biker

fsttyms1

Another fail by honda. Maybe if they actually had a decent Hybrid system it might be better. Id take the fit with a Diesel motor but not a hybrid.

LessisBestmakingendsmeet

Ever since the debut of the second-generation Fit in late 2008, we've secretly been hoping that Honda would introduce a sportier Si-badged version of the good-to-do hatch, complete with sporty chassis upgrades and a slightly more powerful engine. So when we got the word that Europe would be getting an Si variant of the Jazz (what the Fit is called overseas), we started to get relatively jealous – until we read the fine print.

Yes, it's called the Si, but Honda has not given the Jazz any additional power or suspension upgrades. Instead, the Si is set apart from the rest of the lineup by sharp new 16-inch alloys, a chrome sport front grille and a rear roof spoiler. Inside, there aren't any sort of refinement upgrades, but Si badging has now been added to the floor mats and glove box.

In Europe, the Jazz is available with either a 1.2- or 1.4-liter gasoline engine. The Si package is available with both powerplants, commanding an additional £870 over comparable 1.2 SE and 1.4 ES models. We're a fan of the minor cosmetic upgrades, but take note, Honda – if an Si-branded Fit ever hits the streets of America, we'll be looking for a bit more than just a Bedazzled exterior.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/0...s-a-t/

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

50mpg+ or its another pointless attempt to out-do Toyota.

biker

Even then it won't make sense. There has yet to be hybrid made where it makes sense financially in terms of fuel mileage savings overcoming the initial higher cost (over the equivalent gas model).

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Agreed.

TSX69

Fiesta vs Fit vs Yaris vs Versa

Having vanquished the Old World to become the best-selling car in Europe, Ford's Fiesta has been readying its attack on our shores via some seriously subversive methods. Last year, for instance, Ford dropped 100 Fiestas behind our lines as part of its Fiesta Movement campaign. And insidiously, each of its lucky drivers was issued a video camera, with the resulting propaganda injected into the minds of our tender youth via such "alternative portals" as Facebook and Current TV. What's next? Fiesta sleeper cells? Maybe.

We say: Ford, stop all this nefarious skulking in the shadows. The Fiesta needs to come out into the open and subject itself to a proper comparison test like a real car.

So we called Ford...and they dropped one off. An SES with the novel electrically actuated dual-clutch six-speed.

Awaiting it with some apprehension were three boxy, battle-scarred alternatives that likewise once had high-hopes of dominating the little-car market: Honda's perfectly named Fit, Nissan's Versa (which sounds like "versatile," not bad), and Toyota's Yaris (per Toyota: "'Yaris' is a mash-up of 'Charis'-Greek goddess in mythology, symbol of beauty and elegance-and the German expression of agreement, ja'). The German involved must have been that old blind man in "Frankenstein."

The ground rules for the ensuing skirmish were thus: The players had to be four-door hatchbacks equipped with commuter-friendly automatic transmissions and a sprinkling of sportiness if possible. And if not, the closest to it the press fleet could cough up. After conducting an unprecedented battery of really tedious interior measurements, noise recordings, and ride quantifications involving lots of wires (LOW) and very large spreadsheets (VLS), we headed to Westlake Village for a real-world driving loop encompassing Mulholland Drive (real world? Sure!) and the 101 freeway. Then it was down to Newport Beach for a few sun-kissed, ocean-side snappies, winding up in the shadowy La Cave restaurant in Costa Mesa for some great steaks, drinks, and ruminations.

The resulting order, if I can make out the notes on this crumpled napkin, was...

Small Car, Smaller Price

While the Yaris placed last in this group, we're suspecting it's first in the hearts of plenty of money-strapped folks for whom heaven itself would be a car with double-digits on the odometer and a rearview mirror without a dangling pine-scented air freshener.

Fourth Place: Though it doesn’t earn any gold stars against this group, for many people simply being a steal could be the only one it really needs.

