New Diesel Engine Headed to Acura

The Acura TSX will be the first car to have Honda’s new i-DTEC clean-diesel engine under its hood. The North American debut will be in the 2009 model, with other vehicles to follow in the next few years.

A cutaway of the 2.2-liter diesel was on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and Honda sees its engine as the forefront of emerging diesel technology. The engine uses an optimized combustion chamber design coupled with reduced injection time to deliver a quiet engine that has all the typical benefits of diesel technology: increased performance and better mileage. Honda also says the engine already meets the EPA’s stringent emissions standards for diesel engines.

Acura’s diesel-equipped entry-level sedan will hit European shores before debuting stateside. Europe already has a thriving market for diesels, but it remains to be seen if they will catch on in the U.S.

Following the TSX, Acura plans to get the engine into its crossover RDX sometime in 2009, and work is under way on a V-6 diesel that should be ready by 2010.

Acura TSX Gets Diesel Power Next Year (Autoblog)