Mazda 2 Coming to Canada? = More Competition for the Honda FIT!

NEW YORK – The Mazda2, a slick little subcompact sold in Europe and Asia, is coming to Canada, confirmed Mazda Motor Corporation president and CEO Takashi Yamanouchi.


“I've just decided,” said Yamanouchi, a 42-year veteran of Mazda who assumed the top job last November.

The Globe and Mail is the first news outlet to confirm that the Mazda2 will join Mazda Canada' lineup. The announcement was not part of formal Yamanouchi's formal remarks during press days for the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Centre.

While Yamanouchi would not confirm an exact launch date, sources suggest the Mazda2 would go on sale within the next year. It is designed to compete against the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Aveo, among others.

The Mazda2, of course, is the foundation for the Ford Fiesta already on sale in Europe and other markets. The Fiesta is due at a 2011 model. Yamanouchi said Mazda has wrestled with the decision to add the subcompact to the Mazda Canada's lineup.

“There has been a lot of discussion about that,” he said. “There is concern it would cannibalize Mazda3 sales. We need it to be incremental.”

The Mazda3 is the Canadian operation's most important model by far. The compact was Canada's best-selling car overall for the first two months of this year and No. 3 overall in Canada in 2008, behind the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Mazda officials are rightly concerned that some buyers might opt for the less expensive Mazda2 rather than purchase the Mazda3. Mazda would need to price the Mazda2 starting below $15,000 for it to make any sense at all and that is at least $1,000 less than the most economical Mazda3.

Pricing the Mazda2 so that it can be profitable and also compete effectively won't be easy. The strong yen makes Japanese exports expensive overseas.

Nonetheless, Yamanouchi said that Canada is Mazda's fourth-largest market in the world and plays a critical role in the company's fortunes. Given 50 per cent of all passenger car sales in Canada are comprised of compact and subcompact models, Mazda Canada has been under pressure to sell the Mazda2 for some time.

News of the Mazda2 coming to Canada was the most startling development during a second media day at the New York show. But it was by far not the only announcement.

Subaru unveiled the 2010 Legacy sedan and Outback wagon, promising to tackle rivals such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Malibu with more vigor.

Subaru Canada president and CEO Katsuhiro Yokoyama said the outgoing all-wheel-drive Legacy is slightly undersized compared to other midsize sedans. But the 2010 model, with its all-new platform, more robust styling and added features, is better positioned to take on the sales leaders in the midsize sedan segment.

“Now we can compete, but first we must get on the shopping list,” he said.

That means Subaru Canada will not cut its marketing budget this year in an effort to reach out to new customers. The company is reasonably well positioned to do so, too. Last year Subaru Canada had its best sales year ever, selling nearly 20,000 vehicles despite the economic downturn. Sales remain strong this year, also.

Yokoyama said Subaru's success in Canada can be traced to the new models launched in the last 18 months. The Forester crossover, in fact, won its category in the annual car of the year awards handed out by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The Impreza compact, meanwhile, is one of the few AWD compact cars sold in Canada and it enjoys a strong reputation for safety and reliability.

The third pillar in the company's product lineup in Canada is the Legacy/Outback combination. It will roll into dealer showrooms late this summer. Pricing will be announced later this year.


Other announcements at the show:
Scion, Toyota's youth brand, showed a minicar concept clearly based on the Toyota iQ sold in Europe and Asia. Scion comes to Canada next year and a production version of the minicar might be part of the lineup, competing against the Smart fortwo.

Mercedes-Benz showed the E63 AMG, a 518-horsepower version of the E-Class; Hyundai previewed the next Santa Fe with a crossover concept; Mitsubishi had an upscale concept version of its Outlander crossover; and Acura's ZDX prototype, based on the MDX crossover utility platform, will go on sale in the fall. The ZDX is a so-called four-door coupe and will be built in Alliston, Ontario.


Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/driving/

Honda Fit named MOTORING’s Car of the Year

Toronto, Ontario - Canadian television show MOTORING has named the Honda Fit as its 2009 Car of the Year. This year’s edition named winners in 13 categories plus the overall winner, including a new Green Power category.

For the first time in the show’s 22-year history, two cars tied, resulting in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru WRX STI sharing honours for Performance Car Under $35,000. The new Green Power category went to GM and Chrysler’s shared Two-Mode Hybrid System, which edged out the Volkswagen TDI and Mercedes-Benz BlueTec diesel technologies.

To watch the show online, visit MOTORING.

