hello everyone. i wonder what you guys think the surprises will be for the US fit. it says on the honda website that there will be a few surprises for those just expecting the steering wheel to be on the left... is honda turning the fit into a mini suv? a hybrid? a sedan model as well as the regular 5 door hatch? what do you guys think?

 

I think there are a number of potential surprises I can take an educated guess at:

1. It will retain the CVT automatic, contrary to what others have said. But forget about the CVT-7, which might add too much expense to the car. If not the CVT, it could be the first Fit variant to use the Antonov AAD lightweight six-speed automatic, the first production application of this innovative automatic transmission design.

2. It might use an engine not used on the Fit before, namely a variant of the SOHC i-VTEC engine used on the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid (minus the Integrated Motor Assist hardware, of course!). The engine will be probably 1.5-liters in displacement and generate about 112-115 bhp SAE 08/04 net, but will be very fuel efficient.

3. It may have an all-new front instrument panel (not as radical as the current Civic's but probably something more akin to the 6th-generation Civic, with speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge). Navigation system will be optional, probably a US$800 option.

4. Only tire option with be 186/55R15.

5. It will have thte full Magic Seat rear seat configuration, including the "Refresh" configuration.

 

100 % cosmetic changes only and all mechanicals will be from the exsisting parts bins - no different engines OR transmissions.
Go look at the VTEC temple asia for the link to the MMC change page - THAT"S what we're getting.
Remember Honda is still in a sales evaluation phase for this model - Honda's CEO even said that they would wait to see how it does before considering expansion into north american production for Fit.
I highly doubt given the estimated sales target of only 60K models for '06 that we'd be seeing any major market exclusive content at this point

 

If that's the case you can forget about Honda using a five-speed conventional automatic on the North American-market Fit. It would be very expensive for Honda to retool its assembly line for such an application and also emissions qualification is an issue, too. But I still have a hunch Honda decided not to sell the CVT-7 unit in order to cut costs--essentially we'll get the Fit very similar to the model sold in Mexico ("normal" CVT and five-speed manual only).

 

I still think that 5 sp AT line from the VTEC source is a bunch of crap - call me wrong but I agree - why major re-tool just for 60K US bound cars?

 

Maybe I am just parinoid, but maybe the big suprise is that all 60,000 slated units are already been spoken for and sold already and we are just going to have to deal with free posters of Fit's until 2007!!

DO you think there wil be enough Fits to go around?? (biting nails)

 

Prey for rear disc brakes, sorely missed

 

A couple of comments:

1. The original 50,000 Fits to be sold in calendar year 2006 is a minimum that Honda will sell in the USA. I think it's more likely Honda will sell as many as 90,000 Fits, depending on how much Honda can produce at its Japanese production line.

2. Most Fit/Jazz models sold around the world have four-wheel disc brakes anyway, so I expect the US-market machine to have vented front disc brakes and solid rear disc brakes.

 

All fits manufactured in Japan had drum rear brakes. With this latest 2006 JDM makeover in Japan it brings rear discs in line with all the newer production facilities around the world including Thailand, China and Brazil.

 

Man, the surprises are disappointing.... boring. No CVT, same old honda fit exterior, and poor gas mileage. who wants a 5 year old car? that is why i didn't buy a scion tb or xa cause i heard toyota was already selling them in japan for 8 years before bringing them to the US. I was so hoping to get a new honda fit but now i might go with the toyota yaris 5 dr hatchback if toyota is going to release it here in the US. now i have to wait till the end of the year for my new car and it will not be a honda. i'm not even going to hold my breath for the honda crv cause it will probably be ugly anyway. I am so dissapointed in honda. first the current generation accord looked like a buick/saturn with that fugly back before changing it to a mercedes c/e class + cadillac something copycat. then the new civic is pretty bland. the front of the civic is like some old accord model from the 90s + saturn. the back of the civic is like an uglified (if there is such word) audi A4 for the civic sedan and audi TT for the civic coupe. the profile of the civic is nice but the front and back is fugly. Honda stylings have gone down the hill in recent years. i mean look at the ugly honda element, the accord before they changed the back, the current civic, and the ridgeline is not a looker either. the exterior of the fit is too mini minivan like. the only thing i like about the american fit is the interior. so much better looking and upscale than the toyota yaris. As for fuel economy. what the hell is honda thinking? i mean come on honda. the car is smaller than the civic and it has much less horsepower and still worst gas mileage than the civic. i would expect at least in the 45 mpg range for such low power car. i look for gas mileage, technology and styling in a car. why can't honda make the honda line better looking like the acura line? the acura line is getting better looking while the honda line is getting dumber and conservative looking. honda is starting to looking like boring american cars. my next car is so going to be a Toyota or anything not Honda, GM or Ford. Hyundai is starting to look good to me. well this is my rant about honda.

One more thing. Is CVT better than a tradition automatic transmission?

 

so no "fitfoyou" eh? then get a toyota. thier wallets DEFINITELY need to be bigger.

 

also...the Yaris has that damn center mounted speedo, no tach, and looks CHEAP inside.

 

oh yeah s600=dream. the yaris is really stupid looking inside and really, really cheap looking compared to the fit. both vehicles have lower fuel economy than i expected. i mean the current corolla has better fuel economy than the yaris. what gives? so no yaris or fit for me. going to wait for the next corrolla. with what toyota is doing to their designs i really like the direct they are going in exterior designs. i like the yaris, the tocoma, and new camry. starting to look more like lexus now. i might get a hyundai or something cause i really need a cheap car with utilities and good mpg. the honda fit just doesn't fit me.