New Delhi, November 21 : Japanese auto major Honda will discontinue offering diesel engine options in its car models in India from February 2023. This means that none of Honda’s current offerings in India, namely – the City sedan, Amaze compact sedan, Jazz hatchback and the WR-V crossover will be offered with a diesel engine option.

Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) will axe its 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine that currently powers the diesel counterparts of the Amaze, City (fifth generation) and the WR-V crossover. Honda is working in accordance with the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) norms in India that will come into effect from April 2023, and the Japanese carmaker will be ahead of its implementation. Honda Cars India Report 18% Rise in Wholesales in October 2022.

Owing to the new RDE norms’ stiff new emission regulations several diesel models across auto brands in India have been discontinued. However, Indian car buyers can still opt to purchase diesel-powered Honda vehicles till March 2023, while Honda plans to clear all its diesel car inventory pan India well prior to the RDE’s implementation in April, that will come to effect precisely three years post the more stringent BSVI emission norm’s coming to effect on 1st April, 2020.

Honda introduced its i-DTEC 1.5-litre diesel engine back in India back in 2013 with the Amaze compact sedan’s launch. This diesel engine incorporates the company’s ‘Earth Dreams’ technology and is the lightest in its own class owing to its full-aluminium construction and developed for enhanced friction and noise reduction. The Honda 1.5-litre BSVI-compliant diesel engine has a certified fuel efficiency of 24.7kmpl in the Amaze. Honda City e:HEV Hybrid Unveiled in India, To Be Launched Next Month.

Honda India will also kill the production as well as the exports of its 1.6-litre diesel engine from March 2023. Currently, the Honda 1.6-litre diesel mill is exported from India to Thailand that does the duty under the Honda CR-V in the international markets including in the car markets of Thailand and Philippines.

As per reports, Honda India’s suppliers have been notified well-ahead about the phased discontinuation of the company’s diesel engines. The Japanese car behemoth will be axing the production of its diesel mills at its world-class production facility in Tapukara, Rajasthan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2022 07:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).