The winners for 2009 were:
Overall: Honda Fit
Small Car: Honda Fit
Family Car Under $30,000: Mazda6
Family Car Over $30,000: Pontiac G8
Sports Car: Dodge Challenger
Luxury Car: Hyundai Genesis
Prestige Car: Lexus IS F
Performance Car Under $50,000: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution/Subaru WRX STI (tie)
Performance Car Over $50,000: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
CUV Under $35,000: Subaru Forester
CUV Over $35,000: Ford Flex
SUV: Suzuki Grand Vitara
Pickup Truck: Ford F-150
Green Power: GM/Chrysler Two-Mode Hybrid

Source;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/2009/03/30/honda-fit-named-motorings-car-of-the-year.htm

Honda To Construct Jazz Subcompact In UK From 2009

This is NOT the vehicle that they are talking about, this was an older rendering of the Insight.

Honda Motor Co Ltd has made announcement that the company will soon begin constructing the new variant of the popular Jazz subcompact at its factory in Britain coming fiscal, to meet the mounting demand for fuel-efficient cars in Europe.

The company has unveiled the new Jazz, called Fit in some markets, at the Paris auto show.

The Jazz sold in Europe is presently imported from Japan and China.

Honda CEO Takeo Fukui also rolled out Insight, its new low-cost hybrid, that would achieve fuel-efficiency similar to the Civic hyrbrid but at a "significantly reduced price."

Source;

http://www.stockwatch.in/honda-construct-jazz-subcompact-uk-2009-21339

Ings+1 N-SPEC Honda Fit

Own a 2009 Fit? Wanna give it some serious attitude? Well brace yourself with the Ings+1 N-SPEC. This kit (more information below) doesn't include a performance upgrade, you'll have to check with other manufacturers about that. Anyway, feel free to contact the folks of INGS+1 directly for further information and prices.

DEMO CAR SPEC DATA

- WHEEL : RAYS / VOLK RACING RE30 '08 FORMULA LIMITED EDITION[ F 17 X 7.5J +43 R 17 X 7.5J +43 ]- TYRE : BRIDGESTONE / POTENZA RE050 [ F 215/40ZR17 R 215/40ZR17 ]- SPACER : R 8mm- SUSPENSION :- SEAT : BRIDE / DIGO x2- BRAKE : F ENDLESS SS-M

Original Source;
http://www.nihoncar.com/en/news-910-Ings%2B1+N-SPEC+Honda+Fit.html
Actual Link; INGS 1

More Info on the 2009 Honda FIT

THE BODY

The 2nd generation Fit features several design innovations to further enhance its active, smart appearance, aerodynamically sleek form and highly rigid construction. Most striking among these is the super-forward aero-form design, achieved by positioning the front pillar as far forward as possible, for maximum visual impact. The expanded windshield and large front quarter windows improve visibility while making the cabin feel even more spacious. A distinctive honeycomb grille and larger, more sharply styled headlights add a feel of dynamism and presence. Fluid, arcing lines highlight the sleek contours of the upper body’s tapered, aerodynamic form.

Structural innovations in key areas throughout the body and frame increase rigidity with minimum additional weight, resulting in a highperformance body structure with compliant handling and enhanced safety performance. The Fit’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure contributes to improved vehicle rigidity in addition to frontal collision safety. Strengthening of stress-bearing areas in the frame helps reduce vibrations that can cause noise and hum. The amount of high-tensile steel in the Fit’s body has been increased from 40% to 54%, and front body rigidity has been increased 164%.

Small exterior, easy to access, spacious interior, with great maneuverability

While the 2nd generation Fit has grown compared to the model it replaces, it is by no means big. The Fit is now slightly wider and longer, but its height remains unchanged. With its greater length, the wheelbase has also grown. This coupled with the vehicle’s wider track results in an improved curb to curb turning diameter (10.5m). Specific measures were taken to optimize interior space, like repositioning the slightly taller windshield and roof peak (the roof’s highest point) slightly forward. The Fit’s wide doors can be opened as wide as 80° and the wide rear tailgate opening is lower making it easier to get people and cargo in or out of the vehicle.

A more rigid yet lightweight body design

Structural innovations throughout the body and frame increase rigidity with minimal additional weight. In addition to Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure strengthening of stress-bearing areas in the frame helps reduce vibration. The proportion of high-tensile steel in the Fit’s body has increased from 40% to 54%. Overall body rigidity has similarly increased 164%. The result is a highperformance body with exceptional handling and enhanced safety performance.

• High-tensile steel used in 54% of body
• Overall body rigidity increased 164%
• Enhanced frame design for a quieter ride

SAFETY

The 2nd generation Fit offers enhanced safety features. Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) makes the Fit highly effective at absorbing the energy of a frontal crash. It
also helps minimize the potential for under-ride or override, which can occur during head-on or offset-frontal impacts with a significantly larger or smaller vehicle. This not only provides improved protection for vehicle occupants, but also helps mitigate damage to other vehicles.

