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NEWS
Honda Civic diesel breaks 100g/km barrier
Clean diesel power for Aussie-spec Civic to take up where Fiesta ECOnetic left offThe Honda Civic powered by the "Earth Dreams" 1.6-litre diesel engine from the middle of next year will post the same sort of fuel efficiency and emissions figures as Ford's Fiesta ECOnetic.
Speaking to motoring.com.au at the launch of the fourth generation CR-V this week, Honda Australia Senior Director Lindsay Smalley said the clean-burning diesel is set to impress.
“We will have the Earth Dreams diesel in Civic by mid next year,” confirmed Mr Smalley. “It’s an impressive little engine -- the CO2 emissions are actually less than 100 grams per kilometre. So we’re looking forward to that.”
The all-aluminium 1.6-litre i-DTEC four-cylinder unit was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. It develops 88kW at 4000rpm and 300Nm at 2000rpm for a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 3.6L/100km (European NEDC) and CO2 emissions of 94g/km. Initially, it is likely to go on sale exclusively mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
Measured against the Fiesta ECOnetic, which has been discontinued by Ford in recent times, the Honda powerplant develops 22kW more power and 100Nm more torque. The added torque of the Honda engine would lend itself to coupling with an automatic transmission, if Honda Australia should choose to head in that direction. In contrast, the Fiesta was a manual-only proposition, limiting its appeal in the market.
Fuel consumption for the Honda engine is the same as the Ford's, but the CO2 emissions figure is a shade better – by one gram per kilometre. It's still 5g/km behind Toyota's Prius in combined-cycle testing, due to the higher carbon content in diesel fuel.
Encompassing Honda's 'Earth Dreams' mantra the small-capacity diesel will replace the current (110kW/350Nm) 2.2-litre i-DTEC unit across the European Civic range, that engine to make an appearance in Aussie-delivered CR-Vs from the second half of next year. The new powerplant utilises a Garret variable-vane turbocharger Honda says all but eliminates turbo lag, while reduced mechanical friction improves throttle response.
Diesel models are expected to account for only a small percentage of Civic’s overall sales – somewhere in the vicinity of 8 per cent – but will give the company a much-needed technology boost, as well as a competitor to the likes of Holden Cruze Diesel, Mazda Mazda3 MZR-CD, MINI Cooper D and Volkswagen Golf TDI.
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Written byMatt Brogan
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