Thirteen years after Shintaro Ishihara killed Japanese interest in diesel cars by barring many of them from Tokyo, the technology is making a comeback as manufacturers adopt innovations that improve its sooty image.
Mazda Motor Corp. is betting big on cleaner diesels, creating a challenge to imports and hybrids as government incentives spur demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.
The new cars compete with sport utility vehicles from Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motor Corp. and models that BMW and Daimler ship from Europe, where half of new cars use the engine and most automakers — including the Japanese — offer diesels.