In addition to dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, every Fit features front side airbags with a passenger-side occupant position detection system and a side curtain airbag system to help protect occupants’ heads and necks in the event of a side collision. Three-point seatbelts are standard in all seating positions.

Also standard is a Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which provides rigid attachment points in the outboard rear seats for up to two child seats. Additional standard safety features include an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD,
front seat belts with automatic tensioning systems, driver and front passenger Active Head Restraints, and a pedestrian injury mitigation body design in the front of the vehicle.

More Information on the 2009 Honda FIT for CANADA

Here are all of the Trim levels for Canada;

2009 Honda FIT DX Manual Transmission (AT)
2009 Honda FIT DX Automatic Transmission (MT)
(Base model, no air conditioning)

2009 Honda FIT DX-A MT
2009 Honda FIT DX-A AT
(Base model, adds air conditioning only)

2009 Honda FIT LX MT
2009 Honda FIT LX AT
(Adds cruise control, 15" alloy wheels, armrest[s], keyless entry)

2009 Honda FIT Sport MT
2009 Honda FIT Sport AT
(Adds 16" alloy wheels, alarm, rear spoiler, front gfx, side gfx, fog lights, leather wrapped steering wheel)

Colours Available

DX and DX-A Trims
-Sapphire Blue Pearl (new)
-Grey (light, almost silver)
-Black
-Red

LX Trims (added to above colours)
-White
-Blackberry Pearl
-Blue (bright)

Sport Trims (added to above colours)
-Orange

I am expecting the first wave of FIT's to arrive between Sept. 05/08 to Sept. 11/08. They are 'drop shipping' the cars into our inventory, which means we have no say as to what colours or trims land. A lot of the vehicles landing are pre-sold, so, I'd get your order in if you need a car soon.

Pricing and any special finance rates have not been released yet. I do not expect much of a jump over last years pricing. Honda may release rates on the 1st of Sept, contact your nearest dealer for that information.

Honda FIT Hybrid Not Coming to North America

Over the past year, Honda officials have spoken extensively about plans for hybrid vehicles to be added to the lineup. Starting next spring, a new hybrid-only five door hatchback that looks like a scaled down version of the FCX Clarity will debut at a price expected to be less than $19,000. That will be followed by a second dedicated hybrid coupe based on the CR-Z concept. The Civic hybrid will also be staying in the U.S. lineup. What U.S. buyers won't be getting is a fourth model that has been mentioned by CEO Takeo Fukui. Honda will add its IMA hybrid system to the Fit, but only for the Japanese market. During the recent media drive of the new 2009 Fit, I asked spokesman Sage Marie when the Fit hybrid would be arriving. Marie explained that because of supply constraints of the Fit, there were no current plans to bring the hybrid model to the U.S. Much like the MINI Cooper D that is already selling at capacity, Honda is selling every existing Fit it can get, and adding another variant wouldn't likely help the business case. American buyers have shown a preference for a dedicated hybrid and Honda plans to attack that segment with two new cars in 2009.

Source; (Honda)
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/08/22/honda-fit-hybrid-not-coming-to-the-us/

Autoblog Green's 1st drive of the 2009 FIT

When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor MI last week.

As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length) but it's only about 44 lbs heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the fun-loving qualities of the original. In the process, Honda has had to deal with rising raw material and shipping costs while keeping the price from getting out of hand. Read on to find out if the spiritual descendants of Soichiro Honda have succeeded.

The debut of the modern MINI earlier this decade clearly demonstrated that a small, fuel efficient car didn't have to be a cheap, plasticy, under-performing penalty box from which to suffer your commuting activities. The MINI's BMW origins, however, meant that it was a bit on the pricey side as well as having a minuscule back seat. The arrival of the Fit on our shores took those same driving qualities but added a more reasonable price and vastly more space for occupants. The Fit is taller and longer than the MINI, but smaller than cars like the Nissan Versa and Ford Focus.

The original Fit was designed well before Honda decided to bring the car to North America, so it didn't incorporate much in way of U.S. demands. Nonetheless, in its first two years on the market, American drivers took to the Fit and Honda sold as many as they could bring in from Japan. Besides its capabilities on the road and fuel efficiency, features like the rear Magic Seats and cargo space also contributed to its popularity. For the second generation Honda wanted to build on what made the original a hot seller without diluting any of those properties.

Here is a link to the rest of the article;
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/08/19/abg-first-drive-2009-honda-fit-sport/

All-New 2009 Honda Fit Big on Style and Refinement, Small on Price and Fuel Consumption

Here is the press release from Honda News, this is for the US, but with the exception of the Navigation, almost all of it applies to us in Canada.

