Putting the Honda Civic i-DTEC through its paces

Honda’s new 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine is the lightest diesel in its class – made from lightweight aluminium, it weighs 47kg less than the 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel unit. This lower mass contributes to a more agile Civic, which means excellent fuel economy and ensures the new car is even more fun to drive.

The Civic’s 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel is the first engine to be introduced in Europe under Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology initiative, a philosophy to develop cleaner and more efficient cars without sacrificing driving enjoyment.

It has a class-leading combination of power (120PS) and torque (300Nm @ 2,000rpm), with very low CO2 emissions of 94g/km.

By making dozens of small but significant improvements, Honda’s engineers have managed to reduce the mechanical friction of the engine to match petrol equivalents, making it more economical. The new Civic 1.6-litre i-DTEC can return 78.5mpg (combined), so it can cover up to an impressive 863 miles on a single tank.