuel economy advantage over the regular CX-5. Can any conclusions be drawn from this? Perhaps: There simply may not be a market for the CX-5 diesel in the US.

What's more, Americans have a larger selection than ever of hybrid and plug-in hybrid alternatives, such as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Honda CR-V Hybrid. It might be in Mazda's best interest to keep the CX-5 diesel as a one model-year only deal.