It’s a question asked on an almost daily basis; should I change from diesel to some form of hybrid or electric car? This issue keeps cropping up since the Volkswagen Group diesel emission manipulation crisis gave diesel engines a bad name.
We are also in the midst of fresh moves to ban diesel cars, or at the very least, restrict their activity. So with some level of predictability we can expect more Government moves to force us out of diesel cars, likely in the form of additional taxes on diesel fuel or the price of the cars.
The Toyota Corolla saloon is a popular car among Irish buyers with entry prices for the Luna grade starting at €27,995 or £25,830 for the similar Design grade in Northern Ireland.
The move away from diesel power is noticeable in the latest new car registration figures. Diesel sales are down by almost 21% for the six months of 2019 compared with 2018. Sales of petrol hybrid cars have increased by 44% in the same period, while full electric car sales jumped by a massive 269% to reach almost 2,000 units. Cars with some form of electric power now account for almost 12% of the new car market, double last year’s levels, so the move to alternative power has definitely begun.
The move to full electric drive means significant additional costs in buying the electric car. In all the debate, the real economy value of new generation clean diesel engines, such as that fitted to the new Honda Civic, is often lost.
I’ve driven this latest Civic saloon, powered by a thrifty 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine to look at the value on offer relative to Toyota’s new Corolla Hybrid car. For many longer distance rural drivers, diesel remains a cost effective option, but that could be about to change.
Almost 78% of Toyota’s cars sold this year are hybrid powered, while the brand’s diesel car sales have fallen by 96% due to the total removal of the diesel option from the Toyota car range. Toyota only offers a diesel engine in its larger 4x4’s such as the Land Cruiser and Hilux.
The situation is different at Honda, another Japanese car manufacturer. Honda still continues to offer diesel engines in the Civic model, but for how much longer? Just 7% of Honda’s sold this year are hybrid drive cars, while their sales of diesel cars have dropped by 38%.
The latest Honda Civic diesel has a lot to offer. I took the car over a 646km route and resulted in a fuel economy figure that was about 20% off the Honda rated figure of 22km/l (4.5/100km/63mpg). Even so, a range of almost 700km from the car’s 46 fuel tank should be possible; that’s about 20% higher fuel usage than the rated figure.
Compare that with the Toyota Corolla hybrid, which has a smaller capacity 43 litre tank . My test drive delivered a range figure of almost 800km on a full tank. That’s equivalent to 18% more fuel usage compared with the official rated figure.
What’s interesting is that on paper the two cars have the same rated fuel economy figures. In practice, both cars can achieve good levels of fuel economy, but require different driving styles. If you are not prepared to change driving style achieving these economy levels with a hybrid car will be a challenge The Honda Civic’s impressive diesel engine will be kinder in economy terms for those who commute longer distances and want to drive on the motorways at close to the legal 120km/hr limit.
In styling terms, this new Honda Civic is an impressive car. It has a modern look, with an impressive digital dash that includes a large 7in touchscreen system. It also comes with the latest Honda driver and passenger safety offer.
The Civic boot space is almost 25% bigger than that of the Corolla, and neither one offers a spare wheel. The Civic towing ability, due to the higher diesel engine torque, is almost double that of the Corolla hybrid.
They have similar saloon car styling, so that part of the choice is very much a personal one. On its own, the Civic doesn’t always stand out in a crowd, even though it’s a very attractive looking car. In terms of space and comfort, I would probably give the Corolla the edge.
I drove the smooth six-speed manual version, but for this comparison I’ve looked at the automatic version in order to compare like with like. Therefore there should be little to separate these cars in terms of running costs.
Civic diesel prices start at €29,305 or £24,260 in Northern Ireland for the automatic version. That’s more expensive in Ireland than the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, putting further pressure towards Toyota’s hybridswitch. If you don’t want to modify your driving style to achieve the economy from a petrol hybrid car, then this Honda Civic diesel will be a very worthy and cost-effective choice.
