Where would Mazda be without the hot-selling CX-5? Of the 29,980 vehicles Mazda sold in the U.S. last month, 47.3 percent of them were CX-5s. Suffice it to say the stylish compact crossover is the brand’s most important model, regardless of what MX-5 fans would have you believe.

Parents everywhere applauded when a crisper, better-handling CX-5 appeared for 2017, content in knowing a family vehicle existed that wouldn’t relegate them to a world of bland conformity. Our own Chris Tonn was enraptured by the sight of his Grand Touring tester as it sat in an Ohio parking lot. Still, despite its on-road prowess, the zoom-zoom brand’s most popular offering isn’t exactly a pavement scorcher. That might not be the case for long.

According to a certification document from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Mazda might offer the 2019 CX-5 with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder found in its larger CX-9 sibling. The doc shows emissions results from a 2.5-liter four boasting direct injection and forced induction, with its applications listed as the 2019 CX-5 and CX-9.

In the 2018 CX-9, this engine generates 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Currently, CX-5 buyers choose from a 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder making 156 hp and 150 lb-ft, or a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter with 187 hp and 186 lb-ft. A delayed diesel’s on the way. Should Mazda grace us with a hot rod variant of its compact ute, buyers can expect a two-thirds increase in twist compared to the existing top-line powerplant.

Maybe it’s too much to ask that it come with a stick shift.

Of course, Mazda doesn’t make a habit of commenting on future products, and this case is no exception. We’re left to wait and see if our crossover dreams come true.

Sales of the CX-5 in America haven’t waned once during its time on the market. Each year since its 2012 debut saw more and more buyers line up at their local dealer, ready to fill Mazda’s coffers. This May saw the crossover’s sales rise 19.9 percent, year over year, with volume over the first five months of 2018 up a generous 43.7 percent.

Thankfully, the issue is limited to a small number of vehicles.

As much praise as we may heap on some cars, they're still not immune to recalls. Case in point, the Mazda CX-5.

Mazda has issued a recall for 682 examples of the 2018 CX-5 SUV. The problem stems from a manufacturing error. Some vehicles may have side curtain airbags that, due to this error, might not inflate correctly in the event of a crash. Mazda says that this may increase the risk of injury to passengers involved in rollovers that require curtain airbag deployment.

Thankfully, the automaker has received no reports of accidents or injuries stemming from this issue.

Given the small number of vehicles affected -- representing about 4.8 percent of a single month's worth of sales -- it's safe to say that Mazda quickly caught and remedied the issue. It did not lay out a specific repair plan, but when the time comes, owners will have to make a trip to the dealer to have the repair applied for free. Owners will receive a notification via first-class mail.

Aside from the recall, the Mazda CX-5 has proven to be an exceedingly safe vehicle. In 2017, the CX-5 earned the IIHS' highest honor, Top Safety Pick+. That was downgraded in 2018 to the second-best Top Safety Pick, because that was the year that the IIHS started including headlight ratings in its rankings, and the best the CX-5 could muster in that category was an "Acceptable" rating.

Mazda has been promising the U.S. a diesel engine for nearly a decade now, but year after year has passed and still no diesel. Now, with the EPA releasing ratings for a 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel CX-5, the prospect of a diesel Mazda is finally feeling real. Here’s how the car did in EPA testing.

The table below shows how the compression ignition Mazda scores according the EPA’s official website, with front-drive and all-wheel drive 2018 models on the left side, and gas models shown on the right for comparison:

That’s 28 city, 31 highway, 29 MPG combined for the front-drive CX-5 and 27 city, 30 highway and 28 combined for the all-wheel drive model. Comparatively, the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gas motor scores 3 MPG lower in the city, but the same ratings on the highway.

The gas engine makes 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. As for how much the 2.2-liter diesel will make in a U.S.-spec CX-5, we don’t know yet. In Europe, the motor puts out about 148 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Update: It’s worth noting that there’s also a 173 horsepower, 310 lb-ft 2.2-liter diesel CX-5 available in Europe.

God I hope the U.S.-spec model gets that much twist.

These ratings, which I assume came out recently (I’m not sure exactly when), are a big deal because a diesel Mazda has been a long time coming. In late 2016, we reported an Automotive News story that included claims from Mazda’s CEO, Masamichi Kogai, that Mazda was for real bringing the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel to the U.S., and that it would arrive in late 2017 in a CX-5.

This followed a number of promises over the years, including one in 2010for a release date of 2012 in a Mazda6. Then a diesel Mazda6 actually showed up in 2012 at the LA Auto Show, after which the diesel was delayed until 2014.

After all these years, there’s still no diesel Mazda in the U.S., but the fact that there are official fuel economy ratings is definitely a good sign. I asked Mazda when the car will actually hit the market, but a spokesperson just gave me the standard line: “Mazda is committed to bringing diesel to the North American market.”

So who knows when this is actually going to happen. But maybe soon? Ish?