08/19/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -

The completely-redesigned 2009 Honda Fit is set to go on sale August 26 with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $14,550, plus a destination and handling charge of $670, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. The Fit Sport, equipped with additional premium features, is also set to debut with a starting MSRP2 of $16,060, plus destination and handling.

The Fit is designed to lead the subcompact segment with a quality feel and a multi-functional interior. The Fit has become more refined for 2009 with a sportier demeanor through improved suspension, steering and body rigidity enhancements; an improved rear Magic Seat®; and a high level of standard safety equipment, including the addition of the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and front seat active head restraints. A new, more powerful 117-horsepower, 1.5-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine further improves the Fit's high-revving, fun-to-drive character.

"With the all-new Fit, Honda is offering premium features and advanced technology within a high-function, small vehicle package," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "Customers who choose the Fit are choosing superior refinement and premium quality, along with value and economy."

Dimensionally compact on the outside with an overall length of 161.6 inches, the interior provides a surprisingly spacious passenger volume of 90.8 cubic feet and a rear cargo volume of 20.6 cubic feet. The seats offer multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations - tall object mode, long object mode and utility mode - in addition to the standard five-passenger mode.

An improved rear Magic Seat provides one-motion dive-down functionality without having to remove the rear seat head restraints to folds flat into the floor, creating a rear cargo volume of 57.3 cubic feet. Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all models.

The engine produces 117 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4800 rpm. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard and a 5-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters allow for manual gear selection on the Fit Sport equipped with the available automatic transmission. The Fit equipped with the available automatic transmission achieves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway fuel economy rating1 of 28/35 miles per gallon. The Fit with a manual transmission and Fit Sport with either a manual or the available automatic transmission achieve an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating1 of 27/33 miles per gallon.

The Fit comes with standard amenities such as air conditioning, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), auxiliary audio input jack, power windows, power mirrors and power door locks. The Fit Sport adds alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights, security system with keyless remote entry and cruise control. The Fit Sport audio system provides six speakers, a five-mode equalizer and a USB Audio Interface .

For the first time, the Fit is available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition on the Fit Sport, featuring a 6.5-inch screen and more than 7 million points of interest. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as electronic stability control.

The front MacPherson strut suspension and torsion beam rear suspension settings are tuned to provide a sporty, solid and dynamic driving experience. Upgraded by 1-inch on each model, larger 15- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport respectively) are shod with 175/65 R15 84S (Fit) and 185/55 R16 83H (Fit Sport) tires. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD) uses 10.3-inch ventilated discs in the front and 7.9-inch drums in the rear.

Here is the link, look along the right side and you'll see more images;

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4690

More Info on the 2009 Honda FIT for North America

Random Notes;
-LX and Sport models with have keyless remote entry.
-LX now has 15" lightweight alluminum alloy wheels.
-Armrests will be on the LX and Sport models.
-Front seatback in thinner for increased knee room in the second row.
-Air Conditioning will be an option for the base DX model.
-8X cupholders, 4X in the front, 4X in the rear.
-No manual height adjustment in the driver's seat in any trim levels.
-Gone is the refresh mode for seating positions.
-Automatic Sport models lose the paddle shifters (to make the car lighter).
-Used i-Vtec vs Vtec in older model (more power and better fuel efficiency).
-The side door mirrors are taller for better visability.
-Fuel filler door is now spring loaded, but not lockable.
-Spare tire comes with the manual transmission only, automatics get a tire repair kit (again, weight issues for increased fuel economy numbers).
-Fear not, the tire repair kit is simple to use, faster changed and you don't even need to take the nail (or whatever) out of the tire. (travel up to 100km's?)
-Yes, you can order a spare tire for your automatic transmission if you want.
-Should arrive mid-September.

For more info on the car, check out my previous post below;

http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2008/07/2009-honda-fit.html

2009 Honda FIT

Spec's
-1.5 Litre 4 Cylinder Engine
-118 Horse Power with i-Vtec
-5 Speed Automatic or 5 Speed Manual Transmission
-Paddle Shifters for Automatic Transmission (Sport model)
-Front and Rear Stabilizer Bars
-15" Wheels with Covers or 16" Alluminum Alloy Wheels (Sport model only)
-USB Port located in the Upper Tier Storage Box (Reportedly on All Trims)
-4 Channel Anti-lock Brake System (All Trims)
-Electronic Brake Distribution (All Trims)
-Front, Side, and Curtain Airbags (All Trims)
-Drive by Wire Throttle (All Trims)
-Air Conditioning with Micron Filter (Rumoured to be on ALL Trims)
-Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel
-Electronic Cruise Control (not on base model)
-Keyless Remote Entry System (not on base model)
-Voice Activated Navigation System (US only)
-CD Player with Mp3 Playback
-Auxillary Input for i-pod or Mp3 Players
-Power Windows (All Trims)
-Power Door Locks (Rumoured to be on ALL Trims)
-Power Mirrors (All Trims)
-Keyless Remote Entry (not on base?)
-Maintenance Minder System (All Trims)
-Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls (Sport model Only?)
-Vehicle Stability Assist (All Trims)
-Traction Control (All Trims)
-Roofline Spoiler, Ground FX (Sport model)
-Underbody Kit (Sport model)
-Rear Driver's Seat Hidden Bin
-Active Head Restraints (All Trims)
-NO Need to Remove 2nd Row Headrests to Fold Seats Flat (Magic Seat)
-Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure

