The Honda Fit, that small-on-the-outside, big-on-the-inside car that has been bending perceptions of three-dimensional space since 2001, was revealed in its fourth generation guise Tuesday at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Details were limited, beyond a promise that the Fit, aka the Jazz overseas, would continue to offer a surprisingly spacious cabin and fabulous seat-flipping flexibility. It will also come in five trims, and — most important — for the first time the Fit's standard powertrain will hybrid, a new two-motor system that Honda is calling e:HEV. Honda says the hybrid Fit can be driven electric-only in "virtually all situations of everyday driving," and two motors implies all-wheel drive, but Honda has yet to provide details about the system or performance numbers.
Honda says the driver's view will be enhanced with new, thinner front pillars that improve lines of sight without compromising crash safety. Windshield wipers are better tucked out of sight when not in use, and the instrument panel is low and flat. The cabin will offer more storage. There's a new LCD touchscreen interface, too, with wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity.
The cabin is equipped with new "body stabilizing" seats that Honda says it designed with its bigger sedans in mind. They promise to be better-padded and more comfortable on long trips. The rear Magic Seats that the Fit is known for promise to be every bit as versatile as before. They, too, will get more padding.
The Fit comes in five flavors:
- Basic, which is as it sounds.
- Home, with high "tactile quality" in coordinated colors and materials, fabric seats and leather wheel.
- Ness, with bolder, sportier interior colors and a padded instrument panel. They must have had the Loch Ness Monster in mind in naming this one, because the seats are water-repellant.
- Crosstar, a new trim, which adds a crossover feel with 16-inch aluminum wheels, roof rails, a taller ride height and a tougher-looking exterior.
- And Luxe, with leather seating and "platinum-style" exterior chrome accents.
The Honda Sensing suite will gain a front wide-view camera that will work with eight sonar sensors, and Honda Sensing is standard on all Fits.
And the Fit will be the first model equipped with Honda Connect onboard communications, and owners can activate the fee-based Honda Total Care premium, which will feature smartphone remote control of some vehicle functions, emergency support services, and the ability to summon a security guard if needed.
At the moment, that's all we know. We'll have to await pricing and performance details. But the wait won't be long, as the Fit is expected to arrive at dealerships in February 2020.
