By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Especially nowadays with Honda's own i-VTEC technology. That's why I do see Honda offering an SOHC i-VTEC engine on the Fit on a more sporting version--good performance without sacrificing fuel economy. :shades:
Full article at:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/112_news38/index.html#
"The Fit likely will beat the U.S. launch of the first of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s planned B-segment cars by a few months, but debut behind Toyota Motor Corp.'s new entries..."
"The vehicle will be ***tweaked not only for U.S. tastes, "but performance, drive cycles and, particularly, safety,***" says Charles Allen, senior vice president-Honda R&D Americas."
Drive cycles?
back then when i was driving my 92 tercel with 82 hp and a 4 sp stick, I was always faster than the person in suvs and pickups going on ramp.
I guess the newer cvts will solve the accleration problem with small engines. But anyone who drives a stick can tell you 100hp for a small car like fit is plenty enough for daily use.
That article means that my guess of 1.5-liter i-DSI engine on the low-end model and 1.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine (essentially a derivative of the 2006 Civic Hybrid engine) on the high-end model is probably pretty close to the truth.
http://www.edmunds.com/future/2006/honda/fit/100401888/specs.html
Given that Honda has pledge to have all vehicles equipped with ABS and side air/side curtain airbags by the end of 2007, it would surprise me if they introduced the Fit without them. They could, though, just so they can advertise a lower starting price at the outset - it would give the Fit an immediate approximately $1,000 pricing advantage over the Civic, since all Civics now have both ABS and side bags.
GM and Ford could learn a lot from this. $3000 in options on a Focus suddenly makes it hardly worth buying. Honda, OTOH, has 1-2 trim levels and lots of colors - shopping is as simple as buying a hard drive for your computer.(pick a capacity and an interface type, go to the checkout)
That statement is meant mostly towards its SUVs and minivans - some don't have ABS or side airbags yet. It's nice to see Honda doing more than the bare minimum. Small shouldn't be unsafe, and honestly, smaller vehicles need ABS and other safety options more than the larger vehicles do.
...especially when the information is located in the 2005 annual report:
"By the end of 2006, all Honda and Acura models sold in the United States and Canada will feature front-side airbags, side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes
and pedestrian safety technologies in all but a few niche models; with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and side curtain airbags with rollover sensors as standard features in all light trucks."
Essentially this means everything but the Insight and the S2000 (and the NSX if it was going to continue).
ABS, front-side airbags, and pedestrian-safety technology will not be a problem since all of these are already available on the Jazz in Europe, and the Fit in Japan. However, the side-curtain airbags might require a few modifications to the section of the interior in which they are located. I don't believe side-curtain airbags are currently available on the car in either Japan or Europe.
FWIW, the Prius meets these requirements. But it's pricey compared to a Civic or a Fit.
BTW, I just took delivery of a Jazz with CVT 7 speeds auto transmission
I have also a diesel Renault van (Chrysler Voyager type of a car), I just came back from a trip to the Atlantic with my Renault van (stickshift), total mileage: 1200km (750 miles) with one tank 76 liters, (20 US Gallons). I got gas in Paris before leaving and fill the tank again when I was back to Paris!
Honda Mexico now has the car up on their website, ready for the predicted October 2005 release.
It is available with:
1,5L VTEC engine with HP rated at 109 @ 5800 and torque of 106 @ 4800
5-speed manual
LX (approx. US$13 000 MT / US$14 400 CVT) and EX (approx. US$14 400 MT / US$15 800 CVT) trim levels
ULT seat system (minus the R in the Japanese ULTR)
I would gather that this configuration is probably close to what the US will get. I know nothing about the Mexican car market, but the other Honda models on the page are relatively similar to what is offered in the US.
I also don't speak a word of Spanish, but from what I saw on the website it seems like the safety features will be a bit less than the US models...for example, ABS is on the EX model only.
Here's the link:
http://www.honda.com.mx/honda2006/index.html
The current Fit is perfectly capable of serving the US market. It received excellent marks in the crash tests (Honda in-house testing and the Euro NCAP) and it is comparable in size to several cars already sold in the US including the Mini, Chevrolet Aveo, Scion xA, and the soon to be arriving small Toyota and Nissan models. In other words, it won't be the smallest car sold in the US.
