2007 Honda Fit at NAIAS

DETROIT, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ – The all-new 2007 Honda Fit, a subcompact 5-door hatchback set to go on-sale in the U.S. in April, will make its U.S. debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. Already one of Honda’s hottest selling models in Asia and Europe, the Fit is designed to enter the U.S. market as leader in the subcompact segment with top-of-class feature content, refinement, interior functionality, sporty driving demeanor and high levels of standard safety equipment.

ADVERTISEMENT
Built on Honda’s legendary foundation for dependability, quality and reliability, the Fit is a premium entry-level vehicle that emphasizes style, technology and value. The Fit features a 109 horsepower 1.5-liter 4-cylinder VTEC engine, a 5-speed manual transmission or an available, first in segment, 5-speed automatic transmission, and over 90 cubic feet of passenger volume with multiple seating and cargo configurations. A Fit Sport model offers wheel-mounted paddle shifters (with automatic transmission) and a 160-watt, six-speaker audio system. Fit will be supported by a wide variety of Honda Genuine Accessories, including segment exclusive Honda Apple® iPod® Music Link®, allowing owners to personalize their Fits inside and out.

“The 2007 Fit provides a new entry point into Honda for consumers considering an attractive and efficient small car,” said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. “The large interior adapts to people or cargo like no other car in its class. It comes standard-equipped with advanced safety technology, and follows in the tradition of Honda’s fun-to- drive performance.”

Unprecedented Subcompact Seating and Cargo Flexibility

Dimensionally compact on the outside, the interior provides a surprisingly large passenger and cargo space for both maximum comfort and utility. At the foundation is the Fit’s Magic Seat™, an innovative 60/40 split rear seat that allows the seatbacks to fold down or the seat bottoms to flip up, providing four distinct seating and cargo carrying configurations (refresh mode, tall object mode, long object mode and utility mode) in addition to the standard five passenger mode. With all seats in the upright position, passenger volume measures 90.1 cubic feet (slightly less than an Accord’s passenger volume) with 21.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the second row (slightly less than an Element’s cargo volume behind the second row). In order to help maximize Fit’s useable interior space, Honda located the fuel tank in a central location towards the middle of the vehicle. This allows the cargo floor in the rear of Fit to be relatively low, thus increasing the interior volume.

Fun to Drive … Past the Pump

The 1.5-liter, SOHC, 16-valve, 4-cylinder VTEC engine generates 109 horsepower @ 5800 rpm and 105 foot-pounds of torque @ 4800 rpm. The compact and efficient powerplant features Honda’s innovative Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC™).The VTEC system’s ability to provide highly efficient operation at low engine speeds and extended performance at high engine speeds benefits fuel economy, power and low emissions.

Refinement is further enhanced with electronic Drive-by-Wire throttle control, which provides quick throttle response, smooth automatic transmission shifts (on automatic transmission models) and precise fuel delivery to the engine. Friction reducing technologies include roller bearing tipped rocker arms, a low friction timing chain tensioner, molydebenum coated piston skirts and an offset crankshaft/connecting rod design.

The suspension set up for the Fit is a combination of a front MacPherson strut/rear torsion beam with trailing arm.

The compact front suspension and rear torsion beam were both designed to allow for a large passenger cabin with a low floor to maximize the cargo carrying capacity.

Fit employs a compact, efficient and highly responsive Electric Power Steering (EPS) system that also contributes to higher fuel economy since engine power is not needed to operate a hydraulic system. The wheel size measures 14-inches with P175/65R14 tires, and 16-inch wheels with P205/45R16 are available as a dealer-installed option.

Estimated city/highway fuel economy ratings of 33/38 miles per gallon is expected to be among the highest ratings in the subcompact 5-door hatchback class. Emissions levels are rated as Low Emissions Vehicle 2 (LEV-2) by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Tier 2 / Bin 5 by the Federal government.

Top-of-Class Standard Safety Equipment

Already a leader in vehicle safety as demonstrated by Honda’s “Safety for Everyone” initiative, Honda continues to implement leading airbag technology in all vehicles regardless of size or price. The Fit has the most standard safety features in its class with no other subcompact offering as much standard advanced safety technology. Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front side airbags and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all Fit models. All seating positions have three-point seat belts, while front occupants are further protected by pre-tensioning seat belts. An enhanced knee bolster provides additional protection for passengers.

Standard active safety equipment includes anti-lock braking system (ABS) with ventilated discs in the front and drums in the back, and electronic brake distribution (EBD).

Paddle Shifters, Audio Options Define High Content Sport Model

The Fit Sport model is the only subcompact to offer steering wheel-mounted paddle shifter controls (with automatic transmission). The Sport package includes underbody kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights, security system with keyless remote entry, cruise control, and 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with P195/55R15 tires.

The Fit Sport also features a premium 160-watt, AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, a five-mode equalizer, and an auxiliary audio jack for input from a portable music player.

Most Standard Subcompact Features, Segment Exclusive Accessories

Fit comes with standard amenities such as air conditioning, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, and a two-tone interior.

The 2007 Fit promises to be one of the most customizable vehicles from Honda with approximately 30 accessories available at the dealer. Fit will offer the Honda Apple® iPod® Music Link® as a dealer-installed accessory. The Honda iPod Music Link allows the user’s iPod (sold separately) to fully interact with the audio system. A segment exclusive, Music Link will control all the iPod’s features via the audio head unit with album/song information shown on the vehicle’s audio unit LCD display. It will also charge the iPod’s battery.

