The most interesting part of Honda’s new Fit – a hybrid drivetrain mated to a dual clutch gearbox – won’t be coming to North America. At least not in this form.
Automotive News is reporting that the hybrid powertrain, a 1.5L engine which apparently puts out 135 horsepower and 125 lb-ft (according to Motor Trend) mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, will only be offered in a sedan and crossover bodystyle in North America. The hatch will likely stick with a naturally aspirated 1.5L mated to a CVT or a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The lack of a hybrid hatch comes as part of Honda’s attempt to adapt vehicles to local market tastes – for North America, this means sedan and crossover variants as well as the hatchback. Now that production of the Fit is taking place in Mexico, this is a viable option for Honda.
The new hybrid system is also said to best the Toyota Prius c in fuel economy. While only Japanese figures for the Fit Hybrid have been released, the Prius C returns 53 mpg city and 46 mpg highway. Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system, which was cheaper to produce but offered lesser fuel economy gains compared to Toyota’s system, has been replaced with an all-new technology dubbed “Sport Hybrid Intelligent-Dual Clutch Drive”.
Which save-the-bonobos tenets would it violate to give the buyer 10″-12″ of overhang in the rear of these cars to provide more cargo space aft of the rear seat-back, especially for the hatchback?
It makes the car more difficult to park in cramped European cities.
Can’t they do an American Volume Package?
More space and built-in blood pressure & glucose monitors uplinked to HMOs.
Yes, and extra-wide, extra-flat seats, along with super-sized door openings, longer seat belts, larger cup holders, and freedom fry holders.
Introducing the Honda Fit, American Edition: It’s a rebadged Chevy Tahoe.
This.
Ha!
The ‘Unfit’ ?
(Couldn’t let that one go)
In the domestic market, there’s exactly what you have described in the form of Fit Shuttle:
http://www.honda.co.jp/FITSHUTTLE/
as well as a 6 seater Fit based minivan, Freed:
http://www.honda.co.jp/FREED/
Thanks, Varezhka
I’d love to test drive both of those. I’d probably prefer the Shuttle for its elongated cargo area, but the tallness of the Freed hatch area is also very attractive. At least *somebody* is placing function over style in this size of vehicle.
The overall footprint of these is reminiscent of the original Caravan/Voyager minivans when “mini” still meant something. Not like today’s bloated versions.
The overhang version is called the “Fit Shuttle” and of course is not available here.
Hyundai’s entire design studio must have cackled with glee when they saw this thing. The only thing I really hate is the gigantic ricer-esque faux intake ducts, but still. It’s transparently an Accent clone.
http://www.thetorquereport.com/assets_c/2012/06/2013_Hyundai_Accent_4-thumb-530×306-20504.jpg
Holy crap…. the only difference is the Fit’s upper crease is an innie while the Accent’s is an outie.
If only computer mice still came with such bloaty/humpy contours to better fit my paw.
“…won’t be coming to North America.”
We never get the good stuff!
Mom has a ’10 Fit. That car is amazing, from the perspective of junk hauling. The amount of space with the seats folded down is shocking. It also seems that nobody told the car what it’s mileage rating is supposed to be, and it is hoarding gasoline supplies for some future apocalypse. And, it’s an giggly-fun go-cart to toss around.
Beyond that, the car is underwhelming. Horrid seats, limited seat travel, and not even the slightest hint of padding in the ledges on the front doors that theoretically might be armrests. My fiance’s Versa has the interior of a Benz by comparison. The Versa isn’t exciting to drive, but it’s a car that one could live with. The Fit is not.
I like Honda, and I hope that the strong competition in the B-class cars pushes them to up their ante a little bit. I’m curious to see this new Fit.
For me the Fit fails the crucial Stand-By test for perceived adequacy.
I stand by one on the lot and the right side of my brain responds with one of 3 possible levels: Dink, OK, Awesome. Fits always come up Dink.
Dink? Like, Double Income No Kids?
Don’t they usually go German or Subaru?
Nah. My wife and I both have Fit Sports :) They definitely aren’t as refined as previous cars we’ve owned, but the Fit Sport has the right combination of fuel economy, interior space, and features that I don’t feel like I’m slumming it. I don’t do a lot of highway driving either. The small engine works in my favor and I get more than the EPA MPG estimates.
I hope that the next generation Fits sold in North America don’t look like whats pictured above. Those look horrendous :(
I like the styling of the current Fit; can’t say I like anything about this design. The rear and rear-quarter shots are pretty nasty, especially in that orange color. Doesn’t look like the new interior is any nicer either. I’ll skip this and see what the new Mazda2 has to offer.
I too like the current Fit better. That said I like the original Fit even better than that one. It seems like the design gets worse and more bodged together with each generation. This one is totally not pretty.
im a honda fanboi, and I love hatchbacks, so i was kinda lookin at a fit one day.
Little shortcuts that had been made turned me off to the car.
no arm rest, no dead pedal, low quality seat fabric, terrible sound system.
I guess all that stuff could be upgraded after market, but it made me wonder about other stuff that couldn’t. I have bad memories of my 02 si’s electric power steering, and I think the only other new car sold on the market with such outdated door handles was the Honda insight.
We’ll haveta see about this new one….. But I thought I read somewhere that the center stack was all just one big touch screen. I wont even sit in the thing if that’s the case.
PS. looking at the picture, yup, that center stack is epic fail.