The only reason why I might be somewhat skeptical about the US receiving the current Fit is that this generation does not offer side-curtain airbags.
Honda might sell the current Fit (which will be Japan-made) for just a couple of years (not a full generation cycle) and then introduce the second generation in late 2007 or sometime in 2008 as an American-built vehicle suited more for American tastes. We will have to just wait and see though.
Also, note the front lighting package on the Mexican-market car. There are no mid front fender turn signal lights found on the European market Jazz models, instead having the front turn signal lights integrated into the headlight housing itself. This allows the Fit to conform to the current NHTSA standard for turn signal lights.
I am not in the market for a Fit at this time but certainly am enchanted by its potential to be a car with balance similar to those wonderful 92-95 Civic hatches. I hope it live up to the hype.
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/4369/civic17oc.jpg
Funny you should say that because Matsumoto-san was the original designer on the Honda Fit, too.
No, he designed the original 2001 Fit and designed the five-door hatchback version of the new Civic that will start sales in Europe end of this year.
The Honda Fit that will be sold in Mexico (and probably the US) is the 1st generation (2001-present).
There have been some minor changes (notably a relatively recent mid-model change) to the Fit, but the car you see is the car that has been around for several years.
The looks of the Fit in my opinion are still quite competitive, and most American consumers will have no idea that the design first debuted in 2001. I do hope that more colors will be offered than the Mexican model though. The Fit in Japan comes with an extensive array of color options. Since the US Fit will be manufactured in Japan (at least in the beginning), there probably will be more color choices in the US.
The European Jazz/Fit is manufactured in Japon, I think all Jazz/Fit are made in Japon.
Actually, from what I've read the mid-model change (MMC) of the Honda Fit done in late 2004 incorporated a number of interior changes, suspension changes and some exterior changes. The Fit just now starting sales in Mexico is the MMC model from what I saw from Honda de México's website.
But since lots of people on this forum are clamoring for a more fuel-efficient model, I can see Honda offering both the L15A VTEC engine (109 bhp) for the performance crowd and the L15A i-DSI engine (circa 95 bhp) for the economy-minded crowd. Californians are going to snap up every one they can get their hands on, that's to be sure.
The European Jazz is made in Japan, but there is also a factory in Brazil that makes the car. The Mexican Fits will be made in Brazil. The Fit/Jazz and City/Fit Aria are also made in Thailand.
Honda has a factory (possibly a subsidiary) in Turkey that will begin producing the City (Jazz sedan) for sales in certain Central European countries like Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, etc.
In response to another post regarding the reliability of an older model:
I completely agree. Often the best year of any given car is the last year of the generation since most of the problems have been worked out, and it is usually the best-equipped. I don't doubt that the original Fit in 2001 wasn't a great car, but after nearly 5 years it can only be better.
Despite the flag next to my username, I am actually living in Southern California...although I am Hungarian.
I can tell you that I will be purchasing a Fit the instant it lands on US soil. In 2002 and 2003 I was considering purchasing a Jazz in Hungary and then exporting it to the US, but they are so expensive there that I decided to wait. I also didn't want to deal with potential problems regarding US regulations on safety, emissions, etc.
http://www.hondanews.com/CatID1014?mid=20010212001258&mime=asc
So does a lot of people, especially with the price of gasoline nowadays.
I want to get a Fit to replace my 1998 model year Civic HX CVT coupé, a nice car that has kind of outlived its usefulness since I need a car with four doors.
Anyways - the news for GM and Ford is bad - a 50%+ drop in sales in October so far - the bubble - it blew up into little bits. Nobody wants a gas-guzzling SUV anymore. Honda and Toyota, which took an 8% and 12% hit by comparison, are poised to come out with two hot little sedans when the public has been whipped into a veritible frenzy looking for better choices than the dying GM or bad gas mileage Fords.(Chrysler is a non-issue - only a fool buys a Chrysler sedan.
I'm gong to buy a Fit, too. I just want BETTER COLORS. GIVE US THE JAPAN COLORS, PLEASE!!!
http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/fit/style/index.html
If any Honda managers are reading this in Japan - PLEASE OFFER THE SAME COLORS ON THAT PAGE! Give me a Yellow Fit and you can consider it sold as soon as I can order one.
