The third-generation Honda Fit has been around for a few years now, and it’s arguably the best small hatchback in its class. It sports a fun look and practicality virtually unmatched among its rivals, particularly as those rivals pull away from making small hatchbacks. Ford, for instance, isn’t just dropping the Fiesta, but it’s dropping pretty much all cars, full stop. So, when the new Honda Fit emerged at the Tokyo Motor Show, we were certainly curious to learn more about it.
One highlight from the new Fit is its hybrid system. The new model, dubbed e:HEV, uses Honda’s latest two-motor hybrid system, so this small car should be even more frugal than its straight gasoline-powered ancestor. It also comes in five trim levels: Basic, Home, Ness, Crosstar, and Luxe. My eye immediately went to the Honda Fit “Ness”, which uses water-repellant materials and soft padding meant for athletic types.
Beyond that, this new Fit is standard Honda fare, at least according to the press release. The Honda Sensing safety suite comes on all new Fit models, and includes a wide-view camera along with eight sonar sensors to enhance the existing collision mitigation braking system, among other safety features.
What do you think of the styling?
Styling is always subjective, and I’ve gone back and forth on the Fit. The first and second-generation models looked fun, but not too over the top. The third-generation model took on some edgier styling, but it still cut both ways in terms of looking fun and sporty. This new Honda Fit leans hard on the cuteness factor. It looks adorable, for whatever that’s worth to the everyday car buyer.
The new Honda Fit certainly looks like an interesting successor to the first three generations. There’s just one problem — we may not get it here in the U.S. It isn’t completely ruled out, but Honda seems to be focusing the Fit on Japanese and European markets first. While the Fit is the most popular subcompact among its rivals, its also running out of competition to fight against. The Toyota Yaris is one of its few contemporaries, and neither it nor the Fit sell particularly well. Instead, we Americans prefer to step up to crossovers like the HR-V.
So it’s still a question mark as to whether we’ll see a U.S.-spec fit, but if we do it should be one of the most fuel-efficient cars around. Stay tuned for more updates!
