Nissan said Thursday that it will debut the diesel-powered X-Trail 20GT sport utility vehicle (SUV) on Sept. 18 in Japan, the first diesel-powered passenger car in six years, to meet consumers' demand for fuel-efficient cars amid soaring fuel prices.

The 2-liter diesel engine, dubbed the M9R, increases fuel economy by some 30 percent and emits about 20 percent less carbon dioxide, said the third-largest automaker in Japan.

The company said that it aims to sell 100 units of the X-Trail diesel, which is priced at 2,999,850 yen (27,800 U.S. dollars).