Yep. The car is unbelievably nickeled and dimed. The worst is the seat. The foam is styled so that it *looks* supportive, but it’s cheap, too-soft, unsupportive foam stretched over a medal frame. After 1-2 hours of driving, or with repeated exposure, the metal frame starts to push through the foam and puts pressure (at least for me) on my sciatic nerve.
The rearward seat travel is also very limited, which causes me more problems. It’s not a car that was designed for even slightly tall people (and 6’1 is hardly tall in America).
“puts pressure (at least for me) on my sciatic nerve.”
Bane of my existence once I went from service jobs to office worker.
Has me hopping up every 20 minutes from my desks. Can’t have it in a car too.
In the 2007-2008 Fits the JDM models got a different center console that came with a sliding armrest, similar to that in the Civic. When it crossed the ocean, they got rid of the armrest and got rid of the passenger visor with a mirror. I understand in other markets that people expect more out of compacts, but those two items are really cheap and should be standard in any car sold these days.
It looks swollen. Looks like they gave this the same treatment they gave the 2nd gen TSX. I’m sure it will be a great car but they really botched the looks.
It just looks really Japanese to me, like it was built in a class box that defined its dimensions and then packed with surface excitement to register in cities so crowded that people can’t see the entire car at once. The interior similarly has an added-on module sense of design, which I don’t think Honda expects to appeal outside of Japan. This car had to be designed for the home market, where Honda has looked really weak for the past coupe years. I’m sure that the interior of the Mexican made ones will have a more integrated look, and the exterior will probably be toned down as well.
“..like it was built in a class box that defined its dimensions and then packed with surface excitement to register in cities so crowded that people can’t see the entire car at once.”
Wow…
CJ must stand for Concise Judgement.
The internet makes democracy seem pretty silly. People like Sam P and J Emerson get the same voice I do. It’s a one man birthday party. You don’t get any gifts you didn’t bring. If you’re bereft of sense, you’ll end up taking the advice of…them.
I say, Holmes, at lest do Mrs. Hudson the courtesy of trying the mutton.
Some members of the B&B are clearly taking the editorial change harder than others.
I think he’s pretty serenely above editorial policy here and anywhere else.
Yeah, I’m a fan.
“Serene” is not a word I would use to describe a man who has repeatedly voiced the claim that the chief goal of the United Nations is to reduce the world’s population by seventy-five percent.
I meant serene regarding whatever level of civility a website might require as he has the verbal facility to do anything from encourage to eviscerate in the most polite of fashions.
Regarding the UN thing, I’d merely say he is overly optimistic.
“It just looks really Japanese”
The JDM dashboard really screams “Mecha” in a Gundam sort of way. It’s certainly striking, definitely Japanese. What looks discoherant to some will look familiar to others. I could live with it, not sure I actually like it though. It’s the sort of design that will live “for the moment”, like “fluidic sculpture”… fine for the life of the model run, probably won’t age well after that.
Also, props to Honda for making the front bumper look like a bumper, instead of blacking it out and pretending it’s a big gaping radiator grill.
Honda really weak in the JDM market? Have you seen JDM Fit sales numbers? It’s damn near ubiquitous.
I’m not a huge fan of the styling, but would never consider either the sedan or the CUV (I hate the entire concept on principle). It’d be either hatchback efficiency or something else (probably the latter)…
It seems like every time TTAC publishes Japanese sales numbers, Honda has shed more of their regular car market share. They’re strong in the mini-car segment, but the trend hasn’t been pleasant in general.
So basically the USA will only get the namby-pamby “EarthDreams” ones. Sorry, but I will have to pass on it purely due to the stupidity of the name “EarthDreams” and the fact that the best name they could come up with for their design language was “Exciting H.” Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go ZoomZoom a SkyActiv Kodo. :)
It’s too bad the current gen Fit is a very well-packaged design that can accommodate 4 6-footers, rare for a subcompact.
Where r the bumpers?
So we will get the hatch, just not in hybrid form? I hope so. The key selling point for the Fit is its TARDIS like character. The main reason my sister one was that nothing near its cost of ownership (fuel economy and maintenance) can come close to matching it’s cargo carrying ability, and I have another friend giving serious consideration to one of the same reason. It’s simply unmatched in that department.
Joy, so those of us who want a regular hatchback will be punished for our desires while those who want extra ride hight or a useless trunk are rewarded.
Its like Hondas ashamed of the very thing that put their cars on the map, economy hatchbacks.
Based on the “styling” (and I use that word generously) of this new Fit, I have to believe that the Sedan version will not look good.
Currently in the subcompact hatches available in NA, the Sonic and Accent have well-proportioned and less silly looking sedan versions. The Fiesta sedan is simply hideous. I have a feeling the Fit will look like the latter.
They took most of the “goofy child” design language out. The interior is a bit dull.
I. Don’t. Care.! Just keep the long stroke engine, gimme 6 speed, make the seats comfortable, and it’s the car I will continue to want for my next personal car purchase. It’s a brilliant packaging car.
So I’m going to have to be the guy that points out Honda’s new hybrid system acronyms to
SHIDCD
As in “this new system is SHID, KID”
Now you’ll have to excuse me, it’s time to break out the Fun Cooker.
What do you expect from those that bring you “Exciting H?”
How about shortening it to “Sport Hybrid Intelligent Transmission”?
Wow, that looks terrible.
I like the looks of this vehicle. They got rid of the kink in the greenhouse where the top of the rear door meets the top of the rear quarter window… so the cargo area no longer looks saggy and droopy. Nice.