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Honda bullish over corporate chances for class-leading Civic
Date: 16 December 2011 | Author:
Japanese manufacturer Honda is confident of putting a tough 12 months in the fleet sector behind it with the forthcoming launch of the new Civic.
No Euro5 diesel engine meant the previous Civic diesel went off-sale at the end of 2010, while the new car arrives in February 2012.
Launching with a 150hp 2.2-litre diesel that offers official emissions of 110g/km, Honda is claiming a class-leading combination of power and efficiency. "We know we've had problems with CO2, but 110g/km and 150hp is the best power-CO2 in the class," said Honda's national leasing and SMR manager Oliver Parsons.
"We've also improved rear visibility, the low-speed ride and interior quality - we've listened to our customers."
According to Parsons, the new Civic is also claimed to "herald a change in the way we approach the fleet market".
"We wanted all the data out there and we wanted the leasing companies quoting on all models at the time we opened the order book on 30 September," he said. "That is how we will launch to the corporate market in the future."
Honda has confirmed that a new sub-100g/km 1.6-litre diesel engine will be added late next year. The 120hp unit is also set to go into the next-generation CR-V small 4x4 towards the end of 2012.