The wheelbase has been increased 2 inches to 98.4 inches, while the overall length goes up 2.2 inches to 153.5 inches. The Fit is also 0.8 inch wider, while the front track is 1.4 inches wider and the rear track is 1.2 inches wider. It's surprising that the overall weight gain is a meager 22 pounds.

the stretched wheelbase of the new Fit primarily improves rear-seat legroom, which has increased 1.6 inches.

Wow, Shortage on Honda Civic's and Fit's

Well, almost everybody knows that there is a shortage on all things Hybrid, but now there is a shortage on all things Honda Civic and Honda Fit! As a dealership (moderate size for Canada) we usually have an incoming list 8 or 9 pages long, now it is only 3 1/2 pages. I personally have never experienced a shortage like this. Heaven forbid anyone be colour specific right now! Manual Transmissions are next to non existant, part in parcel to the ECO rebate and Automatic Transmissions are becoming a rare breed as well!

2009 Stock is not expected to arrive until September or October and I don't think we will have enough stock to last! Part of this is due to the US gobbling up as many Civic's as possible and the other half has to do with the current gas prices - everybody is trading in their SUV's, Trucks, and large sedan's. This is crazy.

HONDA for World Domination!

I have often said that as a salesperson, I have the easiest job on the planet, I sell Honda's which pretty much sell themselves. That has been especially true in this current market of high gas prices. Honda is positioned exceptionally well, with vehicles that are either at the top of their class in fuel efficiency or right up near the top. Here is a good read from Detroit News on some speculation of where Honda might just end up. Canadians, keep in mind that any numbers thrown around (mpg, $4/gallon,...) are all in US numbers, canadian numbers are different.

Honda's fuel-efficiency strategy pays off
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News

In recent years, while many automakers were building bigger and brawnier trucks and SUVs, Honda Motor Co. stuck to its core business of making fuel-efficient vehicles. Unlike its leading Japanese rivals, Honda passed on developing a full-size pickup. It didn't offer a powerful V-8 engine for its premium cars and SUVs either, focusing its resources instead on designing better versions of its stalwart Civic compact and tiny Fit.

That strategy is now paying off. This year Honda has clocked the best performance of any major player in the U.S. market. Its sales are up 4.8 percent in a market that contracted 8.4 percent in the first five months of 2008. In May, the Civic became the top-selling vehicle in the United States, displacing the longtime champion, Ford Motor Co.'s F-Series trucks, as consumers traded in gas guzzlers for more frugal models.

"They have an array of products that is in tune with today's economic climate," said Jim Hossack, a consultant at AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, Calif. "They don't have a Suburban, they don't have a Super Duty, but they have small, fuel-efficient vehicles. They're in good shape."

Honda could sell even more vehicles in the United States if the Japanese automaker shipped more small cars to its American Honda Motor subsidiary. Fit subcompacts are sold within five days of reaching showrooms, said John Mendel, executive vice president at American Honda. But Honda is also scrambling to meet demand in Japan, where the Fit is the best-selling vehicle. "Sixty percent of the world market is small cars. We compete with the rest of the world for the Fit," Mendel said. It gets 27-28 (35-40 in Canadian numbers) miles per gallon in the city and 33-34 mpg (49-52 in Canadian numbers) on the highway.

This past weekend, Jim Kurtz, a software specialist living near Baltimore, struggled to track down a Fit for his daughter. "I called five dealers, and only one of them had the car," Kurtz said. "The demand is unbelievably high for these vehicles."

This year, Fit sales are up 64 percent, Civic sales are up 20.5 percent, and sales of the Civic hybrid are up 17.5 percent, according to Autodata Corp.

Honda's trucks, however, are not performing as well. The CR-V crossover is popular, but Honda has a tough time moving its boxy Element vehicles. They spend nearly three months on dealer lots, compared with a 56-day average for compact crossovers as a whole, according to J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network. Honda's midsize Ridgeline pickup is also a slow seller, and now carries $3,500 in incentives, according to online auto research firm Edmunds.com.

