Seems like Honda have finally managed to see what they were surprisingly blind to till now. The company has realized that the lack of diesel engines for its small and medium sized cars is turning out to be the major reason behind its cars taking a drubbing against its rivals in both developed and developing markets.
Honda UK’s managing director David Hodgetts has told ‘Fleet News’ that the new diesel engine will be introduced once the new Civic has completed its one year in the market. The new engine may also be used on other models such as the Accord and Jazz.
Honda has not been a very keen diesel engine maker. The only diesel engine the Japanese company has made is the 2.4-liter i-CTDi engine, which later evolved into the i-DTEC and was utilized it in the Accord the CR-V and Civic. The engine was removed from the Civic later.
The new engine would most likely be in the 1.6-1.8-liter class with very low CO2 emission figures and powerful enough to present itself as fit enough to go under the Accord’s bonnet. Although nothing has been said officially about it by Honda, but the possibility of an even smaller version of this engine may power the likes of the Jazz and Brio cannot be denied. If that happens, the 2013 next-generation Jazz would feature it.
Will Honda bring the new diesel engines to India in the new City and Civic? Well, if they are sane enough, they should. Fingers crossed!
Source: Automotive news