2015 Honda Fit 1.3 G F-Package (A)

The Honda Fit has always been one of the best-packaged cars in the market, providing acres of space in a small, practical hatchback body. For its latest iteration, the third generation Honda Jazz/Fit employs a brand new platform with usage of innovative structural design.

Ultra-high-strength steel is used to increase the body’s structural rigidity, whereas the the trailing arms for the torsion beam rear suspension were shortened, allowing the rear axles to be moved backwards, and hence allowing more legroom in the back seats.

The fuel tank still sits in the same location as in its predecessors – under the floor pan – albeit flatter than before. All very technical, but innovative too.

The new signature Honda grille seen in recent models like the Vezel now dominates the nose, with the headlights and the grille forming a single bar, a design first seen in the FK/FN eight generation Euro-market Civics. The large front air intakes and the black lower lip on the the bumper help gives the car a “sporty” stance.

Round the sides, the clean sheet metal features a waistline where the door handles are, stretching out to the rear. The line becomes increasingly well-defined towards the rear of the car, before merging with the rear lights and shaping the rear end.

The kinked rear quarter window is a nod to the previous generation Fits, which also feature this design cue. Overall, the sharp lines, large air intakes (in the front) and outlets (at the back), and fun styling gives the car plenty of character.

The latest Fit has shrunk 41mm in length, while height and width have remained unchanged. Wheelbase has however increased by 30mm, with most of the extra room going to the rear seats.

With the growth in wheelbase and innovative design of the rear suspension, rear seat legroom has been increased by a whopping 122mm over the previous generation Fit. The rear legroom is plentiful enough to humiliate some larger competitors, while headroom is still plentiful and airy.

The dashboard has been significantly simplified over the previous Fit, which was festooned with many buttons and controls. A touchscreen multimedia system (not fitted to the test car) takes centre stage, while the touch sensitive air-conditioning control is a joy to behold and to use.

Honda’s proprietary ULTRA seats that makes the Fit’s cabin practical and versatile as we know is also featured in this latest generation. The seats move and fold in so many ways to accommodate bulky items such as bicycles to IKEA shopping, requiring little hard work for the seats to work their magic.

Buckling children up on child booster seats at the rear is a doddle too – the door is large and provides plenty of access. The boot floor is low and the access is wide too, making loading large and heavy items easier.

As usual, Honda’s fit and finish is good, and quality materials are seen and felt around the cabin.

The Fit is offered with a 1.3-litre Earth Dreams Atkinson cycle DOHC i-VTEC engine coupled to a CVT transmission. The engine pushes out 99bhp and 119Nm of torque, enough to feel punchy and responsive under everyday driving. Even with a full load on board, the Fit is still capable at accelerating and keeping up to speed with highway traffic and even overtaking.

We managed to achieve a competitive 15km/L during our test drive, and credit goes to the efficient CVT gearbox and small engine keeping fuel consumption down.

Tidy handling has been one of the strengths of the Fit, and this new car doesn’t miss out too. It feels crisp to steer while its ride is very possibly one of the best in class. The Fit actually feels very alive around the corners, where body roll is also minimal. It is a joy to drive, and around town, its small size makes it easy to park and maneuver too.

While the compact hatchback market is getting more competitive with the introduction of new competitors in recent years, the new Fit is still one of the best in its class.

Enthusiastic handling, excellent practicality, and good dynamics are just a few of the Fit’s strengths, and we believe that it deserves the popularity that its predecessors had on local shores.

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