And despite a base price that's $2605 less than the second cheapest sled here (the not-exactly extravagant Versa), the Yaris still has a nice little list of virtues to crow about. For instance, it accelerates step for step with the Fit Sport to 60 mph, stops 13 feet shorter than the Fit, and -- get this -- arrives with stability and traction control, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, and brake assist, all as standard equipment. Take note, parents of college-bound road warriors. And if that oboe scholarship comes through, consider popping for the $1705 Power Package (which our car had) that populates the car with the usual power goodies (door locks, windows, AM/FM CD player), but also important packaging flexibility via 60/40 split and tilting rear seatbacks and a bottom cushion that slides 4.5 inches. It matters in such a small car.

On the road, just about everything the Yaris does gets tempered with "but you know, it's base price is only fifteen grand." A lack of gear ratios (there are only four)-rejoinder: "fifteen grand." Worst figure-eight time? -- "fifteen grand." Noisy? -- "fifteen grand." Which, if you say it enough times, starts to sound pretty attractive.

The Comfortable Suit

Third Place: The best argument we've seen yet for eventually coaxing big-car-loving Americans into smaller cars. But it's going to need more engaging styling to seal the deal.

Given all the recent talk about Americans needing to downsize their automotive expectations, the Versa was the only entrant here to offer a plausible template for how this might actually happen.

Nissan's littlest offering is a quantum mechanics-grade illusion. It simply has to be larger inside than out. While its exterior seems only modestly bulkier than the Fit's -- indeed, the box it would fit in is a mere 5.3 percent bigger than the Honda's -- it's a relaxing boudoir within. I refer you immediately to the nearby insightful information revealing accommodations in which a foursome of double-double-fed Americans could luxuriate in true trans-fat stupor. For instance, with a six-foot driver at the helm, his clone in the rear seat would still enjoy 0.9 inch of surplus headroom and a ridiculous 4.8 inches of spare kneeroom.

And if this showdown focused purely on commuter duties, the Versa would be sipping the bubbly already. According to our sound meter and four miles of beautifully irregular roadway, the Versa was the quietest by a substantial margin, inflicting a mere 23.8 sones of interior noise, while simultaneously agitating its driver with the group's second-best-recorded ride quality.

The Versa's downfall came in two stumbles. Although its cornering attitude proved unexpectedly amenable to throttle probing on the skidpad, it was flummoxed by the oddball cambers of Mulholland's pavement. On the other hand, its 122 horsepower rendered it swiftest to 60 mph (taking 9.1 seconds) while the CVT's deft work with its infinite ratio options seemed positively clairvoyant in the real-world traffic tussle.

The Versa's second fault is its blindness to design. It's not that it's bad looking. It's that it simply doesn't look like...anything, really. Al Gore might have sketched this thing. Technically, Nissan has a gem on its hands here. Next time, they need to style it too.

Ford's Euro Gambit

Second Place: Ford's gambit to sell a high-quality small car just might pay off. We're just not convinced it hasn't traded too much its sexy design.

You know that solid CRACK a baseball makes when it meets an oak bat, sweet spot to sweet spot? The Fiesta does that in two significant areas: styling and build quality.

Everywhere we took the Fiesta, eyebrows rose and admiring glances caressed the car. This is clearly a good-looking automobile, a shot glass brimming with European taste.

On the other hand, the Fiesta's triumph of styling comes with the defeat of a whole lot of practicality. That fashionable sloping roof? It pinches the view aft such that the main thing you perceive of the car following you is a hood. Open a rear door for a prospective passenger and he'll start googling Yellow Cab on his smartphone (see our interior measurements).

But slam that door, and you'll pause. Now there's a THUNK you certainly don't associate with this realm of car. And although the logic of the center stack's controls is rather scrambled by the stylist's hand, the quality of the soft-touch dash is simply superb (shocking, even, after years of miserable-grade plastic dashes in entry-level Fords). Crazy as it sounds, Dearborn's small-car gambit of charging a little more and then overwhelming you with quality just might work.