Sales of Honda's premium Acura vehicles have been weak, too, in the last months before the rollout of redesigned models.

But Honda cars are hard to keep in stock. "Particularly in this climate, where gas prices have spiked since mid-April, Honda is top of mind with consumers," said Mark McCready, vice president for market planning and pricing at online retailer Carsdirect.com. "Honda has for years positioned themselves in their marketing as being economical, with good fuel-economy, reliability and best cost of ownership."

Demand for Honda's midsize Accord sedan is strong, as SUV owners migrate to smaller -- but not much smaller -- vehicles. That shift explains why more Accord buyers are opting for V-6 than four-cylinder engines, Mendel said. Accord sales are up 9.4 percent this year, and ahead 38.9 percent in May.

With gas costing $4 a gallon, fuel economy is a top priority for consumers. Allen Chen, a vice president at a Silicon Valley firm, looked at small, fuel-efficient cars and hybrids. With hybrids, "the gas savings, even assuming $6 a gallon gas, didn't work out because of the extra cost of the car, and the cost of the battery replacement down the road," he said. Last weekend, Chen settled on a Civic with a 1.8-liter engine costing $17,865, including tax.

Honda's archrival Toyota Motor Corp. has many fuel-efficient models in its bigger lineup, but Toyota's performance has been hurt by weak demand for some of its larger vehicles, such as the new Tundra pickup. Toyota has slowed production of Tundras at its Indiana and Texas plants, and Nissan Motor Co. is also slashing output of light trucks in North America.

Compared with Toyota and Nissan, Honda has been more cautious in adding production capacity. But that trait is causing Honda to scramble to supply dealers with more cars. It is increasing Civic production at its Alliston plant in Ontario and it is opening a car plant in Indiana this fall.

But McCready says Honda may run short during the summer selling season. "They don't have the volumes or the inventories to do what they did in May for the rest of the summer."

You can reach Christine Tierney at ctierney@detnews.com.

Ever Wonder What a Sedan FIT Might Look Like? Here's the Honda CITY.

This vehicle is not sold in North America, but competes directly with the Yaris Sedan in other countries. The pictures above are of the upcoming model change, whereas the bottom pic is the outgoing model. Anyway, not sure we'll ever see this car here in North America, and I can't say that there wouldn't be alot of self-cannibalisation if it ever did come here (ie: would eat into the existing FIT and Civic sales, just like the Yaris does to the Corolla). Anyway, just thought I'd bring it forward for those interested.

Honda Positioned Well in Current Market Conditions

With the current state of high gas prices across North America, buyers are switching their buying habits to smaller cars, which makes some manufacturer's more prepared than others. While some manufacturer's are shutting down production and laying off workers (Ford, GM, Dodge....), Honda with it's class leading Honda Civic and Honda FIT are selling in droves, which is having a positive affect for Honda's production. Sure, sales of the Ridgeline, Pilot, and even Odyssey have dipped a bit, but with the surgence of the Civic, Fit, and I will even say CRV, instead of laying off worker's or shutting down plants, Honda is just switching production around and moving workers from one plant to another to keep up with demand.

Honda saving U.S. jobs by switching models

Yuri Kageyama / Associated Press

TOKYO -- Honda will meet growing U.S. demand for small cars while maintaining North American jobs by moving production of two bigger models from Canada to Alabama, Chief Executive Takeo Fukui said Thursday.
Honda Motor Co.'s Pilot sport-utility vehicle and Ridgeline pickup, now rolling off its plant in Alliston, Ontario, will be produced in Lincoln, Ala., allowing the production of the Civic sedan to be raised in Canada, he said.
"Gas prices continue to rise, and the demand for cars with good mileage is growing," Fukui told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. "Efforts are under way to increase the local production of the Civic."

Even the usually booming Japanese automakers are sensing the pinch from a U.S. economic slowdown and soaring material costs, including steel. But the Japanese are holding up better than their American rivals because of their reputation for fuel-efficient offerings.

General Motors' top managers are working on additional restructuring measures to deal with a declining U.S. auto market and an accelerated shift from trucks to more fuel-efficient vehicles, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press late Wednesday.

Such a move would come on top of thousands of job cuts at GM over the past three years mainly through buyout and early retirement offers.

Ford said earlier this week that it's planning involuntary layoffs of salaried employees by August as part of a restructuring in the face of slumping sales and record-high gas prices.

Honda's production changes won't create -- or cut -- any jobs in North America. But Fukui noted it will maintain sales momentum.
"And the point is we won't have to reduce employment," he said.

Honda will create American jobs when its plant to build Civics opens in Indiana later this year. That plant, Honda's seventh in North America, is expected to add about 2,000 jobs.
Fukui said Honda's Fit subcompact is another model that is emerging a hit in the U.S., a nation previously known to favor gas-guzzlers.
Still, the overall U.S. auto sales are expected to drop to around 15 million vehicles this year -- down from 17 million as recently as 2005.

