FROM May, the appeal of the Honda Civic will be broadened by the availability of a state-of-the-art diesel engine.

Installed in the three and five door hatchbacks, the new 1.7 litre 100 PS common-rail, direct-injection turbodiesel will, according to Honda, offer smooth, refined power delivery matched to outstanding fuel economy.

The Civic five-door CTDi achieves a top speed of 112 mph, is capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds, yet combined cycle fuel consumption is an impressive 56.5 mpg. And the lighter three door is even quicker.

For the UK, the Civic diesels will be available in "S" and "SE" grades for the five-door version and in the "SE" grade for the three door. Following the introduction late last year of the Civic three-door, Latest five-door models now share the smaller diameter, thicker rim steering wheel, silver door handles and black fascia of the three-door, while the SE-spec five-door gains a softer, woven pattern seat trim which again matches that of the three-door.

Both diesel grades feature standard air conditioning, four SRS airbags and front seatbelt pre-tensioners; electric power steering, ABS brakes with EBD and Brake Assist, electric front windows and electric powered/heated door mirrors.