The car is also an impressive juggler of vehicle dynamics balls, simultaneously delivering authoritative handling, our group's highest lateral grip and ride quality, and second-best acceleration punch AND interior noise suppression. Many of these pairings generally represent zero sum games. Ford's somehow has turned them into win-wins.

As I mentioned, our car arrived with the optional ($1070) six-speed double-clutch Powershift transmission. Completely controlled by electrical instead of hydraulic actuation (a first), it's a helluva technological feat in this price range; remember, the Yaris is still stuck with -- forehead slap -- a geriatric four-speed automatic. Impressively, it actually affords better mileage than the Fiesta's standard five-speed manual (an estimated 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway versus 29/38-even trumping Honda's five-speed automatic). Moreover, with the lever slipped into Low, it functions magnificently as a Sport mode as it always strives to hold onto the lowest possible gear (downshifting as necessary entering a corner, while usually getting the upshifts timed right and done snap quick). Who needs paddles when the transmission reads your mind.

But if its telepathy is working during normal driving, the Fiesta may get a migraine. Our example shifted uncertainly and sometimes inappropriately. Ford's response was that it was a preproduction unit not completely to production spec. That's probably so, but until we have a chance to resample this innovative transmission, Nissan's CVT is our top-cog dog of the two newfangled trannies here.

As speckled with warts as it is, you kind of wonder how the Fit wound up eclipsing the Fiesta. Perspective: Only the $5365 CHEAPER Yaris saves it from being the noisiest car of the quartet, as well as the worst riding (with just a bit less pitching motion than the stubby Toyota). Worse, it came within a whisker of being beaten down the dragstrip by the 106-horsepower Yaris, stopped in the longest distance from 60 mph...and for that, Honda expects to you to pay $19,820 for all this wonderfulness.

First Place?

Resolutely, the Fit defies its measured performance deficiencies with subjective real-world handling that's kart-like enough to make it the offering here voted most constantly entertaining. As opposed to the Fiesta's peek-a-boo outward vision, the Fit's windows provide a fishbowl view. The Sport version offers paddle shifters to play Sebastian Vettel with (though you'll likely do so only once). And then there's the interior.

First Place: Despite hitting road bumps with interior noise and ride quality problems, the Fit is an unbeatable combination of driving fun and interior packaging.

If any car company has acquired the original Mini's mantel of space-efficiency fanaticism, it's Honda. The maker has been pondering every automotive nook and cranny for some time now (I have evidence in an old '87 Civic Wagon), and the Fit is its latest manifesto on the subject. The architectural keystone that makes all the difference is its relocation of the fuel tank from beneath the rear seat to under the front. And from here proceeds a ripple effect of packaging opportunities of which Honda has taken full advantage, resulting in a cargo floor that's nearly flat with the rear seat folded and the unusual flip-up "magic seat," that provides room for tall objects.

And in the end, a winning checklist in this category necessarily needs the box labeled "insane space efficiency" boldly X'ed -- and the Fit is about as space crazy as they get.

Unfortunately, that's just the box that Ford's solidly built, nice-driving-but style-over-practicality Fiesta has chosen to leave empty.

dom

The Fit is one of the few things Honda got right lately. I loved it when I test drove it and probably would have bought one if available with more power. The Civic's 1.8 would have sealed the deal.

Hapa DC5

^ Yessir! I feel as though my Fit could use 10-15 more hp and tq. BUT we all know I have my TL for the power...

I see myself in a CTS-V one day.

fsttyms1

The fit needs a 2.0.

TSX69

Honda's Fit Hybrid to be Cheapest in Japan @ $18,600

Honda Motor Co. plans to sell a hybrid version of its popular Fit compact car at around 1.59 million yen ($18,600), making it the cheapest hybrid in Japan when it goes on sale in October, the Tokyo Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun newspapers reported today.

Thanks to Japanese subsidies on green-car purchases, hybrid cars have become popular in the market for new passenger cars in the past months.

But the subsidies are scheduled to end next month, a move that could trigger a price war with rival hybrid car maker Toyota Motor Corp.

