Honda Motor Co., Ltd announced a mass recall on the first-generation Honda Fit (Honda Jazz), Honda Fit Aria (Honda City), and the second-generation CR-V over the power window master switch problems. This issue also affected on the Philippines as well so Honda Cars Philippines informed owners of the Honda Jazz (built from 2005 to 2007), Honda City (built from 2006 to 2008) and Honda CR-V (built from 2005 to 2006) that they are affected by this problem and it will send letters to those owners on September 6. If there's a problem, don't hesitate to call the Honda Hotline at 1-800-HONDA (1-800-46632) or (02) 857-7240. Also visit the HCPI site (www.hondaphil.com) for more details.
A trio of special edition Honda models are now invading throughout Japan and they are up for grabs! The Honda Life G HID Smart Special, the Honda Stream ZS Sporty Edition, and the Honda Fit 13G 10th Anniversary. Those three special Honda models loaded with special equipment are surely a collector's item. The Life comes with HID headlights, the Stream ZS Sporty Edition mimics the Stream RS-T, and the Fit 10th Anniversary has a special badge that commemorates a decade of Honda Fit since it was launched in Japan in June 2001. Come and see those three special edition variants at your nearest Honda dealer all over Japan!
Due to numerous queries, American Honda Motor Co., Ltd, has decided to pull the wraps of the 2012MY US-Spec Honda Fit and it's not what you think!
Press Release:
2012 Honda Fit Receives Updates and More Features
Versatile, fuel-efficient and fun five-door now features a quieter interior and available Bluetooth HandsFreeLink
The Honda Fit builds on its proven strengths for 2012 with updated styling on Fit Sport, interior upgrades on all models, and the addition of new standard and available features.
The Fit's compact size and tight turning diameter (34.4 feet, curb-to-curb) can conveniently navigate space-confined urban areas and fit in small parking spaces. Yet a roomy and versatile interior offers the convenience and cargo volume of a relatively larger vehicle. Compared to any other vehicle in the subcompact class, the five-passenger Fit provides the lowest, flattest cargo floor and the most cargo volume of 57.3 cu-ft. when the rear seats are down. Its four distinct seat configurations are designed to accommodate large objects ranging from mountain bikes to surfboards to tall houseplants.
Fit Sport exterior updates for 2012 include new designs for the front grille and bumper, black headlight bezels and a dark "machined surface" finish for the alloy wheels (replaces a painted finish appearance). The entry-model Fit retains its exclusive front fascia design and for 2012 receives body-color exterior mirrors (previously black) and updated wheel covers.
Inside, the Fit Sport interior is enhanced with dark metallic dashboard components for a unified color theme (replacing the previous gray and black theme). Fit Sport receives additional chrome accents around instrument displays. All models receive newly designed console-mounted center beverage holders along with console ambient lighting, which provide easier access and greater stability. All models also receive added sound insulation measures in the floor, front fenders and A-pillars, plus thicker front corner-window glass, to help create a quieter, more-refined cabin environment. Two new colors are available: Blue Raspberry Metallic and Orangeburst Metallic, which replace similar colors from the prior model year.
The top-of-the-line Fit Sport includes a long list of exclusive, standard features compared to the entry-model Fit. For 2012, it gains standard steering wheel-mounted audio controls for fingertip operation (previously exclusive to navigation-equipped models) and upgraded seat fabric. When equipped with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition5, the Fit Sport now includes Bluetooth®1 HandsFreeLink® to help make hands-free telephone calls more convenient. The enhanced system also includes a Bluetooth Audio capability with compatible phones and devices.
Though the Fit has an overall exterior length of just 161.6 inches, the interior provides an impressive 90.8 cubic feet of passenger volume. There's comfortable seating for up to five passengers, and behind the rear seats, there's 20.6 cubic feet of storage space – much more than you'd find in a typical sedan. For enhanced versatility, the exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat® offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations. With its one-motion dive-down functionality, it can fold flat into the floor to maximize rear cargo volume. The Fit's interior can also be easily converted to tall object mode or long object mode based on the shape of the cargo.