Other interior accessories include an ambient lighting, trim panel accents (silver, red and blue), steering wheel covers and shift knobs. Outside, the Fit can be customized with Honda Factory Performance equipment including 16- inch alloy wheels, Sport package underbody kit, sport exhaust, chrome exhaust tip finisher, rear bumper accents and a sport mesh grille.

A consumer preview Web site for the Fit is available at fit.honda.com. Official pricing for the 2007 Honda Fit has not yet been determined.

torsion beam? Way to throw a screwdriver from the 1980s at us.

The 2007 Fit promises to be one of the most customizable vehicles from Honda with approximately 30 accessories available at the dealer.

Outside, the Fit can be customized with Honda Factory Performance equipment including 16- inch alloy wheels, Sport package underbody kit, sport exhaust, chrome exhaust tip finisher, rear bumper accents and a sport mesh grille.


:boated:

is this hondas answer to the Aveo? :yuck:

Going by this picture it could be hot
http://blog.yam.com/duketsai602/10109e4b.jpg

as if the aveo is even worth responding to …

Yeah! here’s a car that has no style, power, or cargo space! But look at the gas mileage!

IMO: The aveo is a good grandma car. Point A -> point B -> grocery store. There is no need to go FATF with this bracket. Can’t even fit a good engine under that hood, even if you wanted to do a swap for a sleeper.

Makes me wonder why GM bought Daewoo in the first place though. My grandma drives a Magnum. lol

I like it. Apparently you can fit d or b series in there too. Its not an “answer” to anything, been in asia for a good 2-3 years now.

I don’t think people here fully understand the need for smaller cars abroad. We don’t have tiny roads or huge gas prices. It’s nice that Honda and Toyota are beginning to offer these vehicles (or replacing their terrible Echo, ACK!)

there have been articles in mags that have the k series swaps into these cars… kinda like swapping a CRX lighter cars= faster cars

Honda’s Fit for the City

Under a comic-book motif and an indie-rock soundtrack, with no question as to who was being appealed to, Honda introduced its new Fit, a model specifically adapted for North America from the Jazz, a popular urban model sold in other markets including Japan and Europe.

With a 109-hp, 1.5-liter VTEC four-cylinder engine running through a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission (claimed first in segment), the Fit offers a highly flexible passenger and cargo space, with up to 90 square feet of passenger volume. Honda has something called the Magic Seat, an arrangement that allows the seatbacks to fold down or the seat bottoms to flip up-providing a deeper cargo floor for tall objects or a larger cargo area for shorter, broader objects. With all seats up in place, Honda boasts that the usable cargo area is close to that of the Element behind its second row.

Honda puts an emphasis on safety in the Fit’s packaging, as all Fits include dual front side airbags and side-curtain airbags, along with ABD and electronic brake distribution. Otherwise, the Fit definitely tends toward the basic, with a rear torsion-beam suspension, drum brakes in back, and standard 14-inch wheels, but it does come with an electric power steering system.

It’s the first car in its class to offer paddle shifters with the automatic transmission, on the Sport model. A six-speaker, 160-watt sound system is available, along with an iPod Music Link accessory. The Sport model also adds larger wheels, cruise control, and various appearance goodies. A line of customized performance equipment is also available.

As the Civic has gradually moved up in size and price over time, the Fit takes over the entry-level spot in the Honda lineup that the Civic once occupied. American Honda executive VP Dick Colliver said that Honda has the best CAFE average of any full-line automaker, by a rather significant measure, and the company can only stand to strengthen its standing with the introduction of its new Fit. -Bengt Halvorson

http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Car_Shows/Detroit_Auto_Show/2006_Detroit_Auto_Show_Part_V.S286.A9851.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/jeepsrule1/10577_GHHKFELKWJNTP.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/jeepsrule1/10578_GHBPYZXQNNWGN.jpg

Honda Fit WILL BE a great success in US market. I can guarantee that!

but, it’s a good point that in US, we don’t really need a car with small size like Fit. However, likewise in Jakarta, Indonesia, a car like Honda Fit/Jazz is currently in super high demand on the market.

Anywho, the sport version of Jazz in Indonesia features rear disk brakes instead of drums…

The bottom line: YOU guys HAVE to try and drive this car on the dealer, then you will realize how DIFFERENT this car compared to other crappy small cars made by GM or other companies!!

Fit == smooth ride, refined cabin, ACCORD-feel cabin!! NO JOKE! :slight_smile:

:tup: small, affordable, reliable. it should be a great success

the civic is getting too “nice” for its own good.

gotta admit that interior is kinda nice. wow. makes the Aveo look like total shit.

good thing, USDM version has longer nose, that also means more room for engine work, etc.

I tried to replace my father’s Honda Jazz headlight bulb, it was a bit*h! The room was so small that I can’t reach the bulb from under the hood. You actually have to do it directly by grabbing the bulb from the lower fender with your bare hand, which also means that you can’t see what’s going on…

between this and the mercedes, thats 2 of the same cars goob and joestyteS decided to post (Joes are on ubrf). are you 2 living together now?

lmao… does it come with a pink shirt?

yep, i’m sure they will sell a ton

i’m wondering how much it will cost, a focus can be had out the door for 13500 so is this going to be under 10K?