The Mercury Diesel Outboard is a diesel two-stroke designed for light duty commercial patrol boat applications. The EPA certified engine joins the U.S. Department of Defense spec diesel outboard Mercury Marine released in May 2015. The Mercury Diesel Outboard features exclusive spark ignition, direct fuel injected 2-stroke technology which enables it to run on readily available ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

A two-stage direct-injection system uses a small charge of compressed air to finely atomize the diesel fuel as it injects it into the combustion chamber. Atomizing the fuel into a fine mist allows for ignition via spark to occur while delivering enhanced high rpm running quality. A glow plug works in concert with the spark plug for improved cold weather starting and idle quality. An on-board Propulsion Control Module (PCM) microprocessor optimizes fuel and spark timing for improved running quality and performance throughout the engine's operating range. SmartCraft® Engine Guardian provides real-time, self-protection engine fault diagnostics and messaging.