The 1.5-liter, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine is tuned to deliver an engaging combination of power and fuel economy. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters on Fit Sport models equipped with the available automatic transmission allow for manual gear selection.
All models are powered by a four-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. When equipped with the available automatic transmission, the Fit has an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 28/35/31 miles per gallon3. The Fit Sport with the available automatic transmission has an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating3 of 27/33/30 miles per gallon. All manual transmission-equipped models have an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/29 miles per gallon3.
A sporty, refined and dynamic driving experience is provided by the front MacPherson strut suspension and torsion beam rear suspension. Fifteen- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport, respectively) feature 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.
All Fit models are equipped with a wide range of standard safety equipment including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, anti-lock brakes and more. Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags are also standard equipment for 2012.
Standard comfort and convenience features include air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, a USB audio interface4, an auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors, power door locks and a security system.
The Fit Sport adds or replaces: alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights, illuminated steering wheel mounted audio controls and upgraded seat fabric. For improved audio performance, the Fit Sport audio system has a total of six speakers. The Fit Sport is available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition, which features a 6.5-inch screen and more than seven million points of interest. The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System debuting on the 2012 Fit Sport features 16 GB of flash memory in place of the DVD-based system used previously. Like other Honda navigation systems, this new system allows simple, intuitive operation and has an extensive on-board database.
Awards and accolades include being named to Car and Driver Magazine's "10Best Cars" list (www.caranddriver.com) continuously from 2007 through 20112. In the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study, the Fit earned the highest initial quality score in its segment. The Fit has also been named a 2011 Top RecommendedSM vehicle by Edmunds.com in its 2011 New Car Sedan Buying Guide. In addition, the Fit captured the 2011 Residual Value Award for "Best Sub Compact Car" from ALG.
Verdict: Well, I'm sure most North American Fit fans finally get what you deserved. Want one?
Well, it all goes to this. The Toyota Prius α (Alpha) was launched since May 13, 2011 and the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid was launched since June 16, 2011. Both of them are hybrid MPV (multipurpose passenger vehicle) but which of these hybrid MPVs are fresh to be "my pick" and how are these two differ? Let's find out....
CASE ONE:
Toyota's Prius α (Alpha) is the MPV spin-off to the third-generation Prius hybrid car. As a hybrid car, the Prius α provides the fuel economy of 31.0km/L in 10-15 Mode and 26.2 in JC08 Mode. Once more, the 2ZR-FXE engine provides a power output of 99PS in standard and it can be boosted up to 136PS if the 60kW 3JM electric motor is active. On the styling cues, the Prius α matches the same Prius DNA because of its triangular silhouette and the interior design is somewhat a technological breakthrough. The new One-dial Air Conditional Control takes control of the Prius α's room temperature. The Prius α comes in either a 5-seater or 7-seater. The Prius α 5-seater is packed with the nickel metal hydride battery while the 7-seater is packed with the new Lithium Ion (Li-ion battery). What surprises me on the 7-seater variant of the Prius α is the panoramic roof called Skylight Roof, available exclusively on the Li-ion battery-powered Prius α 7-seater. Because of the trouble caused by the March 11 disaster and the curious case of "parts shortages", delivery time for the Prius α takes about one year, so you might need to wait a longer more time to get your own Prius α.
CASE TWO:
The Honda Fit Shuttle was the replacement of the axed Honda Airwave MPV and this is the MPV spin-off to the second-generation Honda Fit. I'm talking more about the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid MPV because we're dealing with the rivalry between the Toyota Prius α (Alpha) and the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid. Unlike the Toyota Prius α soon to be exported worldwide as the Prius V (5-seater) and Prius Plus (7-seater), the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid is not intended for export purposes and it's available only in Japan. Unlike the Prius α's one year delivery, the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid's delivery time takes about two months, that's 10 months short so there's a chance for buyers to get their own Fit Shuttle since orders reached to about 7000 customers. On the stats, the Fit Shuttle Hybrid gets a fuel economy of 30km/L, which is 1 km/L short than the Toyota Prius α. The Fit Shuttle Hybrid is available only in 5-seater and it comes with the nickel metal hydride battery. No 7-seater, no Li-ion battery just how the Toyota Prius α had. Besides, the styling on the Fit Shuttle Hybrid is just too bulgy and obese.
