3 reasons why the engine in the Honda Civic diesel is the benchmark

The new 1.6 i-DTEC engine in the Honda Civic diesel strikes an unmatched balance between performance and efficiency.

The latest generation of the 1.6 i-DTEC engine in the Honda Civic diesel has become the great benchmark in its class With a successful history in the development of petrol engine technology, Honda decided at the start of this century to build its first diesel powertrain in response to the enormous demand for this type of engine in Europe: the 2.2 i-CTDI engine. Expectations were very high, given Honda’s pedigree in engine construction. The 2.2 i-CTDi set a new benchmark among diesel engines for its performance, refinement and pleasure of use, a legacy that its successor, 1.6 i-DTEC, has maintained a decade later and which now arrives in its latest generation. The new Honda Civic already offers this renewed diesel engine in its range, and we can assure you it is one of the best on the market. Here is why:

1. Better balance between performance and efficiency compared with its predecessors

With the improvements introduced in the new 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, the engineers at Honda have managed to reduce cylinder friction, increase the efficiency of NOx conversion, and make various other advances that allow this powertrain to achieve an impressive balance between performance and efficiency:

• Maximum power: 120 CV at 4,000 rpm.
• Maximum torque: 300 Nm at 2,000 rpm.
• CO2 emissions: 91 g/km (Civic Saloon) and 93 g/km (Civic 5-door) in versions fitted with manual gearbox.
• NOx emissions: 57.2 mg/km
• Particle emissions: 0.13 mg/km
• Combined fuel consumption: 3.4 l/100 km (Saloon) and 3.5 l/100 km (5-door).

The following table shows the great improvement the new 1.6 i-DTEC has achieved compared with its predecessors:

In short, we are talking about an engine that delivers the same performance while achieving far greater efficiency.

2. Real efficiency and performance: one of the few to improve its figures under the strict WLTP cycle

One of the great achievements of the new Honda 1.6 i-DTEC is that it has managed to improve its official consumption and emissions figures under the strict WLTP homologation cycle, which is remarkable considering that its predecessor obtained its official figures under the lenient NEDC cycle. Most manufacturers’ new goal is for their engines to match their efficiency in the new cycle compared with the old NEDC, but Honda has achieved something far more ambitious.

Under the WLTP cycle, cars deliver performance and efficiency figures that are much more realistic, because the measurements carried out are far more demanding. The following table shows the most important differences between the old NEDC cycle and the new WLTP:

3. Remarkable reduction of NOx emissions without using AdBlue

The 1.6 i-DTEC engine in the Honda is the only diesel powertrain in its class that achieves low NOx emission levels (57.2 mg/km) without using an AdBlue tank, an additive that helps reduce NOx emissions but carries an extra maintenance cost.

More and more manufacturers are using AdBlue to reduce NOx emissions in diesel vehicles (where NOx is found in a higher proportion than in petrol engines), but it should not be forgotten that AdBlue remains a problem for the user in terms of maintenance costs and time consumption (the tank must be topped up every 5,000 – 10,000 km).

We would remind you that NOx is one of the vehicle gases most harmful to human health, which is why emissions regulations are becoming ever stricter on its reduction.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackHonda Civic3 versions · from 36,300 €