Honda’s Swindon-built Civic has won two major accolades for its environmental performance. The car claimed Gold in the smaller family car section of the Green Apple Awards 2014 and was runner up for the overall champion title.
The awards, now in their fourth year, are organised by the The Green Organisation, the international, independent, non-profit, non-political, non-activist environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world, and were judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers. 
Judges described the Civic as ‘a superb all-rounder’ in awarding it Gold in the smaller car category.
The 1.6 diesel Honda Civic won Silver in the overall champion section and was praised as a car that continues to surprise drivers with its real world fuel economy, using less fuel than hybrids, while still providing enough performance to keep most drivers happy.
The 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine was the first engine from Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology series to be launched in Europe and is exclusively built at Honda’s manufacturing facility in Swindon.
The engine made its introduction in the Civic and offers a class-leading combination of power (120 PS) and torque (300 Nm @ 2000 rpm) with CO2 emissions of just 94 g/km, giving an impressive balance between fuel economy and performance.
Rather than develop a specific, eco-focused derivative, the 1.6-litre i-DTEC is an extension of the existing Civic line-up, ensuring the variant doesn’t sacrifice any of the driving dynamics associated with the Honda badge.
Phillip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, said: “Being recognised by both the Midland Group of Motoring Writers and the Green Organisation as a class leader, not just in one category but overall, is a fantastic badge of honour for the Honda Civic and we are delighted to have come away with two awards.”