In my verdict, I prefer the Prius α rather than the bulging Fit Shuttle Hybrid because it is economical, stylish, and comfortable, but I have to wait until next year to get it. In the meantime, I have to make do with the bulging and obese Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid. What do you think?
However, there's a unsuspecting twist according to Honda and it said that if you order one today, delivery time will take about two months, which is somewhat a short delay than the Toyota Prius α's delivery time of one year which means you may still have a chance to get one because it will take up to two months for the delivery of the Fit Shuttle.
Soon, let's compare the Toyota Prius α against the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid. With Prius α's strong sales, can the Honda Fit Shuttle range fight back with its affordable pricing despite the Fit Shuttle's delivery time is two months? Snap our fingers folks.
When you talk about the all new 2012 Honda Fit Shuttle, what comes on your mind aside of being an MPV spin-off to the second-generation Honda Fit/Jazz? Well, if you think about it, this is ought to be the absurdly addition to the Honda Fit/Jazz range and it serves as the replacement to the Honda Airwave that was been discontinued since Summer 2010, you might heard of it but what are the details?
The Honda Fit Shuttle is separated within two kinds such as the gasoline-fed Fit Shuttle and the hybrid-powered Fit Shuttle Hybrid. Two birds of the same feather can be a pleasant outcome but the MPV look of the Honda Fit Shuttle and Fit Shuttle Hybrid is an unpleasant feat. At first, you will see the front view derived from the hatchback but when you look at the side and the back, that's a differently long story. It was a downright ugly multipurpose utility vehicle that only some of them would like to be accidentally rushed on one of these. Frankly speaking, I still prefer the five-door original Fit hatchback because of the right shape and the design flow of the new 2012 Fit Shuttle and Fit Shuttle Hybrid is just seems to be 54% wrong, 46% right. It's a win-win situation but still the new Fit Shuttle doesn't look a winner to me when it comes to overall styling.
Behind that ugly exterior, the Honda Fit Shuttle remains the same Fit interior and with the added space, users can accommodate various seating arrangements but unlike the Toyota Prius Alpha that can accommodate 5 or 7 passengers, the Fit Shuttle range can seat only five. There is no third row seats included.
The gasoline version of the Fit Shuttle is equipped with the L15A (1.5L 4-cylinder SOHC i-VTEC) engine that lashes out 120PS/6,600rpm of power, 14.8kg-m/4,800rpm of torque, and it can go for about 20.0km/L (10-15 Mode) of fuel economy if the choice was the Fit Shuttle 15C/15X (2WD). The Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid, on the other hand, is equipped with the LDA-MF6 (1.3L i-VTEC) engine with MF6 electric motor. The LDA-MF6 engine has the standard power output of 88PS/5,800rpm but with the 10kW electric motor active, the maximum power output is reached to 98PS, which is definitely not the most powerful hybrid MPV than the Toyota Prius Alpha. Anyway, the torque output for the Fit Shuttle Hybrid is 12.3kg-m/4,500rpm and the fuel economy is 30.0km/L. That is 1km/L less than the Toyota Prius Alpha but the Fit Shuttle Hybrid's starter price of 1,704,762 Japanese Yen (or estimated 1.5 million Philippine Pesos) can really be a notch against the Toyota Prius Alpha's starter price of 2,238,095 Japanese Yen (or estimated 1.6 million Philippine Pesos). Either way, they are equipped with the absurdly boring CVT transmission while the 4WD variants of the gas-fed Fit Shuttle comes with the 5-speed automatic transmission.
