While hybrids have been soaking up all the limelight of late, now being offered by almost every brand, diesels are still slowly taking hold in the American market.

Of note, Kia is now making public noises about diesels for the American market that are worth listening to.

Recently, Kia posed a question on their Facebook page asking, “Would you drive a diesel?” The conversation started earlier on about bringing a diesel engine option to their popular Optima sedan.

In Europe, the company offers two diesel engines that could be worthy options for the United States. The first is a 1.7 liter CRDi engine that makes 134 horsepower and 244 lb-ft of torque.

There is also a more powerful version that makes as much as 160 horsepower that would make more sense for our market.

With Chevrolet recently announcing plans to offer a diesel in their Cruze and Mazda making noises that a diesel engined model or two could be on the way, Kia’s public nuances are an interesting development.

Both their Forte compact and Optima mid-size sedans would be a good place for a diesel option, though Kia may fear a diesel could cannibalize sales for the Optima Hybrid.