Honda has introduced the first engine in the “Earth Dreams Technology” series that’s been specifically designed for the European market. It’s the 1.6-liter i-DTEC, which is already available in the Civic and will be launched on the CR-V crossover next year.
The engine is manufactured in Swindon, UK, just like the Civic. Thanks to an aluminum cylinder head and deck aluminum block, it’s 47 kg (103 pounds) lighter than Honda's 2.2-liter i-DTEC.
Peak power output is 120 hp and comes in at 4,000 rpm, while torque figures of 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) are achieved from 2,000 rpm. Fuel economy in the Civic is 78.5 mpg UK or 3.59 liter/100km, equivalent to emissions of just 94 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
“The key focus of our Earth Dreams Technology philosophy is to balance environmental efficiency with the dynamic performance expected of a Honda,” says Suehiro Hasshi, Large Project Leader for all Civic models in Europe including the 1.6-litre i-DTEC. “It is important that our cars are fun to drive.”
“This is a new approach from the ground up,” Tetsuya Miyake, Project Leader for the 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine. “There were no benchmarks for us because those targets would have been too low. We were determined to establish a benchmark of our own that our competitors would have to follow.”
“Developing this engine has been all about smart, pure engineering,” says Suehiro Hasshi. “Our motivation has been to make many small detail improvements that, together, make a major difference. That is the challenge and the beauty of the Earth Dreams Technology philosophy.”
Peak power output is 120 hp and comes in at 4,000 rpm, while torque figures of 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) are achieved from 2,000 rpm. Fuel economy in the Civic is 78.5 mpg UK or 3.59 liter/100km, equivalent to emissions of just 94 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
“The key focus of our Earth Dreams Technology philosophy is to balance environmental efficiency with the dynamic performance expected of a Honda,” says Suehiro Hasshi, Large Project Leader for all Civic models in Europe including the 1.6-litre i-DTEC. “It is important that our cars are fun to drive.”
“This is a new approach from the ground up,” Tetsuya Miyake, Project Leader for the 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine. “There were no benchmarks for us because those targets would have been too low. We were determined to establish a benchmark of our own that our competitors would have to follow.”
“Developing this engine has been all about smart, pure engineering,” says Suehiro Hasshi. “Our motivation has been to make many small detail improvements that, together, make a major difference. That is the challenge and the beauty of the Earth Dreams Technology philosophy.”