In partial terms of safety, the Fit Shuttle is ready with the HID headlamps, Vehicle Stability Assist, G-CON compatibility body, SRS airbag system, and some of safety features that can be a reliable vehicle on distant travels.
The Honda Fit Shuttle and Fit Shuttle Hybrid comes with 9 exterior color variations such as Horizon Turquoise Pearl, Premium White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Milano Red, Polished Metal Metallic, Premium Deep Mocha Pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Taffeta White and Green Opal Metallic (available at October 2011).
My comment:
The 2012 Honda Fit Shuttle might not be okay in terms of design but in ecology, both the Fit Shuttle and Fit Shuttle Hybrid are okay and ready to see what tomorrow brings. I'm sure that Honda Cars Philippines will not bring either the Fit Shuttle or Fit Shuttle Hybrid because these are unfit on our today's lifestyles. Let's see how will the Fit Shuttle range survive on such dreaded conditions, even the criticisms from the valued customers saying that the design is not somewhat good to look at it.
According to this article, the new launch date of the 2012 Honda Fit Shuttle is slated for June 16 launch. This car originally to be released in mid-March but later delayed because of the Great Northeastern Japan Earthquake since March 11, 2011 and also the parts shortage.
Besides, it's too late to launch it because Toyota launched the Prius Alpha MPV since May 13 but delivery is delayed to April 2012. I think Honda may follow suit that once the Fit Shuttle's released (in both the Gas and Hybrid variants), delay of deliveries may follow. orz
Looks like most Pinoy Honda fans playing the song "Everybody Getting High" by Mick Jagger from the MP3 players because the latest minor change of the second generation Honda Jazz (known as Fit in other markets) is now here!
Offered is the 1.3 S variant that comes with a 5-speed manual and 5-speed auto and the top-of-the-line 1.5 V variant. I have a suspicion that the Jazz 1.5 V variant looks closely similar to the JDM Honda Fit RS sans the 6MT. What we have is a 5AT variant with paddle shifters.
In case we're wondering, did this thing imported from the already-sinking Japan? Nope, we got it from Thailand, so nothing's wrong.
Prices start at 752,000 Philippine Pesos for the 1.3 S 5MT variant to 857,000 Philippine Pesos for the RS-like Jazz 1.5 V 5AT variant.
What's great for me is if I owned the 1.5 V 5AT variant of the Jazz, I'll find some RS badges and stick it to make it look like the JDM Honda Fit RS! (^o^)
What's needed is the CVT variant and the Hybrid variant. We'll catch up later!
To translate this; Since the earthquake happened in Japan since March 11, 2011, Honda decided to cancel the launch of the Honda Fit Shuttle. Originally this car will be launched to Japan this March 17, but because of the disaster, Honda decided to postpone the launch. The new launch date and sale date will be decided by Honda soon once the situation is back to normal. Also, the debut fair (March 18 -21) for the Fit Shuttle at Honda Welcome Plaza will be delayed as well.
Honda will bring them the new launch date of the 2012 Fit Shuttle soon once if the situation in Japan is completely back to normal.
SIDE NOTE: Because of the disaster, we'll have to wait a little longer... (-_-)
Three of the best Honda vehicles in the ASEAN market; the Civic, the Accord (Inspire in Japan), and the Jazz (Fit in other markets) are all kitted out with some aero kits and dubbed as the Concept M.
Concept M stands for two of the famous modifiers from Honda such as Modulo and Mugen. These Malaysian-spec Civic, Accord Inspire, and Fit/Jazz special editions made us so envy, we, Filipinos, wish to have one of these hot Honda models because these three were kitted out with aero parts!
Toyota's sporty addition to the iQ compact, the iQ → (iQ Go)
and the recently facelifted Honda Fit/Jazz RS, now with the available 6-speed manual
Yes, I know. Both of these hot JDM hatches are armed with the sporty 6-speed manual. But which one's better in the eyes of a JDM hot hatch aficionado?
