TOKYO (AFP) - - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. said Tuesday it had developed a clean diesel engine to launch next year in Europe as demand grows for fuel-efficient technology.

Japan's fifth largest automaker plans to introduce the MZR-CD 2.2 engine worldwide but first in Europe, where diesel accounts for nearly 60 percent of vehicle sales.

The technology allows the engine to burn off soot from exhaust fumes some 60 percent faster than traditional diesel engines, the Hiroshima-based company said in a statement.

Mazda becomes the second Japanese automaker to announce its own clean diesel engine after Nissan Motor Co. last week unveiled the country's first clean-running diesel SUV.

Market leaders Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are also developing their own clean diesel technology, hoping to turn Japanese consumers to diesel which they long perceived as dirty, noisy and sooty.

Japan is planning to introduce incentives for consumers buying clean diesel cars starting next year as part of efforts to fight global warming.

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