Honda is the latest carmaker to join the craze for small capacity, turbocharged petrol engines, as it plays catch-up on some of its competitors.
Current petrol models make use of the tried and trusted, but now ageing i-VTEC engines but the Japanese carmaker could be about to give us a glimpse of the future at the next World Touring Car Championship event at Suzuka, when the Civic will appear with 1.6-litre direct-injection turbo power.
A company founded by an engineer, which has always prided itself on its engineering expertise, admits it has been left behind in the development of a small yet might turbocharged unit; which are proving useful to carmakers by allowing them to boost fuel economy and cut emissions without compromising performance. With nothing to rival Volkswagen’s TSI engines or Ford’s EcoBoost engines, Honda is now playing catch-up.
"In the next two to three years we will have something on the market," Honda says.
It is also almost ready to start introducing a new 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine which will make its European cars more competitive on economy and emissions.
The engine will appear in the Civic at the Paris show next week and go on sale soon afterwards. It is scheduled to go into the new CR-V next year.
Source: Headlineauto.co.uk
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
Faye Sunderland
September 20, 2012
Filed under: Honda
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