Honda has released the details of its new 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, the first mass-produced engine from Honda's latest Earth Dreams series of fuel efficient powertrains.

The new motor will be first utilized in the Civic come early 2013 and later on in the new CRV.

The 1.6-litre unit is the lightest diesel engine in its class, thanks a variety of weight-saving measures. It has an aluminium cylinder head joined to an open deck aluminium block and the thickness of the cylinder walls has been reduced to 8mm as compared to 9mm for the 2.2-litre i-DTEC. This makes the engine 47 kg lighter than the 2.2-litre power plant.

The engine is also equipped with a Garret turbocharger featuring an efficient variable-nozzle design. All these mean that the fuel economy is rated at an impressive 3.59L/100km while CO₂ emission stands at 94 g/km. It churns out 120bhp at 4,000 rpm and has a peak torque of 300Nm at 2,000 rpm. Hyundai's award-winning 1.6-litre CRDI lump produces slightly more power at 126bhp but less torque at 264Nm.

Designed specifically for the European market, the new engine will be produced at Honda's facility in Swindon, U.K., with an output of 500 units per day.