Tokyo Preview: New 2009 Honda Fit leaks onto the web
Click the Fit for more angles
The German general public is still making their way through the myriad halls of the Frankfurt Motor Show but here on the interwebs it's time to shift our focus over to the other side of our pale blue dot. The Tokyo Motor Show is coming in about a month and Honda is likely to take the wraps of the next generation of the Jazz/Fit at that time. The first official images have made their way out and you'll surely be shocked to hear that the Fit has grown by a couple of inches in length and wheelbase. The styling has a more pronounced one-box shape with a steeper windshield rake and larger windows at the base of the A-pillars. 1.3L and 1.5L engines should be available in Japan but we'll probably only see the larger one here. Hopefully the new Fit will make it's way stateside by this time next year.
Gallery: 2009 Honda Fit (JDM)
[Source: CarScoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
armmat 2:26PM (2/19/2008)
5 cup holders to 10....YEP...this car is DEFINITELY made for dumbsh*t americans.
Reply
armmat 2:39PM (2/19/2008)
Another thing to remember is the current Fit does not have as low an emissions level as the new Civic...which is very disappointing. For a car this small and light, it should blow away the Civic..it doesn't.
Reply
evan thomas 5:06PM (3/09/2008)
for someone like myself who has driven a subaru outback for years and desperately wants/needs a hybrid wagon, (and refuses an SUV hybrid), this is perfect. i needed a LARGER honda Fit, so i am thrilled they increased the size - to make room for my english mastiff. i can't wait to make this purchase!
Reply
gene somers 9:08AM (4/24/2008)
They do it every time. They have a great car with great mileage and then they make it bigger. It doesnt have to be bigger. It has plenty of room now. It also doesnt need a bigger engine. Its a snappy engine now with plenty of pickup. Come on Honda, play with all your other models, just leave the fit alone please.
Reply
gene somers 9:10AM (4/24/2008)
Heres what the fit really needs.
1. driver right arm rest
2. slow down the intermitant wipers
3. smooth out the wheel wells so ice doesnt accumulate and rub tires in northern states. Thats all it needs.
Reply
Hodad 8:09PM (9/06/2008)
The need for a bigger Fit is obvious when you consider that it will eventualy sport a multi fuel V-8 engine capable of running on everything from used french fry oil to nitro for drag nights and club racing. I recommend they reduce the cup holders to six as Budweizer has yet to introduce the much talked about 10 pack. All things considered, its a work in progress. I can't wait till they put a winch on the front bumper to suplement the performance and off road potential of the AWD in 2009. Hummers beware. In place of the cup holders I also strongly petitioned american Honda to re engineer the under seat storage so as to maintain heat and storage for a large thick crust or pan type pizza. Sushi sucks incidentaly and I think that's all the currrent storage space will hold / some California rolls you know.
Reply
CRAZYSLIM 9:50PM (7/31/2008)
WELL I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE NEW 2009 HONDA FIT COME OUT I REAL LIKE WHAT I HAVE BEEN SEE, AND WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE ON NOW.
Reply
Brenden 1:48PM (8/09/2008)
I'm also interested in buying a 2009 Fit. Does anyone know when it will be available? Does anyone know whether the mileage will be the same as the current generation Fit?
Rob O\\\'Daniel 8:34AM (9/21/2007)
Bigger? Ack! The whole appeal was in its smaller size!
Reply
D. See 8:57AM (9/21/2007)
Why must everything grow in size, especially for the U.S. market? Is it because we're all eating too many Big Mac's?
Rob O\\\'Daniel is right. The big appeal with the fit is it's diminutive size, with it's already big-enough interior volume. The Scion xB has already been ruined by bloating and is now a boring, bloated ugly-assed vehicle. I like the design-shape of the new Fit, and the interior looks sweet too, but they should have kept the current wheelbase and dimensions intact.
Oh yeah, we should also have the choice of the smaller motor as well. Will fuel economy suffer with the new unit? I'd love to see the Honda clean diesel in this car...that would be a dream come true.
Reply
mike 10:08AM (9/21/2007)
Any chance they will Hybridize this car?
Reply
GoodCheer 10:31AM (9/21/2007)
I'm also disappointed at the new Fit (and Xb) being bigger than before, but I doubt sales will suffer much in the states. I think most of the car-buying public is less enamored of little cars than most of the folks on this site.
That being said, I do think there are enough of us greenies that the smaller engine option, in the current (smaller) Fit would indeed sell more than well enough to justify the crash-testing and stuff Honda would have to do to bring it over.
Ah well. They probably do more market analysis than I do.
Reply
Jankdc 6:44PM (9/21/2007)
I remember when the first xb came out, so many of them were around. I don't see anywhere as many of the new models since its release.
Reply
Gordio 4:31PM (9/21/2007)
It's only two inches longer and 0.8 wider (exterior dimensions). I wouldn'tve minded if it was wider by much more. Wideness usually doesn't hurt.
The car has ten cupholders up from 5, which is the most suprising upgrade.
This car comes out in US a lil later, late 2008. I hope a diesel drivetrain comes out by then. I currently drive a MT Fit, and a clean diesel car (accord, fit, or anything) is the only thing that can replace my beloved Fit.
Reply
Robie 9:21AM (7/10/2008)
Europe has had the diesel Fit (70 mpg) for a couple of years now. EPA regulations will not allow it to be sold in the US at this time. VERY interesting indeed.
shmuupy 6:43PM (9/21/2007)
longer is not great, but it does look good. I'm glad to see honda investing in this type of car.
i'd like a diesel plug-in hybrid, and then i'd happily salute Honda, shut up about green cars and focus on other things in the world.
Reply
Dustin 1:13AM (9/24/2007)
It's not necessarily longer. The comparison is to the previous Japanese market Fit. At 153.5 inches, the new Fit pictured is still almost FOUR inches shorter than our current U.S. market Fit (157.4in).
Reply
Dustin 1:18AM (9/24/2007)
Oh and someone wondered whether fuel economy will suffer with the new car... it most certainly will not. Even with its slight increase in size, the car has only gained 22lbs. And the engine will now be i-VTEC instead of just VTEC, giving the car greater efficiency. ABG should do a full write up on this car the same as we got on the Mazda2 and its means of efficiency.
Reply
Sam Abuelsamid 5:54AM (9/24/2007)
Dustin as soon as Honda provides all that information to the rest of us we will do a full evaluation of the differences between the old and new Fit.
Reply
MikeW 12:50PM (9/24/2007)
'i-vtec' is marketing speak. It is a meaningless term seeing as Honda has used it to refer to a combination camshaft phasing/camshaft switching system and also the R18A engine in the civic, which doesn't have camshaft phasing and inverse half VTEC (operates on only one valve, at part load, and low speeds 1000-3500)
The current US markeet fit doesn't have variable valve timing, it can't because it only has one camshaft. It has camshaft lobe profile switching, or at least reverse switching. Below about 3400rpm one intake valve's lift is reduced (and also the duration) so consider it a 1.25/2 valves per cylinder system.
The fit doesn't have a variable intake manifold or auxiliary air flow control valve. The engine relies on external exhaust gas recirculation for mileage.
So % of egr allowed can be greater when the engine is not on vtec, which kind of explains why the automatic fit gets better highway mileage than the 5 speed stick.
Is the new fit 118hp@6600 or 6000. It doesn't look like the engine has dual camshafts or variable valve timing because peak torque is at a too high of engine speed.
Reply