Until now, the latest Honda Civic has effectively been fighting a battle for sales with one hand behind its back. That’s because it has been available only with petrol engines in an area of the market where diesel engines are, despite changing consumer tastes, still very popular.
Now, though, the Civic range is up to full strength, with that gap in its line-up effectively plugged thanks to the addition of a heavily revised version of the 1.6-litre diesel engine that currently features in the CR-V and HR-V SUVs.
Those revisions include reducing internal friction and producing the pistons from forged steel, as well as reworking the exhaust system. And, on paper at least, the changes look very effective: according to the provisional figures, the end result is 80.7mpg combined and CO2 emissions of 93g/km. Those figures are up with the very best in the class, and better than the equivalent engines in the Volkswagen Golf, SEAT Leon and Renault Megane.
What’s more, the engine achieves all this without any external help: there’s no need to use an AdBlue urea additive, so owners won’t have the added inconvenience of topping their car up with that very few thousand miles.
With 118bhp, the engine puts this version of the Civic very much on a par with the class average. However, that does mean it’s the least powerful engine in the Civic range, sitting below the two existing petrol engines, the 127bhp 1.0-litre and the 180bhp 1.5-litre. That doesn’t translate into being the cheapest engine, though; in fact, it costs about £1,300 more spec-for-spec than the 1.0-litre.
However, if you’re buying through Honda’s finance, prices start at £249 per month on a three-year deal with 5.9% APR representative. That’s about £50 more than the equivalent model with the 1.0-litre petrol engine – which may be easier to square with the potential fuel savings. Furthermore, the lower CO2 emissions will mean that it won’t cost company car users much more in Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax.
The other way it scores over the petrol engine – and many of its direct rivals, for that matter – is in the higher torque output. For example, whereas the 1.6-litre engine in the Golf and Leon puts 250Nm at the disposal of its driver’s right foot, the Civic’s engine produces 300Nm.
Our short time behind the wheel of a European-spec model was enough to demonstrate the engine’s merits. Not only is there a welcome lack of vibration through the controls at all times, the engine also pulls strongly and willingly from low revs. In fact, it makes it a tremendously easy car to drive.
Whether you’re trundling around town, or just keeping up with the ebb and flow of traffic on main roads beyond the city limits, you never need to make too much effort. Rather than having to work your way up and down the six speeds in the gearbox, you can rely on nothing more than a gentle flex of the right ankle on the accelerator to keep you up to speed. Overtaking is a breeze, too.
Admittedly, the engine does get a little noisy towards the upper end of the rev range, but the pull is so strong at low revs that you never really need to go that far in most everyday situations.
What was also clear from our brief time with the car was that the way the Civic drives hasn’t suffered from having a diesel engine under the bonnet. It remains a balanced and composed drive, mating assured handling with excellent high-speed stability and a mature ride.
Inside, similarly, there’s no change to the Civic’s basic recipe; and, in every other respect, the diesel Civic is just like its petrol-engined siblings. It comes with the same choice of trim levels as the 1.0-litre car, so equipment levels are strong, while there’s plenty of space for families. There’s also a generally high-tech feel to the cabin, although infotainment system looks a little dated and some of its menus are little tricky to navigate.
All in all, the Civic remains a very attractive car and the addition of the diesel engine just adds another string to its bow. The excellent economy alone – not to mention the relaxed way it goes about its business – will certainly make it appeal even more strongly to drivers with high mileages. However, we’d recommend that any potential buyers do their sums carefully to see if it makes more long-term financial sense than the very tempting petrol-engined models.
- Model: Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC
- Price: From £20,120
- Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl diesel
- Power/torque: 118bhp/300Nm
- Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 10.5 seconds
- Top speed: 125mph
- Fuel economy/CO2: 80.7mpg, 93g/km
- On sale: Now
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