Honda Fit Hatchback-2015

PREVIEW

Honda introduced the Fit eight years ago and pulled off an incredible feat: It made subcompact cars a legitimate, even desirable, category. With flexible interior seating and cargo configurations, a fuel-efficient engine and quirky style, the Fit proved that you didn't need to suffer an anonymous econobox just for good mileage. The 2015 Honda Fit marks the first comprehensive redesign in the model's short history.

Quirky style carries over, but grows more assertive with a new grille and headlamp design, LED taillights and larger, 16-inch wheels. The new Fit's overall body length shrinks 1.6 inches, but it's also slightly wider and rides on a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase and revised suspension components for improved handling and maneuvering. The longer wheelbase and revised interior packaging also yield more overall passenger room and rear seat legroom (up 4.8 inches).

The 2015 Fit's roomier cabin sacrifices 5 cubic feet of cargo space, however, although the versatile fold-flat "Magic Seat" still offers multiple arrangements suited to a full load of passengers, a few mountain bikes and most things in between.

The new Honda Fit will use a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine incorporating direct injection for improved efficiency. Rated at 130 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque -- better on both counts than the current Fit's four-cylinder -- the new engine will pair with a six-speed manual transmission or a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Honda says CVT-equipped models will return an estimated 36 mpg combined (33 city/41 highway), which is 5 mpg combined better than the current Fit.

Standard features include a rearview camera and Bluetooth connectivity, while premium options include a sunroof, leather seating, heated front seats, keyless entry/ignition, a front passenger side blind-spot camera, and a 7-inch touchscreen interface with smartphone connectivity.

Rather than import the Fit from Japan as before, Honda will build the 2015 model at a new factory in Mexico, which should translate into a better selection at dealers. This also paves the way for a new Fit-based crossover that will use the same 1.5-liter engine, be smaller than the CR-V crossover and possibly offer all-wheel drive in the United States. In Japan, Honda will call it the "Vezel." Expect a slightly less puzzling phonetic mash-up when it goes on sale in the U.S. in 2015.

The 2015 Honda Fit goes on sale this spring. Pricing has not been announced. Check back for more information on the new Fit, including specs, driving impressions and buying advice as it becomes available.

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Honda Fit Hatchback-2013

PREVIEW

In recent years, your search for a subcompact car would have begun and ended with the Honda Fit. It has been efficient, fun to drive, astonishingly versatile and blessed with Honda's long-standing reputation for reliability. It also helped that its scant few competitors weren't worth considering unless a dealer gave you an offer you couldn't refuse, not to mention a free gym membership. Things have changed, though, and now the 2013 Honda Fit is now just one among a slew of thoroughly impressive subcompacts.

To make it a bit easier to make a choice in this now crowded market segment, let's look at why the Fit continues to be such a desirable little car. Its four-cylinder engine may not be the most fuel-efficient in the subcompact class, but it'll still save you plenty at the gas pump. This is also an enjoyable little car to drive, harking back to Honda's early days when tiny, nimble hatchbacks were its calling card. This ability to be both fun and frugal is something everyone should be able to support.

Yet it's functionality that truly sets the Fit apart from the pack. Thanks to clever packaging, the Fit offers a perfectly flat load floor when the rear seats are folded down. The resulting 57 cubic feet of cargo space is more than that contained within some compact crossovers. And the backseat tricks don't end there. Its seat bottom flips up, leaving a flat, unencumbered space perfect for transporting a large dog or perhaps a flat-screen TV. Should you need it for actually carrying people, the Fit provides one of the most spacious, passenger-friendly cabins in the class.

So why is your decision difficult? Well, its many new competitors outdo the Fit in a number of different ways. The Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio offer a more comfortable ride on the road, stronger brakes, more efficient and/or powerful engines, and quieter, higher-quality interiors. The Fit also doesn't offer several of the comfort, convenience and technology features offered by these competitors. As a result, we suggest taking a look at all these excellent choices, although we should also clarify that the 2013 Honda Fit remains a reliable, fuel-efficient and tremendously versatile little hatchback.

FEATURES

The 2013 Honda Fit is a subcompact, four-door hatchback available in two trim levels: Fit and Fit Sport.

The base Fit comes standard with 15-inch steel wheels, full power accessories, keyless entry, air-conditioning, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40-split backseat (folding seatback, flip-up seat bottom) and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.

The Fit Sport adds 16-inch alloy wheels, foglamps, a rear spoiler, sporty styling elements, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, transmission paddle shifters (automatic transmission), a driver armrest, floor mats and a six-speaker sound system. The only option available for the Sport is a navigation system, which includes a touchscreen interface, Bluetooth phone connectivity and voice controls.

INTERIOR

The Fit's passenger cabin gets points for stylish design, though the quality of the materials is just so-so. Cars like the Ford Fiesta and Kia Rio have a more premium feel. Seating comfort is good all around, including a rear seat that can accommodate two adults with nary a complaint. Unfortunately, the lack of driver seat height adjustment means some drivers will struggle to get comfortable.

What really sets the Fit's interior apart, though, is the cleverly designed 60/40-split "Magic" rear seat. Flipping up the seat bottom creates a tall, narrow opening that accommodates taller items that would not otherwise fit within such a small car and also reveals a handy storage compartment. The Fit is also a great choice for those with large dogs -- Fido can easily lie across the floor. Fold both rear seatbacks down and you have a flat load floor with 57.3 cubic feet of cargo room, which is just as much as in several small crossovers. If that's not enough, the Fit's front seat also folds flat to allow you to squeeze in items nearly 8 feet long.A

UNDER THE HOOD

Every 2013 Honda Fit is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 117 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic is optional. The latter includes shift paddles on the steering wheel for manual control with the Fit Sport model.

In Autoexpress performance testing, the Fit Sport with the manual went from zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, which is average for this class of car. With the automatic, that time drops to 11 seconds, which is below average.

EPA-estimated fuel economy is 27 mpg city/33 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined with the manual. The base Fit with the automatic returns 28/35/31, while the Fit Sport automatic returns 27/33/30.

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