Honda is set to take on the big sellers in the family car market with an advanced new Civic 1.6 diesel.
To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Civic name, Honda is adding a potentially class-leading 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine to the range, the first engine in its new Earth Dreams Technology series.
This is a next generation of Honda engines which, it says, boasts technological advancements that will greatly enhance both driving performance and class-leading environmental performance in terms of CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency.
The new 1.6 i-DTEC, Tax Band A2, diesel engine is the lightest engine of its type in the world and in Civic produces 94g of CO2 per km. It has the potential of ideally delivering fuel economy of up to 3.6 litres of fuel for every 100km driven (that is 78 mpg ) depending on the way motorists drive. The 1.6 i-DTEC produces a class-leading 120bhp of power and 300Nm of torque for effortless power, while idle stop and eco assist technology is feature as standard.
Pricing for the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC starts at €23,975 ex-works for the relatively high-spec SE grade, which features class-leading equipment levels, including alloy wheels, climate control air conditioning, CD with remote audio controls, six airbags, electric front and rear windows, alarm and idle stop as standard. ES and EX grades equipped with higher levels of specification make up the range.
Commenting on the introduction of the new 1.6 i-DTEC, Adrian Cole, managing director of Universal Honda, told the Advertiser: "The launch of the new Civic 1.6 diesel represents the dawn of an exciting chapter in Honda’s history and provides us with a highly credible competitor in the volume mainstream family hatchback segment, which accounts for three out of every 10 cars sold in the Irish market.
“We can now compete head-on with the market leaders such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf with a high spec, efficient, and well priced Civic range and look forward to the challenge of winning over new customers to Honda for the first time.
"The Honda marque is currently experiencing strong growth in the Irish market, with new models and new dealers contributing to make Honda one of the fastest growing car brands in Ireland. We are confident that through the introduction of the new Earth Dreams Technology 1.6 litre diesel engine in the Civic range that Honda is well positioned to achieve significant growth in 2013 and beyond.”
Until January 31, all new Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC sold come with an additional offer of two-years free servicing.
This 1.6 litre diesel will also be added to the CR-V range in the autumn.