Interestingly enough, I can see Ford stepping up production of the Focus and Fusion sedans and GM stepping up the production of the Chevrolet HHR "tall wagon" and Chevrolet Cobalt variants to keep up with the demand for more fuel-efficient cars.
As for the color choices you referenced from the JDM Fit, I think most of them will make it to the USA-market Fit, though I don't think the light Lime Green will make it, though.
Will the American car companies ever learn? They have to offer a small high mileage, high qualify vehicle....even during times when the public is buying mostly big SUV's....because when the market turns they won't get burned because they're main product is a big gas guzzler. Today in the newspaper they said that sales of the hybrids has increased a lot. I hope Honda pays attention to that and offers a high mileage, non-hybrid version of the Fit...a version that gets an overall EPA rating of 45-50 mpg. I don't think they could keep them in stock right now. If the new Fit gets only 40 mpg overall I just don't see the point...might as well buy a Civic or Corolla for the modelst increase in fuel efficiency.
Honda might not need to if they decide to use SOHC i-VTEC engine from the 2006 Civic Hybrid in 1.5-liter form. After all, if Honda can build an engine with that new valvetrain technology to get 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway along with 140 bhp on a 2,800 pound 2006 Civic EX sedan, imagine a 1.5-liter engine with SOHC i-VTEC rated at 110-115 bhp on a car weighing at least 400 pounds less!
Given the collapse of the SUV market and gas prices, the first decent non-hybrid car that gets 50mpg highway will own the market, just like Honda did in the 70s with its Civics and Accords(Toyota and VW as well) 40 won't cut it. 45 won't. It has to be 50MPG or it won't take ahold of the market in people's minds. 50MPG is a magic number, marketing-wise. 40Mpg won't have half the impact that 50+mpg highway will.
140hp and 2400lbs - that's a power to weight ratio of a Buick LeSabre.(3600lbs and 210HP!) Not even "economy". We don't NEED a car with fast 0-60 times. Go buy a WRX or a EVO if you want a pocket-rocket. We need a commuter-car that squeezes fuel like an orange in a desert and can fit 4-5 people in comfort. They have this in the U.K. and Japan already. Why should we have to settle for the SUV 1.5L equivalent over here, when gas prices are skyrocketing?
We need both options, Honda. Drop the failed Insight and give usa a 50+mpg 1.2/1.3L Fit instead. This is a golden opportunity to reshape the U.S. market and take away huge amounts of market-share from GM and Ford. Time to beat them at the game and bury them. Don't be nice - give us both versions and tighten the screws on the competition. Show them how superior Japanese engineering is compared to the crud that Detroit cobbles together while dragging its feet.
My 2002 Hyundai Accent 5spd had a 1.6 engine with 103hp/106torque/2290lbs. It felt really peppy and I didn't complain about the power but on paper it went 0-60 in around 11.7 sec. In the car it felt fast, but you do notice everyone else zipping by coming from a stop light.
Also checking the various 06 Fits from the Mexican site and Brazilian site, they have the simple interior/dash/steering wheel. I hate the "all amber illuminated old fashioned/dashboard" look. I doubt we will be getting the Euro style as it is more Acura'ish than Honda.
So now, as much I am looking forward to the FIT, the negatives are starting to mount up. I'm still hoping for the best. =(
A lot of people - and I mean a LOT of people would ignore the 2 seconds for 50+mpg. All of the delivery and courier companies for one. All of the students and first time buyers for another. Elderly people - they don't go 0-60 in 15 seconds, even in a 250HP cadddy
We need a more modern, safer, more useable Geo Metro type car. It's not like it's a pipe-dream, either - they sell the car in several countries around the world. It seems almost obtuse for Honda to even be contemplating not offering both engines, since it would greatly expand sales for a negligible price on their part, since it's just an engine swap. The 110HP 1.5L version would still be standard, of course - and it would be a quick little commuter-box. Just the mizers among us could special-order the car with the smaller engine if we wanted. Everyone would be happy, no?
