Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it has developed a new 1.8-liter engine and a new hybrid system that have both better fuel efficiency and more power.
Honda said the engines will be introduced in the newly remodeled Civics to be released in autumn. The Civic is expected to be the centerpiece of its marketing campaigns this year.
According to the automaker, the 1.8-liter engine is 6 percent more fuel efficient than the 1.7-liter engine in the current Civic but has the acceleration of a 2.0-liter engine. The current Civics get 17 kpl.
The hybrid will be 5 percent more fuel efficient than the current Civic Hybrid and have 20 percent more output. The current hybrid gets 29.5 kpl.
Honda hopes the revamp will increase global annual sales to 600,000 Civics from the current 500,000.
The new 1.8-liter engine and the improved hybrid system employ the variable valve timing and lift electronic control (VTEC) system which tweaks the timing of the engine valves for peak performance and fuel efficiency.
