i-DTEC Delayed/Cancelled: Honda Saying Yes By Not Saying No?

Last Thursday, The Temple of VTEC posted an anonymous tip that Honda's super clean i-DTEC diesel engine that was destined for Acura has been delayed indefinitely. Wha? According to the tipster, the i-DTEC, which doesn't use a urea aftertreatement system, has trouble meeting emissions certification (Tier II Bin 5) when yoked to an automatic transmission. A manual transmission version of the i-DTEC has passed tests successfully but the company is worried that there would not be enough demand for an manual only version.

It's a hard pill to swallow that a company such as Honda, with such a proud engineering heritage, would back away from an engine that none other than its CEO Takeo Fukui (pictured above) promised the company would deliver in remarks made at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. However, the fact that Acura PR has not attempted to deny the story or contact any blog (Vtec.net, Autoblog, ACATT, etc) after repeated calls have been made to confirm the information does seem suspicious. Temple of Vtec said in response to a request for more information that additional details were provided by the tipster but left out for confidentiality reasons. ToV said that those surrounding details seemed to support the claims being made.

I am disappointed at the news. I haven't been a fan of the new TSX, but the diesel option had me intrigued. The TSX is rumored to be getting a V6 engine and the tipster said that it has been fast tracked to make up for the loss of the diesel. The rumor is that the V6 will sport SH-AWD. Undoubtedly a higher spec V6 TSX would mean more profits and probably more sales volume than a diesel. However, I viewed the diesel more as an engineering triumph and a test of market acceptance than a profit center.

Independent of the four cylinder's status, we'll still get a diesel from Honda at some point. Vehicles such as the Pilot, Ridgeline and Odyssey would be a good fit for a V6 diesel. I envisioned that the four cylinder would have gone if vehicles like the TSX, Accord, and CR-V.

I haven't written a eulogy for the four cylinder just yet. Undoubtedly Honda is working on continually reducing the engine's emissions, if not for our market then for ever-tightening regulations in Europe. At some point Honda will have to come clean (pun intended) about the i-DTEC in the U.S. and we'll just have to wait for their announcement.

Thanks to Jeff at ToV for responding to my questions.

source: ToV