Honda Cars India Ltd has launched the BS6-compliant diesel variants of its tenth-gen Honda Civic executive sedan starting at Rs 20.74 lakh for the VX variant, and Rs 22.34 lakh for the ZX variant. Both variants of the BS6-compliant diesel Civic are powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine mated to an enthusiast-favourite 6-speed manual transmission (no automatic transmission option this time around as well). The engine, now cleaner, shows no change in performance figures, delivering the same 118bhp at 4000 rpm and 300Nm at 2000 rpm.
On the inside, the Civic boasts a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 7-inch fully-digital TFT cluster. In terms of comfort, it gets dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-way electronically adjustable driver seat, and a multi-angle rear view camera. Coming to the safety aspects, the Civic gets six airbags as standard with additional curtain airbags in the VX variant, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, Honda Lane Watch, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, and rear seat Isofix child seat anchorage.
Commenting on the launch, Rajesh Goel, senior VP and director, marketing and sales, Honda Cars India, said, “Honda is committed to bring its latest and advanced environment friendly technologies to the Indian market. With the introduction of BS6 diesel version of our iconic sedan Honda Civic, our entire sedan lineup will offer the choice of both petrol and diesel to cater to our esteemed customers. The diesel Civic is available in manual transmission and will appeal to customers looking for sheer driving pleasure.”
Once on sale, the Honda Civic diesel goes up against the Hyundai Elantra diesel. The diesel Elantra, priced from Rs 18.7 lakh to Rs 20.65 lakh, is not only cheaper but also offers an auto ’box. However, the Honda Civic diesel may still edge it out due to its slightly more powerful engine and overall sportier nature. Hmmm...I smell a comparo brewing, don’t you?