this article seems to be full of inaccurate info concerning the fit.... but read it and tell me what you make of it.

Honda plant fit for expansion? | IndyStar.com

 

oops. should this be in the "front page news" forum?
sorry. i'm new here.

anyway... excerpt from the article:

"Fit is a relatively new import from Japan. Last year, Honda sold 56,432 of the cars in the U.S. The Fit slated to go on sale in the U.S. in 2010 is the model-year 2011 vehicle, now being redesigned in Japan. When car companies redesign a model, it also causes the parts suppliers to think ahead about how and where they will make the components for it.
"This would basically be the next generation Fit coming to the United States'' in 2010, Jantzi said. "If the suppliers don't already have a location in the United States, there is the potential for them to come over with the new model.''"

wtf?

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!

I just hope that production forecaster is as wrong as a weather forcaster. I dunno........does it sound like it makes sense? the xD is out, new Aveo is going to be out and whatever the new subcompact from Ford in 2009(?). That could make the current Fit the weakest small car for awhile if her prediction is true and is that something Honda wants to do? Well with the rate it sells right now, it isn't a problem but who knows.....I'm just a consumer but I personally don't like it if it's true. The idea seems pretty good, not constantly importing a popular car from Japan and building them in the U.S. for the North American market (S.A. have their own plant right?). I don't know...if I don't see any news on the new Fit for N.A. then I'll continue driving my "boring" Camry or....*eyes the xB*

 

that exactly what the article is intended to be, a POSSIBILTY of what production may happen at the new plant.

from a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense for honda. produce 3 great-selling vehicles in the US, eliminate the need for overseas shipping, etc.

but the fact remains, no one will know until there are official announcements, or we see them rolling off the assembly lines in IN.

 

Or maybe that isn't a good thing if they hold off for that long? Having parts for both the new Fit and the old Fit for only North America? Whatever, I didn't major in business so I'll just wait for any offical announcement from Honda themselves.

 

I am no analyst nor a market researcher and I think the word
demographics belongs in a political campain.
But I would think that if Honda wants to stay as competitive as
they currently are with the Fit (subcompact class) they indeed might want to step it up and get the new gen Fit over here ASAP.

Personally (in my imaginary world) I would like to see a tiny revamp
of the current fit with better MPG (by whatever means) for the USDM
market, for a year or two more and then show up with the next full Gen.
Just like Honda did with its 7th gen civic (but a bit further...not just tiny
cosmetic stuff)
I guess it would just be a mid model change...but a usefull one
Maybe even an actuall real sport and/or economy version.

I dont see anything in the article that is alarming, it sound more like
premature thoughts being thrown around vague issues.

 

HAHAHAHAA...I immediately thought of you when I read it
but seriously for you

 

Or could it mean the first batch of '09's could come from Japan?

 

Here's the problem with analysts. They are usually involved in the very same industry they are analyzing. Meaning they usually have some kind of financial stake directly or indirectly so they will always try to spin things to make it sound like something good.

Sound familiar? *cough REAL ESTATE cough*

For the past 2-5 years before the real estate meltdown, the real estate experts and industry analysts said everything is fine, we are all good. Why did they say that? Because they were getting paid. And heaven forbid they make the industry look bad. Because they might lose money themselves if people thought that. Yet when people from other industries with no ties to real estate looked at the books, they all pretty much said WTF??!!

Hence while this article makes sense, they seem to forget the economy is in hold mode, chances of expansion for any of the auto company is slim. If anything everyone will just sit tight to see where the economy and consumer spending goes. If the economy and sales tank, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to determine that expansion does nothing but increase your costs. Nice to have more cars, but if theres no one to buy them, you're hosed.

 

Haha... I'm just saying: If you were a super amazing stock analyst who knows the in's and out's of the market and who can make all the right moves, wouldn't you involve yourself in the stock market?

Analysts know they aren't popular enough to change public opinion. They've taken Economics classes and know that one person's little article can't really change anything.

 

Demographics are definitely important in sales.

If you make a product, you HAVE to consider who will want to buy it. The Fit fits a couple places: Younger first time buyers since it's on the lower cost end, and probably people wanting a commuter car. I'm the latter. I know of at least a couple other Fit owners that bought it to use as a commuter, since their former primary vehicle was impractical. I have a Boxster, which is decent as a daily driver, and gets a respectable 22mpg average, it's just not entirely practical. I know Wave here has (or at least had) an XTerra. I recall he said he got 16mpg out of that.

Anyway... What I'd love to see in the Fit is a small diesel engine. That alone would probably put it into the 50+ if not 60+ MPG range in one simple move.

Moving a lot of our cars to diesel would greatly reduce our dependence on oil. Not eliminate it, but when you have one car that gets 35mpg on gas, and the same car that gets 55mpg on diesel, well, that's about 40% less fuel used for the same driving!

 

i too use the fit as a 2nd car. i bought it so's i could buy corvette, or maybe a EVO X or some similar performance car. current 2nd car is a WRX.

here's what I'd like to see.

FIT HF, diesel, 50 to 60 mpg
FIT Standard probably similar to the current base
FIT SI, sported up with one of their 200hp performance 2 liters..

sorta like they used to have with the CRX.

 

I have recently read in an article from Reuters (Japan) that Honda plans to continue the parallel production of the previous generation Fit and the new Fit "for the time being," without the source specifying what that means. However, that may be enough information to indicate that there will not be the new NA Fit release in the near future, which I would translate as at least two quarters away.

If Honda can get away "for the time being" with selling the previous-generation Fit, on a strict business basis that would be a great deal for the company, as the old Fit and its capital investment should have been fully amortized by now.

There is remarkably little information out there about the new Fit for NA.

 

that's what is frustrating the hell out of me.

i have an old car w/ 175,000 miles, leaking head gasket, electrical problems, among other things.
after a couple of months of research, i made a firm decision to buy a fit. but i want the new fit.... or at least get a chance to check it out firsthand.

i may have to sink a lot of money into maintaining the old car or bite the bullet and get the current fit.

 

Hehe thats true. I was just thinking from the media/consumer standpoint. If I ran a media business and I wanted to know about a certain industry. I would ask someone from another industry to do some research on the industry in question. That way I know their opinion is not swayed by personal gains, because they aren't involved with the industry in question.

 

Guys who knows if this is forsure, if Honda didnt say this i wont belive it till i see it.

Tyler

 

I know it was a joke ...apparently a not so funny one..haahaa
hence the> <"sarcastic" smilie

 

all new fit will be on display at the new york international auto show in new york city next month.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. :: All-New 2009 Honda Fit to Make World Debut at New York International Auto Show