Honda Civic Claims Top Honours

HONDA has claimed top honours in the 2018 MPG Marathon, not only achieving the best overall economy but the highest improvement compared to its combined-cycle figure over two days and almost 350 miles of real-world driving.

Driven by BBC Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton and his daughter Francoise, the Civic 1.6i-DTEC recorded an impressive 87.5mpg over a mixed route spanning from the Cotswolds to the Peak District. Not only is that a 7% improvement in fuel economy versus the NEDC Correlated combined-cycle figure, but it’s a 42.7% improvement over the forthcoming WLTP test data too.The results validate the ongoing importance of diesel for company car fleets and motorway-mileage drivers.

For those who want excellent economy, long range, reliability and low tax liability, the Civic ticks every box. Honda’s latest-generation diesel engine also meets the stringent new Euro 6d-TEMP standard, which assesses on-road emissions versus laboratory results.

Honda’s state-of-the-art 118bhp 1.6-litre i-DTEC engines have taken multiple class and overall wins at the MPG Marathon since they were first entered in 2014. The latest generation, comprehensively revised for the new Civic, returns up to 80.1mpg with CO2 emissions from 93g/km, with reduced noise, weight and friction and sharper responses. For the first time, it can also be paired with Honda’s slick nine-speed automatic transmission, offering extra comfort for high-mileage drivers.