Will Acura's new diesel jump on the DOA train?
10-26-2008, 05:10 PM
#1
Apathy Kills
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Will Acura's new diesel jump on the DOA train?
Filed under: Diesel, Acura
In recent weeks, we've heard about two light duty diesel programs being shelved at Toyota and Ford. Now, an anonymous poster on the Motor Trend forum is indicating the same fate may await the new Acura 2.2L i-DTEC diesel. Honda engineers have been talking about this engine and its innovate new urea-free NOx catalyst for more than two years. At this year's Detroit Auto Show, Acura showed the engine publicly for the first time and announced it would go on sale in an Acura car in early 2009.
Although Honda/Acura PR people don't like to talk about specifics of new products in advance, it has been assumed the engine would land in the TSX which is based on the European spec Honda Accord which is already so equipped. The MT poster indicated that Acura is having trouble getting the automatic transmission version of the diesel to pass emissions. Since Americans tend to be averse to shifting for themselves, without an automatic the whole program could get canceled. The veracity of this story is unknown and may not be accurate. Modern electronically transmissions and engines tend to be easier to pass emissions because the reduced driver input makes it easier for the engineers to calibrate the responses to pass the test. We asked Honda officials for a comment but they haven't yet responded and very likely won't.
[Source: Motor Trend forum]
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Click for a high res gallery of the 2009 Acura TSX
In recent weeks, we've heard about two light duty diesel programs being shelved at Toyota and Ford. Now, an anonymous poster on the Motor Trend forum is indicating the same fate may await the new Acura 2.2L i-DTEC diesel. Honda engineers have been talking about this engine and its innovate new urea-free NOx catalyst for more than two years. At this year's Detroit Auto Show, Acura showed the engine publicly for the first time and announced it would go on sale in an Acura car in early 2009.
Although Honda/Acura PR people don't like to talk about specifics of new products in advance, it has been assumed the engine would land in the TSX which is based on the European spec Honda Accord which is already so equipped. The MT poster indicated that Acura is having trouble getting the automatic transmission version of the diesel to pass emissions. Since Americans tend to be averse to shifting for themselves, without an automatic the whole program could get canceled. The veracity of this story is unknown and may not be accurate. Modern electronically transmissions and engines tend to be easier to pass emissions because the reduced driver input makes it easier for the engineers to calibrate the responses to pass the test. We asked Honda officials for a comment but they haven't yet responded and very likely won't.
[Source: Motor Trend forum]
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10-27-2008, 11:27 AM
#2
MB4
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That would suck, it seems to be taking forever for these new diesels from all manufacturers to hit the market. I'm also very interested to see what the new Subaru diesel will be like.
10-31-2008, 02:16 PM
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The difference shouldn't be that much between auto's emissions vs stick's emissions, except maybe in California.
I would like to see a diesel honda or acura
Isn't the diesel also available in the euro civic?
I'd loooooooooove to get that hatchback
I would like to see a diesel honda or acura
Isn't the diesel also available in the euro civic?
I'd loooooooooove to get that hatchback
11-09-2008, 02:47 AM
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I think the huge torque numbers (compared to any other NA I4 of similar size) are to blame. It's perhaps more difficult for them to get an auto that will stand up to that for the long haul without compromising the efficiency to the point where a car that passes, maybe by a fairly small margin, in manual form can't pull it off with the automatic.