Honda's Hybrid Fit will cost about 300,000 yen less than Insight, Japan's No.2 auto maker's other hybrid offering and currently the cheapest. It will be priced at about 400,000 yen more than Fit's gasoline-powered version, the Shimbun daily said.

fsttyms1

Meh......

neuronbob

Can we scrap the Insight and bring the hybrid Fit here?

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

So the Fit Hybrid, CR-Z, and Insight all within a few thousand dollars of each other?

No no no no no no NO ....

Hapa DC5

Sounds like a plan!

biker

Assuming the hybrid "markup" is the same here as in Japan (about $4K) it makes no sense financially. The extra fuel mileage will not make up for the extra up front cost - as is typical for a hybrid. I just don't know what Honda is thinking - they have yet to have a really successful hybrid but they keep pushing the idea.

Moog-Type-S

...because Honda needed another small hybrid in the line-up.....

F23A4

As I've indicated before, I am a hybrid fan...but in applications like the Lexus RX, GS and the discontinued AV6h. Honestly, a reincarnation of the AV6h in the current Accord EX-L sedan would be enough for me, provided it's good for 35 mpg+.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Shift_Acura

Hybrids are the future...poeple should just get used to it instead of complaining.

Eventually (I hope) there will be no premium for the hybrid models because they wont offer non hybrid variants...

phile

I'm not a fan of Honda's current hybrids.

But when you have a good foundation to begin with, such as the FIt which already gets great mileage in gas form, and make it a hybrid, it's a game changer for me.

Cause now you have a hybrid that actually gets good mileage (60+mpg rumored) as opposed to the two hybrids Honda has now (Insight & CR-Z high 30's mpg) that are only so-so (elatively speaking) when talking about hybrids.

So imagine that. A hybrid, from Honda, that performs like a hybrid.

F23A4

Though NOBODY in my circle has any interest in a Fit or Insight sized vehicle, having a 60mpg vehicle in the lineup would allow Honda to hold the Eco-banner higher than any other current make....and maybe sway some treehuggers away from Toyota.

SSFTSX

Inisght is not bad for those who are doing more city driving than freeway. It is 2 to 1 advantage over regular car.


Now it has upgraded suspension, leather trim.

biker

Land Rover is not availabe in British green.

neuronbob

You get what I'm trying to say.

I love luxury cars. The Fit, though, in gas-burning form, is a car that reminds me of why I started driving Hondas in the first place 20 years ago. Good looks, peppy little engines that sound fast even if not really, great suspension tuning that makes it fun to drive, and great fuel efficiency. I love the Fit! I even like the goofy ad campaign (The Fit is Go!)

Now take this awesome little car and make it a 60 mpg hybrid.

How on earth is that NOT a win? Someone explain that to me, please, in baby words.

....and get rid of that Prius-wannabe Insight.

Cliffs: scrap Insight, bring hybrid Fit over, market, watch it sell as fast as Fits do already.

phile

^ we're not out of the woods yet. if Honda plays stupid and prices this out of Fit buyer budgets because of that "hybrid premium" it may be another dud.

Look at the Insight, it's much cheaper than a top of the line Prius, and the Prius is stomping it in sales.

PortlandRL

Sorry, friendo but I beg to differ. Hybrids are merely a stepping stone from gasoline power to something else, be it hydrogen, CNG or something else. The manufacturing process for the batteries makes it absurdly inefficient to produce en masse the way gas and diesel powered cars are today.

Sorry for the brief hijack. As you were.

phile

LOL friendo. ok chigurh

Hapa DC5

I'd be happy with the Civic 1.8L My Fit is really down on power.............

TSX69

1st Drive: 2011 Honda Fit Hybrid

This is the final piece in the Fit puzzle we've been waiting for -- the Honda Fit Hybrid. It's the 3rd hybrid from Honda in as many years, after the Insight and CR-Z. According to chief engineer Kohei Hitomi, Honda wanted to test the hybrid waters before launching a gas-electric version of its hugely popular Fit. Consider them tested.