For April, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler all saw double-digit U.S. sales declines compared to last April. But Honda, along with Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., reported year-on-year gains.

Relatively new auto plants are flexible in production, allowing models to be switched to respond to shifts in demand. At some plants, the same assembly line can produce different models, one after the other.

Source:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/AUTO01/805290438/1148

2010/2011 Honda FIT Hybrid

Adding a hybrid version of the popular and 10Best-winning Fit seems much like putting a second layer of icing on an already tasty cake. But in his press conference, Fukai is quoted as saying the premium for the hybrid over the conventional Fit cannot exceed $2000. The current price of a Fit ranges from $14,585 to $16,705. The hybrid reportedly would go on sale by 2015 with the third-generation of the B-segment car.
While Toyota gets most of the credit for the burgeoning hybrid market, Honda was actually first on the scene in the U.S. with the Insight in 1999. But consumers have not snapped up its subsequent hybrids, forcing the automaker to drop its Accord hybrid from the 2008 model line due to slow sales.

Honda FIT Coupe?

Found this on Vince Burlap's The Hollywood Extra, he seems to think it is a Fit coupe. I don't know where he got the photo, but I do know that Honda is in works on a sporty Hybrid, this may be that. Anyway, thought I'd pass it on.

The Honda FIT; The Car of the Future Today

Honda's Fit meets fuel economy rules that are still several years away.
Joseph B. White
Wall Street Journal
06 May 2008 03:32

Detroit is partying like it's 1979.

Gasoline prices are soaring. Big V-8 powered muscle machines are gathering dust on dealer lots. Sales of small cars are surging. The government is ordering steep increases in new vehicle fuel economy in the cause of reducing America's reliance on foreign oil.

What's this nasty flashback mean for the future of the automobile? Maybe you think the antidote to gas pump angst is a plug-in hybrid such as the Chevy Volt, or a new generation all-electric car such as those that Nissan Motor Corp. says it may launch in the U.S. as soon as 2011 . If so, you'll need to wait, or take your chances with one of the flock of tiny upstart car companies testing their wings on the Internet.

But there are mainstream, name-brand cars you can buy today that can vault you all the way to 2011 or 2012 -- at least in terms of the new fuel-efficiency targets the Bush administration is proposing for the next seven years. One such car is Honda Motor Corp.'s Fit.

The Fit, which typically sells for about $16,000, occupies a niche in today's U.S. auto market similar to the one the early Honda Civic hatchbacks occupied during the 1979-80 oil crunch period. Standing in for the gas-guzzling Pontiac muscle cars and Lincoln land yachts of the late 1970s are vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe, one of the best-selling big sport utility vehicles that lorded over the highways just a few years ago.

The Fit gets about double the mileage of a Tahoe -- 30 miles per gallon combined compared with 16 miles per gallon for the Chevy, according to government fuel-efficiency estimates. (fueleconomy.gov) The Department of Transportation is proposing that by 2015, the average fuel efficiency of all new vehicles -- cars and light trucks -- should be about 31.6 miles per gallon. If our vehicle fleet operated at the 2015 standard today -- roughly equivalent to all of us trading in our rides for Fits tomorrow -- it would be about 25% more efficient than the cars and trucks we ride around in today.

At $3.51 a gallon, a Fit would burn up about $1,753 in gasoline during 15,000 miles of driving. A Tahoe would siphon $3,291 out of your wallet, unless you could fill it up with an E85 ethanol blend, in which case the toll would be $3,136 a year. One plus for the Tahoe: After you put $82 or so into the tank, it would run 374 miles before you had to visit the gas station again. The Fit's tiny 10.8 gallon tank only holds enough for 292 miles of driving between F and E.

If you're keeping score on carbon, the Fit would put 6.1 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, compared with 11.4 tons for the big SUV.

In other ways, the Fit represents a significant advance over the tiny Hondas that got their big break around the time Jimmy Carter was making "cardigan" a political four-letter word.

The Fit is tiny compared to the Tahoe, weighing in at just 2,551 pounds to the big Chevy's 5,233 pounds. Still, the Fit scored a five-star rating for front passenger protection in the federal government's crash tests, and a five-star rating for side-impact protection for front-seat passengers. The rear-seat passenger side impact score was three stars.

Those are the same scores as the Tahoe, except for the rear-seat side-impact test, where the tall-riding SUV scored five stars.

That doesn't mean I'd want to crash my Fit into a Tahoe. I didn't pay a lot of attention in high school physics, but I grasped the basics about mass and momentum.

