New Honda Fit Arrives Next Year

It might have only gone on sale two years ago, but Honda has just announced the next-generation Fit in Japan. It’s a well known fact that the Fit was a late entry into the North American marketplace as it had already been on sale around the world for four years. Nevertheless, with a subcompact market that is growing fast, fresh new models are always welcome.

The Fit has grown in size by a significant margin in all dimensions except for height, and keeps its midship-mounted fuel tank and extra-clever seating arrangement system. As such, it looks very much the same as it did before, albeit a little more rounded and therefore more of a monobox shape. In total, the Fit is 2.2 inches longer than before, 2.0 of which are accounted for by stretching the wheelbase. Of the 2.0 inches Honda added to the Fit’s wheelbase, 1.6 inches have appeared in rear legroom gains, which should improve accommodations in the back significantly. Use of space continues to be the Fit’s hallmark. Honda has improved cargo area on the Japanese model by getting rid of the space-saver rear tire, though it is uncertain whether or not this change will be made for the North American car. The result yields a much deeper trunk.

Inside, the new Fit appears more spacious and airier than before, thanks to staying true to a key characteristic and one nice addition. Firstly, the side windows maintain a high glass to metal ratio. Secondly, the Fit is available with a panoramic glass roof for the first time. Meanwhile, the dashboard has been fully revised, and the car is topped off with a steering wheel that’s akin to the latest Civic.

In Japan, the Fit will be available with several engines that feature new technologies. i-VTEC has popped up on a number of small engines replacing the older 1.3-liter i-DSI engine. In any case, the unit we’re most likely to see is the new 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder which features 120 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque, a significant gain over the current engine. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, while a CVT transmission takes the place of the current five-speed automatic. It’s hard to say whether or not we’ll get the CVT as Honda went through the effort of conjuring up a 5-speed automatic specifically for our market; the best in the segment until comparing it to the new Volkswagen City Golf that gets a six-speed with manual mode. They may choose to use it again to stretch their hard earned RandD money.

By keeping tabs on the Fit’s growth in power and size, Honda was able to keep weight gains to a minimum. On average, Honda estimates that the new Fit weighs about 22 pounds more than the old Japanese market car when comparing equal trim levels.

Information about the new Fit that will be sold in North America will arrive early next year, with a plausible debut at the North American International auto show.