In April this year, when India migrated from BSIV to BS6 (Bharat Stage 6) emission norms, Honda took away the diesel-fed variants of three models – City, CR-V and Civic. Now, however, the Japanese carmaker has started accepting bookings for the Civic diesel. The upgraded engine will be available in two trim levels – VX and ZX. As for the prices, they will come out sometime next month.

The engine in question is a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit that also did duty in the CR-V. It pumps out a 118bhp/300Nm. The only transmission option available, however, will be a 6-speed manual. In BS6 form, the power and torque figures should remain the same. The difference will be in the mileage section. As per Honda, the diesel could clock 26.8kmpl in BSIV form. Expect that number to drop a bit. The other engine option is the 1.8-litre petrol, which produces 139bhp/174Nm and comes coupled to a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

In terms of features, there won’t be any changes. In other words, the diesel-fed derivatives will borrow the set of creature comforts from its petrol-powered versions. That means the VX-marked variant will come with stuff like projector headlamps, LED DRLs, 8-way electrically-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system mated to an 8-speaker sound system, and a rear-view camera. The ZX trim ropes in additional features such as a lane-watch camera, curtain airbags, remote operation of the sunroof and rain-sensing wipers.

Presently, the only rival the Honda Civic has is the Hyundai Elantra. At the time of its launch, the Honda had two more competitors – the Toyota Corolla Altis and the Skoda Octavia. The Corolla has gone for good. As for the Czech sedan, that will make a comeback in an all-new avatar. Expect it to unfold either by the end of 2020 or early next year.