Honda Fit Sport Part 1: Design Review

Originally shown to a worldwide audience at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, the seconnd generation Honda Fit arrived in the U.S. market late in 2008 on the heels of its overachieving predecessor. Known in some markets outside the U.S. as the Honda Jazz, the new Fit builds on the qualities that made the original such a smash hit.

A good part of the original Fit's appeal here in the U.S. market had to do with timing that coincided with skyrocketing gas prices. It also happened to be a good, fun car, but its tall and narrow styling left a lot to be desired. Enter the new Fit...

The Fit conforms to Honda's philosophy of "Man Maximum - Machine Minimum", which essentially means that the priority is on functional cabin space. Thus, the windshield moves forward nearly five inches over the last Fit and the wheelbase grows by two inches, all in the interest of increased interior volume.

A welcome byproduct of those dimensional changes is that the new car looks fantastic, with a much sleeker one-box shape that in profile appears to be drawn in one uninterrupted line. The sloping A-pillar gives the window graphics a sleeker look that contributes greatly to the new car looking more sporting and premium than the original. The Fit Sport's rocker panel extensions and deeper front air-dam also do their part to give the 2009 Fit a more polished look as they're much better integrated into the overall design of the car.

In profile, we can also see the substantial front overhang, which is partially disguised by the large headlights and the tapering corners. It is this pronounced front end - slightly longer on the U.S. model Fit due to safety considerations - that provides the Honda with its five-star frontal crash rating.

Moving around to the front we find that those big headlamps combine with the rest of the front graphics to form a pleasing, friendly face that fits the character of the car perfectly. The nose that looked long in direct side-view now appears to be impossibly short due to the small hood. A quick peek will prove that the engine does in fact reside under there thanks to its transverse layout, small dimensions and Honda's ever-clever packaging.

At the back of the car we see a more evolutionary take on the original Fit, with fender forms that are better integrated and that extend into the hatch, and more distinctive taillights. The tapering roof is more apparent as it blends into the rear roof-mounted spoiler and finally, the exhaust tip of our Fit Sport brings things to a tidy finish.

Mixing the original Fit's functionality with a strong dose of refinement, this latest Honda Fit Sport proves you don't have to sacrifice style and fun to achieve space and efficiency.

Watch the video
Read Part 2: Interior & User Experience
Read Part 3: Performance

Honda Fit Sport

Performance
- Acceleration: Not exactly overwhelming, but the fantastic manual gearbox makes the adequate acceleration somewhat fun
- Handling: Better than expected given the economical nature of the car and its nose-heavy balance - actually fun to drive quickly (quickly being relative)
- Braking: It'll wiggle around a bit when you're on the binders hard, but the ABS isn't as obtrusive as anticipated - still, rear drum brakes are barely acceptable these days, bargain price or not

Design
- Exterior: HUGE improvement over the dorky styling of the previous model - actually good to look at
- Interior: Typical Honda quality with a well thought out design that is also modern and good looking

Utility
- Comfort: Excellent seats - impressive space even for rear passengers, especially considering its size
- Space: Clever "Magic" seats give you several options for cargo carrying - again, bigger inside than you'd expect

Safety
- Dynamics: Good, direct steering, but all-season tires and narrow track don't add up to tons of stability in evasive maneuvering
- Technology: Airbags galore, but stability control can only be had as a package with navigation system

Value
- Price: Starts to sneak up on the more conventional and refined Civic (crazy to write refined and Civic in the same sentence, but true)
- Mileage: One of the most economical cars out there - and FUN in the process!

Emotional Appeal
- Heart thumpin' factor: Nah. That's not exactly its mission though
- Fun to spank: Fun to drive, not exactly to spank

SPECIFICATIONS

Layout: Front engine / Front-wheel drive
Engine: 1.5 liter, inline 4
Power (SAE): 117 hp @ 6600 rpm
Torque: 106 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Gearbox: 5-speed manual
Curb Weight: 2510 lbs.
0-60 mph: 8.5 sec.
1/4 mile: 16.7 @ 83 mph
Top Speed: 114 mph
Mileage: 27 city / 33 highway
Base Price: $16,060
Competitors: Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Kia Rio5, Dodge Caliber, Honda Civic