Hmmmm. Looks great !

 

still say it needs the "Honda" grill, and not that goofy chrome bar and wide mouth.

 

There is improvement, however, over the nearly identical blue version of that concept in that the leading edge of the front wheel arch is more pronounced, and there is a definitive horizontal edge from the bottom of the grill opening to the edge of the wheel arch. Both sharpen up the front in a very positive way. In Fact, the green photo shows all creases and edges much clearer, lending the car a more purposeful image.

It's as if, in the blue images, you were supposed to get the impression of there being creases in the metal, without the need to actually put them there...very French feeling, but with a German intentionality to it. The green car takes the same exact style, but sharpens it up...much more Honda, much more Japanese. Exciting? Not particularly, but clean and efficient and purposeful.

I maintain that I would like to see the grill opening of the gray picture incorporated into the design....but the green is much better.

 

The only things I realy like are that the mirrors aren't on the doors and the headlights.

 

Hi! I got another picture see the link below.

http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hjazzii2.jpg

 

Guess you haven't seen the new CR-V yet??

 

That is very similar to a picture on page 5, but with some little changes. Good find.

 

it reminds me of those Prius taxis around Vancouver...

 

I like this! The wedge shape body, wheel flares, projector beams, sidemarkers on mirrors, and hopefully there is a moonroof . I'll take it in this color too.

 

Just make sure it has less than 2 miles on the odometer when you pick it up!!!

 

pontopt,

That picture posted by Henry is probably the closest to what the 2008 Fit will look like.

I think the 2008 Fit for North America will sport the following changes:

1. All-new 1.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine with direct fuel injection rated at 122 bhp (SAE 08/04 net) but with fuel efficiency more akin to the i-DSI engines.

2. Your choice of six-speed manual or CVT-7 automatic (North American market Fits will no longer use the 5AT automatic).

3. New instrument panel that will now include a true temperature gauge. Expect options for full navigation system and/or automatic climate control.

4. North American market cars will be built at Honda's new Greensburg, IN assembly line.

 

why exactly would they mount a 6speed to a 1.5L? and i doubt the creature comforts will see the light here in the U.S.

 

The Greensburg facility won't be building anything before the 09 model year. And while Japn may get these features adding them to a Fit over here would put the price and content above the Civic and that simply isn't going to happen.

Honda has stated that the next hybrid will be a dedicated hybrid and will not be the FIT.

You will get a hp incease but I would expect 115-118 range, and I would not be surprised to see a CVT only for the transmission no manual.

 

I think at least the navigation system will be offered on the new Fit as a US$1,200 option for the North American market. The automatic climate control might not make it, since it's almost exclusively JDM production that gets automatic climate control as an option.

Since the EPA now mandates low-sulfur motor fuels, Honda can safely integrate direct fuel injection into their NA-market engines since there are no worries about sulfur compounds damaging the injectors used on DI systems. That's why I think we'll see a 1.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine with DI rated at 122 bhp (SAE 08/04 net) for NA-market Fits. As for going to CVT automatic, because demand for the Civic with the 5AT is so strong in both North America and eastern Asia, Honda is running at capacity building 5AT units just for the Civic; therefore, it would be better if the new Fit goes CVT only for the automatic transmission, especially considering the success of the NA-market Nissan Versa with the JATCO CVT unit.

 

While it may be a dedicated car I think it will use the new Fit platform as its basis for the design. I wouldn't be surprised it is a four-door sedan, since Americans have a strong preference for this configuration.

 

Why would Honda give us anything better than the ~110 hp that they are giving us now? Most of their more recent competitors (Yaris and Rio5) have engines this size. Yes, the Versa has a larger engine, but it's a lot heavier car and arguably not a sub-compact.

 

We'll see what actually happens next spring. What honda puts out as a prototype rarely translates into the real world from what i have seen.

 

I think Honda floated the end of model life cycle 2007 Fit in NA as a trial balloon and sorta play catch-up with Toyota and their Scion brand. However, it looks like Toyota is set to lower the boom. The Yaris is starting to hit the streets in NA (a significantly more modern car than the smidgen of Fits we've seen in NA) and next comes all new Scion vehicles (Xa and Xb to be completely replaced).

I think Honda is going to get out of this segment in NA to focus in Japan and to focus on the Civic range on up, it's real bread and butter in NA. Right now, the new Camry is killing the Accord. So, with oil and gas prices coming back down, look for the 2007 Fit to be the last Honda this size in NA for some time.

 

I think Honda is going to get out of this segment in NA to focus in Japan and to focus on the Civic range on up, it's real bread and butter in NA. Right now, the new Camry is killing the Accord. So, with oil and gas prices coming back down, look for the 2007 Fit to be the last Honda this size in NA for some time.

This observation is not correct. When the plan to build the facility was released to the media, Honda had announced in Japan that the Fit would be built in Greensburg IN starting in 2008. They will not be getting out of this segment in North America. In fact, they will be adding more to it. The Civic going slightly upscale has created a zone for the Fit.

Honda has a lot to thank Toyota for the development of this market segment with the success of Scion. That became a discovery for the Japanese automakers that there is a volume to be picked up.

 

The Camry is only beating the Accord due to its rental rocket status. Toyota needs to worry about there falling reliability and the fact that they have more recalled vehicles than sold vehicles. Honda bases very few of there decisions on what Toyota does. And if Toyota is so dominant tell them to start putting there vehicles in comparisons with Honda. They lost 5 in a row so now they took there ball and went home.