CASE ONE:
Launched at Japan in late August 2010, the iQ → (iQ Go) is the sportier side of the Toyota iQ micro car. In November 2010, a 6-speed manual transmission is offered on the iQ Go. The Toyota iQ Go 130G 6MT is powered with the 1.3 1NR-FE Dual VVT-i engine that produces a power output of 94PS and the fuel economy of 23.5km/L. Plus, the iQ Go 130G 6MT is equipped with the idling stop system and Toyota's Smart Stop technology.
CASE TWO: With the launch of the recently facelifted Honda Fit/Jazz and the addition of the new Fit/Jazz Hybrid, the Fit/Jazz RS is also facelifted and this time, not only comes with the CVT, but also a sporty 6-speed manual transmission. On the performance side, the Fit RS is armed with the L15A engine that produces 120 PS of power output and the fuel economy of 17.4km/L. Best of all, the Fit RS can fit up to 5 people. iQ Go can fit up to 4 people.
In the performance side, the Fit RS wins. The iQ Go outperforms the Fit RS because of the fuel economy. For seating and easy access, winner goes to the Fit RS thanks to the 5-doors while the iQ Go is only 3-doors. I would gladly prefer a Honda Fit RS 6MT rather than the Toyota iQ Go 130G 6MT because of its performance and easy access. Hot hatches never been this hot!
Back in 2007, in the wake of the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda unleashed the second-generation Fit (known in other countries as the Jazz) to please Japanese consumers with its compact size good enough to do whatever this car wants. In October 8, 2010, the Honda Fit we once know is now on its second phase, or in JDM terms, Kouki, as we say it. Not only this Kouki Fit showed up in the blue, the wake of the new hybrid version has just arrived to be more fuel efficient than the latest Nissan March K13.
There are four different styles offer for the new Fit/Jazz, allowing consumers to choose which Fit variant fits them based on their qualifications. The Fit G and L offer a simple taste as an entry-level grade, suitable for beginners everywhere. The Fit X offers an enhanced style that looks more of a luxury car, perfect for those who are not enough with the Fit G. The Fit RS is built for precision because of every sporty detail equipped on the sportiest Fit variant built for adrenaline-seekers. The new Honda Fit Hybrid offers the hybrid power train as offered from the Insight and the CR-Z. Do not expect this hybrid version coming to the North American market because the reason remains unknown for now.
On the entry-level Fit variant (G and L), a 1.3L i-VTEC engine is offered for a good fuel efficiency of about 17.2 to 24.5km/L. The 1.5L i-VTEC engine (found in Fit X and RS) offers an increased power output of 120 PS and the fuel economy of about 16.4 to 20km/L. The new Fit Hybrid, on the other hand, is equipped with the MF6 hybrid engine. This engine is 1.3-liter and it is readied with Honda's innovative Integrated Motor Assist. It is capable enough to release an outstanding fuel efficiency of 30km/L that puts the shame on the Nissan March K13's 26km/L fuel efficiency. This means, the Honda Fit Hybrid is the winner in this category when it comes to fuel efficiency. Most Fit variants are equipped with the 5-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, or even CVT. The Fit RS comes with either a 6-speed manual transmission or CVT with Paddle Shifters.
My thoughts about the Fit and Fit Hybrid:
Assuring that the entry-level Fit G and L variants are good enough for the budget-conscious, it would be a good try to take it for a spin. If style was a necessity, the Fit X could be good enough to bring out its star power within reach. The Fit RS is good enough to bring some noise in the neighborhood because of the sporty features and the new 6MT or Paddle Shifters. If someone owns this, the owner will try to bring some high volume noise because this Fit is fun to tune as the Honda Civic! With the Fit Hybrid, designated as "Honda Green Machine 004,” I am glad that this hybrid compact made a warm welcome to the Japanese consumers because the fuel efficiency outperformed the Nissan March K13. Hope all of these Fit variants arrived in the Philippines soon, but not the Fit/Jazz Hybrid because Honda Cars Philippines does not have an announcement to bring Honda Green Machines to our shores. I think the Fit RS could be good enough to have an owner put some Soshinoya badges everywhere because its a JDM!
