NEW YORK — Fugheddabout diesel engines for anything other than the Tundra pickup, says Toyota Motor Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto, who's in charge of, among other things, Toyota's Vehicle Engineering Group.

This, despite assertive plans by rivals Honda and Nissan to deploy diesel-powered variants of their mainstream Maxima (2009) and Accord (2010) sedans.

If it is to launch diesel engines for the U.S., the only product that appears to make a business case is the Tundra, said Toyota executives. Toyota had long been known to be interested in launching a diesel-powered Tundra to compete with highly profitable, heavy-duty versions of Detroit Three pickups, but some sources now suggest Toyota may be reassessing those plans. Nonetheless, Toyota says development of a diesel-powered Tundra is "completed."

Toyota says given the strict emissions regulations in the U.S., the company doesn't like the prospects for diesel-powered mainstream vehicles because the emissions systems that will be required to make diesels emissions-compliant in all 50 states will add plenty of cost to those vehicles. A cost, Toyota thinks, customers may not be willing to bear.

Also a factor, no doubt: the enormous investment Toyota has in hybrid-electric vehicle technology.

"We are really focused on the hybrid," for the U.S. passenger-car market, said Okamoto at a presentation here for journalists and the financial community. He added, however, that Toyota will watch the situation carefully in the event that customer tastes "shift."

Or, perhaps, if Honda and Nissan start selling a bunch of diesel Accords and Maximas?

What this means to you: If you want a diesel-powered car in the next couple of years, you don't have to bother looking at the Toyota store.