Our friends in Europe will be getting another engine choice for their Honda Civic FC, this time a 1.6-litre turbodiesel. The turbodiesel is a comprehensively revised unit that promises outstanding efficiency without compromising on driving performance.
The new 1.6-litre i-DTEC turbodiesel makes 120 hp at 4,000 rpm and whopping 300 Nm of torque from 2,000 rpm. Although the century sprint time of 10.4 seconds is identical to the 1.8-litre naturally aspirated i-VTEC we have here, the turbodiesel triumphs in fuel economy. Honda claims the new engine can return 3.7 litres per 100 km.
To achieve this remarkable efficiency, Honda has made significant improvements to the exhaust system and reduced the friction in the cylinders. Additional cast ribs have also been added to the cylinder block to keep the diesel mills vibration at bay.
Besides the new turbodiesel, Honda Europe will be introducing a new nine-speed automatic transmission for the Civic come mid-2018. This will be the first ever application of a nine-speed automatic transmission in a two-wheel drive car.
Closer to home, our local-spec Civic is powered by a 1.8-litre i-VTEC and a 1.5-litre i-VTEC Turbo. While performance figures match the 1.6-litre i-DTEC, a petrol engine simply can’t outdo a diesel when it comes to efficiency.
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