In the Civic Tourer, the 1.6 i-DTEC engine provides 120 PS (118 hp, 88 kW) of power and 300 N·m (221 lb-ft) of torque, 62 mpg US (3.8 l/100 km) on the European combined cycle, a range of 817 miles on one tank of fuel and CO₂ emissions of 99 g/km.

On 1 June, two members of Honda’s European Research & Development (R&D) team will set out on the journey from Aalst, Belgium. Heading towards the Netherlands and Germany, their trip will see them navigate the Continent in a clockwise direction, with the aim of returning to their starting point some 25 days later, having covered a planned total of 8,459 miles.

The title attempt comes on the back of several independent tests which have shown Honda’s 1.6 i-DTEC engine to out-perform its quoted fuel efficiency in real-world driving conditions consistently.

Under the rules of the title attempt, the same two drivers must be in the car for every kilometer of the journey. Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, based at Honda’s European manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK, volunteered to take up the challenge and will be charged with driving an average 370 miles (595 km) each day.

The official Guinness World Records title is “Lowest Fuel Consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries”, measured in liters per 100km and miles per gallon calculated over the entire journey. If successful, the new record will apply to all cars, including hybrid and electric models. Based on strict and rigorous guidelines, the record attempt requires the car to enter each of the 24 countries specified, collecting a range of evidence including a fuel/mileage logbook, GPS readings, video, photographs and independent witness signatures to prove that it has done so.

To ensure accurate monitoring of the route, journey time and distance driven, the record car has been fitted with a tracking device, provided by fleet telematics and stolen vehicle recovery expert, Tracker (part of the Tantalum Corporation). The unit will provide journey information in real-time to ensure that Honda can supply robust and reliable automated data-evidence to meet the requirements stipulated by Guinness World Records.

The car which attempts the record must be a standard model in every respect, with no modifications to give an advantage. This will be judged by an independent witness at the beginning and end of the record attempt. The car can only travel by road, therefore the route does not extend to the UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, which make up the remainder of the 28 EU countries. In order to ensure no unfair advantage by reducing weight, the tank of the car must be filled to the maximum at each fuel stop.

The 24 countries which are covered in the route, in alphabetical order, are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.