While most other automakers are pursuing hybrids and electric vehicles as the way to a more fuel-efficient future, Mazda is focusing on diesel technology. It’s a critical decision as the Japanese automaker works to transform itself from an underdog into a market leader.

The company announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show that the U.S. version of its Mazda 6 midsize sedan, which got a major redesign for the 2014 model year, will offer a new four-cylinder diesel engine, in addition to a conventional four-cylinder gasoline engine.

Though Mazda was upstaged in L.A. by all the hype around Honda’s new Accord Plug-In Hybrid and electric cars from BMW, Chevrolet and Fiat, offering a diesel engine in the Mazda 6 marks a significant milestone for the company. The previous version of the Mazda 6 did not give U.S. buyers a diesel option, and the 2014 model will be one of only two midsize sedans available with a diesel engine stateside, the other being the Volkswagen Passat.