Model Lineup
With the first-generation Fit, both in the 2007 and 2008 model years, Honda offered a base version and a slightly tweaked Sport model. The same strategy will continue with the second-generation version. The Sport model will come with 16-inch wheels in place of the base’s 15s, as well as a USB audio interface. Optional for the Sport will be a navigation system with voice recognition and a 6.5-inch screen.
Design
Like the first generation, the new Fit offers a versatile, even clever interior design with a flip-and-fold rear Magic Seat and an adjustable package shelf. The Magic Seat folds with a single touch and the headrests don’t need to be removed for the seat to fold flat, even with the front seats set all the way back. Occupants can choose the standard 5-passenger seating configuration, or one of three cargo-carrying configurations: utility mode, long object mode, and tall object mode. In addition, a new hidden storage bin for small items is added under the driver’s side rear seat.
Cargo loading and unloading is enhanced by rear passenger doors that open 80 degrees and a rear hatch sill that is less than two feet above the pavement. The second-generation Fit will make access even easier—at least for Japanese buyers—offering a front passenger’s seat that rotates, a feature that Honda says will make it easier to load and unload a wheelchair.
Combined with a new body design that pushes the A-pillar (windshield support) toward the front bumper, the new Fit has what Honda calls a midsize car interior and thus it will use the same front seat frames as it does in sedans with considerably larger footprints. The width of the rear seats also has been increased, and a new headrest design should provide the driver with a better view through the interior rearview mirror.
The driver’s forward view should be enhanced by moving the A-pillars and increasing—by three times—the size of the front quarter windows. Exterior rearview mirrors also have been redesigned and enlarged. The instrument panel offers LED readouts, including current fuel economy and range figures. Fit is equipped with 10 cupholders.
