Head to head with Kenichi Nagahiro senior chief engineer, Honda diesel development

摘要

Honda has high hopes for the i-CTDi. Not only is this the engine that will unleash the Accord in the growing diesel European market, this diesel project also marks a new era for the Japanese carmaker: it would seem that the diesel ghosts that caused Honda so much trouble in the past, have finally been put to rest. "Honda has actually been conducting research on diesel engines for quite a while, but we needed the time so we had to come up with an effective means of coping with the exhaustion of fossil fuels, global warming and fuel efficiency," says Nagahiro. Honda refuses to disclose the official development time of the new diesel engine, but it seems that the carmaker's first move in producing a diesel unit stems back to 2001. "The develop- ment time of this engine is something that is a Honda secret, but the timing of this engine can be traced back to the period when the Honda and Rover contract was officially terminated."