65mpg+ 2012 Honda Civic

Honda's next Civic will have a 2.2-litre diesel engine that will emit just 110g/km of carbon dioxide, the company has revealed.

Honda says that despite the low emissions, performance won't be compromised the new 148bhp engine is 10bhp more powerful than the equivalent unit in the current car.

According to our estimates, the new Civic 2.2 diesel would average around 67mpg. It would drop into VED Band B, meaning annual road tax bills of just 20.

Unlike the current version, the new Civic will be a five-door only model. It goes on sale early next year.

'Reducing the emissions was our key target and we're proud to say that we have achieved this without compromising the high-performance character of the engine,' said Katsushi Watanabe, development leader for the engine. 'We want our customers to have fun when they drive this car.'

Last month, Honda released a video of the new Civic, highlighting the car's ride and handling characteristics. Today it has released another video in which Honda engineers explain how they managed to cut the 2.2-litre diesel's emissions to 110g/km.

In the video Mitsuru Kariya, Civic development leader, explained that Honda's start-stop system, Idle Stop, will be on 'all three engines fitted to a manual gearbox'.

The company hasn't revealed what will join the 2.2-litre diesel in the new Civic's engine line up. The current car has 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines, but it's thought that Honda Europe is pushing management in Japan to develop a 1.6 diesel.

The new car will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

For more on how Honda achieved the low emissions for its diesel engine, take a look at the company's video below.