But according to Honda America, the Fit Hybrid, which just recently debuted in Europe (where it's known as the Jazz) isn't destined for U.S. shores. That's a shame, because it's an engineering marvel, the best of the recent Honda hybrid trio. The Fit Hybrid's 1.3-liter powerplant and IMA system sit snugly inside the tiny engine bay, and, more to the point, the battery pack and IPU (Intelligent Power Unit) "fit" cleanly under the rear floor section without sacrificing luggage space.

You have to look closely to see the exterior modifications, but multiple subtle changes were made in an effort to improve the car's aerodynamics. Hitomi and his team added a slightly edgier look to the body by touching up the headlights and taillight clusters, as well as the front bumper and wheel arch surrounds. Different underbody panels were also employed. A revised spring-operated front brake pad design that reduces unwanted friction and special eco tires were added to the mix.

The Fit Hybrid employs the Insight's 1.3-liter 4-cylinder IMA powertrain with CVT that develops roughly 98 horsepower combined. It's said to be about a second faster from 0-60 mph than the Insight, and delivers the power in a more elegant manner. While no U.S. spec mileage figures are available, we expect the Fit Hybrid will match or beat the Insight's roughly 40/43 city/highway mpg numbers.

"Customers paying a higher price for the Fit Hybrid will naturally expect a quieter, more comfortable ride than that of the Insight or current Fit, so we had to reduce NVH levels substantially," admits Hitomi. "We used a substantial amount of lightweight, sound-absorbing fiberglass wool inside the body panels to reduce engine and CVT whine reaching the cabin."

The result is surprising. The Fit hybrid is significantly quieter at speed than the base Fit. Pushed hard, the CVT still whines at high revs, but the sound-deadening material works superbly.

The CVT delivers the best mileage, insists Honda. In fact, it is so confident, it says the Fit Hybrid is not only more fuel efficient in low-speed city driving (up to 28 mph) than a Polo 1.2 BlueMotion, but that its 0.37 lb/mile carbon emissions figure is on a par with that of the VW. Hitomi also focused on revising the Fit's steering, which has come under fire for its waffle. By fitting an additional performance rod and thickening stabilizers, the Fit's steering now delivers better weight and feedback while generating less understeer.

Honda has also added a start-stop system to the Fit Hybrid and says it can travel slightly longer than the Insight on electric power alone. It's a pity, though, that the 15-inch Dunlop eco tires, which Honda says offer class-leading rolling resistance, tend to squirm in tight corners. They could do with additional rigidity in the sidewalls. Oh, and for the record, Honda is not offering the CR-Z's 6-speed manual -- at least not now.

If you've been looking for a Japanese hatch that can take the mileage, emissions, and handling battle to the diesel dynasties of Europe, this is your machine. The Fit Hybrid offers a great ride, and at last employs sharper, more responsive handling, too. But more than that, according to Hitomi, it is the first Japanese hybrid to offer a competitive, well-packaged, small hatch alternative to B-segment diesel hatchbacks in terms of mileage and emissions.

It's unfortunate that Honda America has decided not to import the Fit Hybrid. Cost has been mentioned as an issue, as have the U.S. market's more stringent crash test regulations. The Fit would need reinforced bumpers, as the Japanese-spec ones don't quite cut the mustard. C'mon, guys. This is the best Fit yet. There must be something you can do?
Honda Fit Hybrid Gauge

PHP Code:

2011 Honda Fit Hybrid
Base price     $19,600 (est)
Vehicle layout     Front-engine, front-drive, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback
Engine     1.3L/88-hp/88 lb-ft SOHC 8-valve I-4; 13-hp/58 lb-ft motor; 98 comb hp
Transmission     Cont variable auto
Wheelbase     98.4 in
Length x width x height     161.6 x 66.7 x 60.0 in
0-60 mph     9.2 sec (est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ     N/A
CO2 emissions     0.37 lb/mile (mfr est)
On sale in U.S.     Never 


biker

Meh - I'm not sure it would do any better than the Insight or CR-Z. It is interesting to see others compare their cars to the Fit Hybrid.

fsttyms1

more crap

SSFTSX

Navigation system is larger. This is 45+ mpg combined car.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

I wish this would be imported but I know damn well it will kill Insight sales. To that I say oh well.