Read more
Range Rover plugs into a hybrid future
The swing to hybrid and electric is happening
It’s a question asked on an almost daily basis; should I change from diesel to some form of hybrid or electric car? This issue keeps cropping up since the Volkswagen Group diesel emission manipulation crisis gave diesel engines a bad name.
We are also in the midst of fresh moves to ban diesel cars, or at the very least, restrict their activity. So with some level of predictability we can expect more Government moves to force us out of diesel cars, likely in the form of additional taxes on diesel fuel or the price of the cars.
The Toyota Corolla saloon is a popular car among Irish buyers with entry prices for the Luna grade starting at €27,995 or £25,830 for the similar Design grade in Northern Ireland.
The move away from diesel power is noticeable in the latest new car registration figures. Diesel sales are down by almost 21% for the six months of 2019 compared with 2018. Sales of petrol hybrid cars have increased by 44% in the same period, while full electric car sales jumped by a massive 269% to reach almost 2,000 units. Cars with some form of electric power now account for almost 12% of the new car market, double last year’s levels, so the move to alternative power has definitely begun.
The move to full electric drive means significant additional costs in buying the electric car. In all the debate, the real economy value of new generation clean diesel engines, such as that fitted to the new Honda Civic, is often lost.
I’ve driven this latest Civic saloon, powered by a thrifty 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine to look at the value on offer relative to Toyota’s new Corolla Hybrid car. For many longer distance rural drivers, diesel remains a cost effective option, but that could be about to change.
Almost 78% of Toyota’s cars sold this year are hybrid powered, while the brand’s diesel car sales have fallen by 96% due to the total removal of the diesel option from the Toyota car range. Toyota only offers a diesel engine in its larger 4x4’s such as the Land Cruiser and Hilux.
The situation is different at Honda, another Japanese car manufacturer. Honda still continues to offer diesel engines in the Civic model, but for how much longer? Just 7% of Honda’s sold this year are hybrid drive cars, while their sales of diesel cars have dropped by 38%.
The latest Honda Civic diesel has a lot to offer. I took the car over a 646km route and resulted in a fuel economy figure that was about 20% off the Honda rated figure of 22km/l (4.5/100km/63mpg). Even so, a range of almost 700km from the car’s 46 fuel tank should be possible; that’s about 20% higher fuel usage than the rated figure.
Compare that with the Toyota Corolla hybrid, which has a smaller capacity 43 litre tank . My test drive delivered a range figure of almost 800km on a full tank. That’s equivalent to 18% more fuel usage compared with the official rated figure.
What’s interesting is that on paper the two cars have the same rated fuel economy figures. In practice, both cars can achieve good levels of fuel economy, but require different driving styles. If you are not prepared to change driving style achieving these economy levels with a hybrid car will be a challenge The Honda Civic’s impressive diesel engine will be kinder in economy terms for those who commute longer distances and want to drive on the motorways at close to the legal 120km/hr limit.
In styling terms, this new Honda Civic is an impressive car. It has a modern look, with an impressive digital dash that includes a large 7in touchscreen system. It also comes with the latest Honda driver and passenger safety offer.
The Civic boot space is almost 25% bigger than that of the Corolla, and neither one offers a spare wheel. The Civic towing ability, due to the higher diesel engine torque, is almost double that of the Corolla hybrid.
They have similar saloon car styling, so that part of the choice is very much a personal one. On its own, the Civic doesn’t always stand out in a crowd, even though it’s a very attractive looking car. In terms of space and comfort, I would probably give the Corolla the edge.
I drove the smooth six-speed manual version, but for this comparison I’ve looked at the automatic version in order to compare like with like. Therefore there should be little to separate these cars in terms of running costs.
Civic diesel prices start at €29,305 or £24,260 in Northern Ireland for the automatic version. That’s more expensive in Ireland than the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, putting further pressure towards Toyota’s hybridswitch. If you don’t want to modify your driving style to achieve the economy from a petrol hybrid car, then this Honda Civic diesel will be a very worthy and cost-effective choice.
Read more
Range Rover plugs into a hybrid future
The swing to hybrid and electric is happening
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