Honda’s diesel gamble
WiTh the demonisation of diesel cars by scaremongering politicians leading to a slump in sales, why would you launch a new diesel car now? add to that the Volkswagen ‘dieselgate’ scandal, in 2015, over rigged emissions tests, and the recent use of monkeys by German carmakers to test exhaust fumes, and the picture is far from rosy.
But honda is boldly adding a new diesel variant to the line-up of its British-built civic. is it mad? Bosses don’t think so. Modern diesels that are cleaner, leaner and more fuel-efficient are still in significant demand, particularly for high mileage drivers, honda insists.
Though sales have dipped, they will still account for a third of civics sold by 2021 and will be a necessary stop-gap before electric cars have the range to make them truly practical. Built at honda’s swindon factory, the new tenth generation five-door civic hatchback has already established itself as a solid choice with sporty looks, and the high-performance Type-R has claimed a clutch of awards.
The ‘comprehensively revised’ 120bhp 1.6 litre i-DTec turbodiesel engine now joins the two existing 1 litre and 1.5 litre petrol engines in the line-up.
There are four trim levels and it meets the latest euro 6 emissions rules, making it cleaner than many petrol engines. it’s a smooth operator — particularly on motorways — and drives and handles well with ample pulling power and a precise six-speed manual gearbox. it goes from rest to 62 mph in 9.8 seconds and on to 125 mph.
Fuel consumption is its trump card with a claimed average of 80.7 mpg.
Prices start from £20,120 for the civic s, a premium of up to £1,300 over the petrol versions.