TSX69

Honda to Recall 1.35 Million Fit SubCompacts Globally

TOKYO (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co said on Thursday it would recall about 1.35 million Fit subcompacts globally to repair defective wiring in the headlights.

No accident was reported from the defect, a Honda spokesman in Tokyo said.

Subject to the recall are Fit cars built at Honda's Suzuka factory in Japan between November 2001 and October 2007. About 735,000 units will be recalled in Japan, where the Fit is the second most popular car behind Toyota Motor Corp's Prius, excluding 660cc minivehicles.

Honda will also recall 143,000 Fits exported to the United States, and 385,000 units in Europe, where the model is called the Jazz. The car will also be recalled in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

In Japan, the recall will cost about 3.6 billion yen ($43 million) and will have negligible impact on Honda's earnings, the spokesman said.

biker

It's announcements like this that sometimes makes one wonder about the desire to have a Japanese built model of a car.

Moog-Type-S

^^ It does not make much of a difference anymore.

TSX69

Toyota Shuts Some Export Plants After Big Quake Hits Japan

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have suspended production at plants in Japan today and were assessing damage after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, triggering a tsunami and shaking buildings violently as far away as Tokyo.

The shutdown could affect exports to the United States of such cars as the Toyota Yaris sedan, the Scion XB and Scion XD, as well as the Honda Fit small car.

Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, said it evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. Toyota has two parts plants in northern Japan and it has 2 affiliates, Kanto Auto Works, Ltd. and Central Motors Co., that assemble small cars in the region.

The immediate status of those plants was still being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. "We are still trying to get information from them," he said.

Widespread Damage

The quake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time off the coast of Sendai north of the capital, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The tremor also triggered a tsunami that flooded coastal areas. Television footage showed cars being washed down flood zones like toys and large capsized cargo ships tossed sideways and jumbled together and pushed inland.

Aftershocks, many strong, rocked the region for hours afterward.

Toyota is 1 of the few Japanese automakers with a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, a region it wants to make a center for small car production. In January, its Central Motors subsidiary opened an new assembly plant just an hour's drive away from Sendai. That plant, with a capacity of 120,000 vehicles, makes the Yaris small car for export to the United States.

Toyota's Kanto Auto Works has another assembly plant in the neighboring prefecture of Iwate. That plant also makes small cars, including the Yaris sedan, the Scion XB and Scion XD for export. The Toyota parent company has two parts plants in the region as well.

"As for production from here out, we will make a decision after we get a handle on the situation," Corbett said, about when the northern plants would reopen.

Toyota plants near the company's headquarters in Toyota City, in central Japan, had resumed production as normal after brief shutdowns, Corbett said. There were no reports of injuries from those factories. Possible damage was still being assessed.

Honda and suppliers

Toyota was also confirming damage at its suppliers. Toyota Boshoku Corp. and Denso Corp., 2 of Toyota’s biggest parts makers, both reportedly suffered some plant damage.

Honda shut down 2 assembly plants immediately after the temblor, spokesman Keitaro Yamamoto said. Honda’s Suzuka plant in central Japan soon resumed production.

But the company’s Sayama plant, north of Tokyo and closer to the epicenter, remained shut down by late Friday evening. Yamamoto said Honda headquarters was having difficulty contacting its plants. The U.S.-bound Fit is among the cars produced at Sayama.

Yamamoto said the company was unsure when production would resume there.

At Honda’s r&d center in Tochigi prefecture, 1 person died and 30 were injured when the quake toppled a wall at the facility’s cafeteria. No other injuries were reported.

biker

A bad time to have a shortage of Fits.

Moog-Type-S

People will be throwing fits over shortage of fits