Model-based approaches have played a significant role in automotive electronics for diesel engines and aftertreatment systems, while they also have some drawbacks that cannot be neglected, such as difficult model construction and time-consuming model calibration. To this end, data-driven techniques have been put forward and become a topical issue in diesel engines and aftertreatment systems. This article provides an overview of the recent progress of the last decade in data-driven techniques and relevant applications for diesel engines and aftertreatment systems. Moreover, brief future trends, challenges, and opportunities of data-driven strategies and potential applications in this field are further discussed.