Honda has announced that its all-new 2009 Fit, which we just drove for the first time, will go on sale next week with a MSRP starting at $14,550 (plus $670 destination), while the more premium Honda Fit Sport will start at $16,060 (plus destination). The standard powerplant will be a 1.5-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder rated at 117 hp mated to either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic (with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters on the Fit Sport). The five-passenger Fit also earned EPA fuel economy ratings of 28/35 (city/highway) with the automatic transmission, and 27/33 with the 5-speed manual or automatic in the Fit Sport. All models feature standard air conditioning, AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system with four speakers, power windows, power mirrors, and power door locks. The Fit Sport (shown above) adds alloy wheels, aero kit, alarm, keyless entry, and an upgraded audio system. In fact, the top shelf Fit Sport with navigation and a 5-speed automatic starts at $18,760, which makes it one of the greatest bangs for your buck in our book.
When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor, MI last week. As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length), but it's only about 44 pounds heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the fun-loving qualities of the original. In the process, it has had to deal with rising raw material and shipping costs while keeping the price from getting out of hand. Read on to find out if the spiritual descendants of Soichiro Honda have succeeded.
Every year, cars get just a bit more expensive. There was a time, which doesn't seem too long ago, that ten grand and a signature was all you needed to walk out of a dealership as the owner of a brand new car. Today, not so much. In fact, according to J.D. Power and Associates, $15,000 gets you just two-thirds of the choices you had just two years ago. Holding up the bottom of the list is the Chevrolet Aveo, which, along with the base-model Cobalt, makes GM the only American player in the cheap-car sweepstakes. The 2009 Aveo, however, has a higher base price than before thanks to the elimination of the lowest price value model. The Koreans in the form of Hyundai and Kia offer three choices, and the remaining five slots are ably filled by Japanese manufacturers.
While there may be a few more vehicles that have base prices below the $15,000 mark, J.D. Power's numbers actually reflect transaction prices rather than MSRPs. Some vehicles, like the Honda Fit, are able to maintain some driving enjoyment to go along with their low prices, and these cars often command higher prices because of the demand for them.
Much has already been written about Honda's plan to introduce a fleet of new hybrid models to take on Toyota's dominance in the segment. It's strategy includes a new dedicated hybrid model, a sporty hybrid based on the CR-Z concept, and hybridized versions of the Civic and Fit. Yesterday Honda's President, Takeo Fukui, revealed more information about that dedicated hybrid that's destined to take on the Toyota Prius in the global marketplace. While an official name and specific details will come later this year, Fukui did say that it will be a five-door hatchback (like the Prius) and seat five people. It's styling will be inspired by the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle, so expect a clean shape that's slippery through the wind. It will be produced in Japan alongside the Civic Hybrid at Honda's Suzuka factory, and the automaker expects to sell about 200,000 per year around the world, with 100,000 earmarked for North American markets. Honda also claims it has found new ways to reduce weight in the car and also lower the cost of its Integrated Motor Assist technology, though we don't expect any of these hybrids to be full parallel hybrids like the Prius, i.e. able to run on electricity alone.
Altogether, Honda hopes its four new hybrid models will reach global sales of 500,000 per year shortly after they're all on the market around 2010. Bully for them, but Toyota's already said that it will be selling a million hybrids annually by that time.
The 2009 Honda Fit has landed, and done so with everything the previous Honda fit was lacking. Judging by the sales numbers of that previous Fit -- over 2,000,000 globally in six years -- it wasn't lacking too much. The car gets Honda's voice-recognizing satellite-linked navi; 3-mode, single-motion dive-down Magic Seats in back (parents, it's not what you think); a revised suspension and more rigidity. And with the addition of a USB port for MP3 players and another storage bin -- because there simply wasn't room for all your stuff before -- the new Fit comes with even more fun. The lone engine is an updated version of the current Fit's 1.5-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic transmission. The Fit Sport model also includes paddle shifters on the steering wheel, though we doubt shifting will be as much fun as turning in this car.
After a controversial two-year run, the Canadian government has announced their ecoAUTO rebate program will be ended next year. The ecoAUTO plan offered a $1000 to $2000 CDN rebate to owners of new cars that consumed gas at a rate less than 6.5 l/100 km. Although the ambitious plan sounded like an excellent way to reward drivers of frugal transportation, the mathematical line in the sand snuffed those whose vehicles were still very efficient, yet just under the threshold.
One of the most vocal protests came from Honda. Unfortunately for them, their Canadian-market Fit was "unfit" for the rebate, yet the competing Toyota Yaris was approved. It didn't take long for the Japanese automaker to call out the Ottawa government in protest. Honda took their message public, and even offered their own version of the rebate to match the government's offer.
To mend the wounds of this green-rebate-gone-awry, the Canadian government has pledged $250 million to the auto industry for the development and research of environmentally-friendly technologies.
The 2009 Honda Fit is ready to make its big American debut, so it's packing its bags and heading to New York in search of fame and fortune (read: customers). The new car, which made its world debut last October at the Tokyo Motor Show, gets a pod-like, Priusy makeover that gives it interior space equal to that of a midsizer. While the Japanese version is available with 1.3L and 1.5L engines, we'd assume that the 1.5 i-VTEC will be the sole engine in the US. In Japanese trim, it's good for 118 horsepower (120 PS) -- a 9-horse bump over what the engine in the current car delivers. Even with that extra juice, the Japan-spec 1.5L Fit can achieve fuel economy of 46 mpg (19.6 km/l). Not shabby. We'll be on hand in NYC to bring you all the official details on the US-market car after the new Fit is driven onstage.
Up to 34,000 Honda Fits from 2007 and 2008 are being recalled for a faulty sensor that detects child seats or out-of-position passengers. In states that use road salt, the salt-infused water from melting snow on the driver's shoes can leak beneath the carpet and corrode the wires for the Occupant Detection System (ODS). Severing that connection means that the passenger's front and side airbags will go off even if a child is in the front seat. The recall is in effect now for cars sold or registered in these states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
The Honda Fit has established itself as a viable platform for tuners in Japan and with the apparently minimal amount of love being heaped upon the new Civic Type-R, aftermarket firms are focusing more attention on the Civic's younger brother.
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