But Honda's focus on the problems presented by making a subcompact car more crashworthy has produced a vehicle that is objectively safer for its occupants than a 1979 Civic, but also feels safer and more solid on the road.

The Fit also offers clever solutions to the other problem with small cars. They're small. There's not as much room for people and stuff. The Fit uses a variety of tricks – including positioning the gas tank in the center of the car so that the seats can fold flatter and lower to the ground – to increase cargo capacity. (Other manufacturers who've focused on improving their small cars over the years work what industry people call "packaging" just as hard – including the European and Asian arms of the Detroit manufacturers.)

So are we all ready to drive cars like the Fit? A lot more of us are than were a year ago. The Power Information Network's analysis of vehicles traded by people buying Fits shows that the top three trade-ins are larger Honda models. But at No. 5 on the list is the Dodge Caravan, with the now discontinued Chevy Blazer SUV at No. 6.

Sales in the "lower small" segment as defined by Autodata Corp., which includes the Fit and rival cars such as the Chevy Aveo or the Nissan Versa, are up 33.9% through the first four months of this year, jumping even as sales of all cars and light trucks fell nearly 8%. The Fit isn't the biggest seller in its segment – that title belongs to the Toyota Yaris. But new Fits are selling in just 20 days after hitting the dealerships, according to Power Information Network data. That's one day faster than the average Toyota Prius and more than twice as fast as the average Yaris.

How bad is the big SUV market? General Motors Corp.'s production of vehicles like the Tahoe has been crippled for nearly three months by a strike at a major supplier, and GM dealers still had 125 days worth of unsold Tahoes nailed to their lots as of April 30. Overall, large SUV sales are cratering, down 29% so far this year, according to Autodata figures.

The asteroid has landed on the dinosaurs. Vehicles like the Fit look like the crafty mammals that will thrive among the wreckage, until something more highly evolved comes along.

2009 Honda FIT Press Release

03/19/2008 - NEW YORK -

The all-new 2009 Honda Fit, set to go on sale in the U.S. this fall, is making its U.S. debut at the New York International Auto Show, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. The Fit promises to further its leadership in the subcompact segment with top-of-class feature content, including an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™; improved interior functionality, including one-motion dive-down rear seats; enhanced sporty demeanor through improved suspension, steering and body rigidity; and high levels of standard safety equipment, including Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure.

"Critics and customers alike have voted the Fit among the best small vehicles on the road," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "This new Fit raises the bar even further, taking what was already great about the Fit, making it even better and throwing in a healthy dose of refinement."

Enhanced Comfort and Convenience
Dimensionally compact on the outside, the interior provides surprisingly large passenger and class-leading cargo space to maximize comfort and utility. At the foundation is an improved rear Magic Seat®, now featuring one-motion dive-down functionality, which allows the rear seat to fold flat with the front seats in the rearmost slide position and without removing the rear head restraints. The seats offer multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations (tall object mode, long object mode and utility mode) in addition to the standard five-passenger mode. Additionally, a new hidden storage bin under the driver's side rear seat provides a place to store small items.
Adding further refinement, Fit Sport offers an available factory-installed Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition, featuring a 6.5-inch screen. All Fit Sport models feature a USB audio interface1 compatible with current generation iPods® and many USB storage devices.

"The goal is to provide entry-level vehicle customers with functionality and refinement that's a class above," said Colliver. "Buying a Fit is a choice, not a compromise."

Fun to Drive
The Fit features a new 1.5-literi-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine connected to either a 5-speed manual transmission or an available 5-speed automatic transmission, which includes steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters on the Fit Sport. The new engine is designed to offer the best balance of fuel economy and power. Larger 15-inch and 16-inch (Fit Sport) wheels hint at enhancements to the Fit's suspension, steering and body rigidity, which are intended to produce sportier handling without sacrificing comfort.

Top-of-Class Standard Safety Equipment
The 2009 Fit adds Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure technology, available Vehicle Stability Assist ™ (VSA®) and active head restraints, to a top-of-class list of standard safety features. With Fit's adoption of ACE, more than 94 percent of Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. will include the innovative body structure. When introduced to the 2009 Fit, VSA will be available in the lineup of every model Honda sells in the United States. Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all Fit models. All seating positions have three-point seat belts. Additionally, front and rear visibility is improved.

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

More detailed information about the 2009 Honda Fit will be released closer to the vehicle launch in the fall.

Source; http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1074/releases/4444

2009 Honda FIT Interior Shots

Here are some nice shots of the FIT that we should be recieving here in North America. This is the European one, I sure hope we get the 'sky roof'.

Here is a link to a previous article of mine on the coming FIT;

http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2007/12/2nd-generation-honda-fit-2009-for-us.html