NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Motors Corp. will introduce a new V-8 turbo-diesel for its light trucks such as pickups and SUVs after 2009.
The company has offered diesel engines on its larger heavy- and medium-duty pickups, as well as on its commercial vehicles, which have different emission rules than the better-selling light-duty trucks.



ut GM (Charts) announced the new engine will meet new stringent emission standards that will require them to be almost as clean as a gasoline engine and about 90 percent cleaner than today's diesels.
It will also be 25 percent more fuel efficient than a comparable gasoline engine. Sales of larger pickups and SUVs have been hurt by persistently high gasoline prices over the past year.
"This new GM light duty diesel is expected to become a favorite among customers who require excellent towing ability and fuel efficiency," according to a statement from Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Powertrain.
While higher gasoline prices have led to more than half the vehicles sold in Europe being powered by the more fuel-efficient diesel engines, Americans have been slow to embrace the technology. Less than 1 percent of the 17 million cars and light trucks sold in the United States use diesel.