My guess is that if Honda does use the SOHC i-VTEC engine from the 2006 Civic Hybrid in 1.5-liter form, the car definitely won't be slow. Note if you read from this web page:
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=376032
Note that the engine already generates a most impressive 95 bhp (SAE 08/04 net) in 1.3-liter form. In 1.5-liter form, 110-115 bhp (SAE 08/04 net) is probably well within reach; given the 400+ pound lower weight of the US-market Fit compared to the US-market 2006 Civic sedan, the 0.3-liter smaller displacement and likely careful selection of gearing in the manual transmission car and careful adjustment of "gear ratio selection" on the CVT automatic transmission, my guess of the EPA rating of 37 mpg city, 46-47 highway mpg highway could be within reach, along with 0-60 times under 10 seconds. Of course, Honda could keep the original 1.3-liter engine in a version aimed for better fuel economy and with careful gearing selection 40 mpg city, 50 mpg highway might be possible.
"40 won't cut it. 45 won't. It has to be 50MPG or it won't take ahold of the market in people's minds. 50MPG is a magic number, marketing-wise. 40Mpg won't have half the impact that 50+mpg highway will."
50's the key number here. Think about it. 50 dollars. 50 doors. 50, man, that's the number. 50 chipmunks twirlin' on a branch, eatin' lots of sunflowers on my uncle's ranch. You know that old children's tale from the sea. It's like you're dreamin' about Gorgonzola cheese when it's clearly Brie time, baby.
Homage to "There's Something About Mary"
Well, the Honda Fit is aimed at a very different type of buyer than the Civic Hybrid is--it's intended as an entry-level car. I don't expect the Fit to get the EPA fuel economy rating of the Civic Hybrid, but EPA highway rating of 45-46 mpg might be with reach. Also, I expect the emissions certification of the Fit to be ULEV-II, not the AT-PZEV certification that the Civic Hybrid got.
Yes (except for UK...miles per imperial gallon)
Is the US the only country that has a fuel consumption rating?
Believe me, No. Most other countries are concerned about fuel consumption.
All countries rate the fuel efficiency of the vehicles they sell. Typically it is seen as liters per 100 km or l/100km.
Another difference is that the higher the number in the "miles per gallon" system, the better. However, in the "liters per 100 km" system a lower number is obviously better since it measures consumption in a given distance.
I noticed too that all the other country sites don't post their fuel rating?
I checked several Honda websites in Europe (Hungary, France, Italy, Germany, UK) and each one had the mileage ratings. I am thinking that maybe you were looking for something like 43/47 for the mileage rating. However, it is always given as three separate numbers rated in liters of fuel consumed per 100 km driven.
Example:
In the city (l/100 km): 6,8
Outside the city (l/100 km): 4,7
Combined (l/100 km): 5,5
The exception to this is the UK which rates it using both "liters per 100 km" and "miles per gallon". However, the British use the Imperial gallon in this situation, rather than the smaller American gallon.
***
Simple.
1:The Hybrid pollutes less, gets the tax rebate, and can use the carpool lanes, as well as can ignore parking meters in most major cities now. Plus, it's a yuppie status symbol.
2: The Civic is larger now than before - it's a midsize car with all the goodies.
3: The Fit, even at the same MPG - well, it's clear WHY. It's half the size, has no leather, no traction control, no sunroof, seats one less person, goes half as fast... It's a budget car that sacrifices everything the Civic Hybrid is in order to equal it. Yet, it *is* a Honda, which makes it a worthwhile entry-level car.
Two seperate vehicles - no overlap. Trust me - the person who wants a Fit isn't looking at a Civic, and vice-versa. Honda need not fear loosing sales since the two are so different from each other.
As for the 50mpg, it really *is* a big point. 50mpg highway would get a lot of people noticing the car. Why buy the Yaris or half a dozen other budget cars that get 40-something mpg, when you get 50mpg for the same price? It's the same reason they market it at 95 cents instead of a dollar - it really does sell more of the item.
I seriously believe that the government should give the Tax Rebate to any car that get over a certain MPG ( lets say 40 MPG ) rather than just the technology. Which car is better for our environment and lessens our consumption rate as a nation, a Ford Escape that gets around 24 MPG or the Honda Fit that will get 50 MPG! That's right folks that's my number and I'm sticking to it