Honda's i-DTEC diesel engine crosses 1 lakh milestone

Honda has seen a major turnaround in India since April 2013. This month marks the entry of the i-DTEC 1.5-litre diesel engine in India and with that surge in fortunes for Honda India. In less than a year and a half, 16 months to be precise, this sole Honda oil burner has powered over one lakh cars and as Honda cheekily puts it, clocked over 90 crore km cumulatively, hinting at the engine’s reliability. This engine first made its debut in the Amaze followed by the hugely successful City and only recently, also found its way into the Mobilio.

The USP of this engine is its efficiency which is the best in class for each car and also makes the City the most efficient car in India. There’s no better way to sell a car in India than playing the mileage card. The diesel engine in the City returns 26kmpl, in the Amaze 25.8kmpl and 24.5kmpl in the Mobilio. Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “The 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine was Honda’s first step into the diesel market and we have come out with exceptional results. It has been well accepted in the country and is attracting new customers to the Honda brand every day.”

Honda has developed this engine exclusively for India keeping in mind our driving conditions. Use of aluminium for the cylinder heads to keep weights down and other lightweight methods ensure high fuel efficiency. The only grouse with this engine is poor NVH filtering into the cabin. 

Honda owes its success in India in the recent past to this diesel engine which has catapulted the Japanese carmaker into the top five manufacturers where it currently holds the third spot.