Honda New Diesel Rio Rancho NM

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Everyone's got a pretty good sense of what the German manufacturers have planned on the diesel front. After all, it's their strong suit and the core of their business in their home market and throughout Europe. But when it comes to

Honda, particularly in the U.S., the picture is more complex. After all, this is the company that has the highest corporate average fuel economy, was the first to introduce a hybrid car in America, and prides itself on its environmental image. The backstory that has been passed along is this: Honda engineers were not eager to introduce a diesel in the European market, though they were told it was key to success there. So they designed what they like to call a "Honda" diesel and introduced it to the market with a psychedelic ad narrated by Garrison Keillor.

The advertising slogan for the ad was: "Hate something. Change something. Make something better." The original European Honda diesel is now coming to America, modified to meet California's (and by extension all 50 states') strict emissions regulations. The first home for the i-DTEC will be in the 2009 Acura TSX, which is one of the places it's found in Europe (though that model is badged as a Honda Accord there). Between now and then the TSX will get a restyling.

The engine is a relatively compact 4-cylinder at 2.2 liters, but it's expected to produce around 150 hp, and the torque"which is what you feel when you take off from a stop"should be more than 250 lb.-ft. Fuel economy should be in the range now achieved by Honda's hybrid Civic. In European trim the engine delivers more than 60 mpg on the highway and combined numbers above 50 mpg.

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