Honda made big news when it announced that it will start building turbo engines in Ohio later this year. (Hurray!) Now, an Automotive News report tells us where some of those engines may be going: the next-generation Civic. (Double hurray!)
The report’s main source is Honda’s global R&D chief Yoshiharu Yamamoto, who said that “downsized turbocharging will be the base, even for Civic.” The engine most likely to see duty in the Civic is a 1.5-liter turbo four of unknown output, which will help the company meet stricter emissions mandates while giving the next-gen Civic performance characteristics that will help the car stand out when it arrives, perhaps as early as later this year.
Interestingly, not all of the Civics will go forced-induction, according to Yamamoto. “Quite a bit will switch over to turbo, but there will still be some naturally aspirated ones remaining,” he said, although he did not specify which engine or engines would remain and which would go.
Unfortunately, Honda was as tight-lipped as ever when we reached out for comment, but the report cites a supplier that says Honda will build as many as 200,000 1.5-liter turbos per year at the Anna, Ohio, plant, which is in the midst of a $340-million upgrade.
Depending on the character and output of the engine, it could go a long way toward restoring the faith of Honda fans in the brand’s ability to build cars that are, you know, interesting—particularly in the U.S. “In America, there aren’t that many companies with turbo models,” Yamamoto said. “The power is very good.” Let’s hope he’s right.
Source;
http://blog.caranddriver.com/next-gen-honda-civic-may-get-1-5l-turbo-four-as-base-engine/
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