Also known as Honda Jazz in some parts of the world, the Fit has always been one of the mores special small city cars on the market. A high level of practicality has always been its strongest point, as it was always a model that accommodates taller passengers with ease, even though it’s essentially a subcompact hatchback. The current model represents the fourth generation of the nameplate and even though it’s better than ever, it’s not available in North America anymore. On the other hand, it continues in the same way in other parts of the world. The 2023 Honda Fit should bring no significant updates, though there is always room for some smaller novelties.
At this point, it’s unclear whether the Fit is coming back to North America or not. In any case, the rest of the world may count on a familiar design, which looks more attractive than ever. There are many things to like about the current generation of this small hatchback. First of all, it offers plenty of passenger space, while the rear seats are smart and great in terms of hauling. Also, the car is very maneuverable and easy to drive around town.
On the other hand, the biggest complaints go to the small cargo area and the price that’s higher compared to rivals in some parts of the world.
2023 Honda Fit Design
Design-wise, the new generation has brought a lot of interesting upgrades and the 2023 Honda Fit is about to continue in the same way. Compared to the previous model, the biggest change is probably the styling. Unlike the previous model, which was fitted to the brand’s design language, the new model comes with pretty unique aesthetics, which doesn’t have much in common with the rest of the lineup. The new Fit looks better than ever, while it’s also characterized by bigger dimensions than before.
Mechanically, we saw an evolution of the familiar design. The chassis setup isn’t much different compared to the previous generation and this particularly refers to the suspension. This part of the car is rather simple, which guarantees durability and a low cost of potential repairs. However, this also means that the comfort isn’t at a particularly high level. The ride is bumpy at lower speeds, but that’s shouldn’t be taken as a big drawback, considering that rivals aren’t much different either. More precisely, the suspension setup is calibrated in the way that the car suffers from bigger road imperfections. On the other hand, it acts pretty way on the highway and at higher speeds.
Interior
This is where this small hatchback really shines. It comes with one of the most spacious cabins in the segment, which accommodate adult passengers with ease. The front seats are well designed and offer decent support as well. Traditionally, Honda offers a great driving position, which even brings a little bit of sportiness to this segment. The rear seats also offer a lot of room to accommodate taller passengers with ease.
On the other hand, the cargo area isn’t all that generous. It offers a little bit over 300 liters, which is less compared to some rivals. However, the fifth door opens wide and the square cargo area offers a high level of functionality.
The Fit’s cabin has always been practical but it has never been particularly attractive. That changed with the last redesign and the new cabin looks funkier than ever. There are numerous interesting details on the dashboard, while the materials and build quality are better than ever. Furthermore, Honda introduced a new generation of the infotainment system, which is much more intuitive and features way better graphics than before. However, some rivals still offer better infotainment systems.
Typically for Fit, sound insulation isn’t great. Of course, it’s better compared to the previous generation, but there is still a lot of wind noise, especially at higher speeds.
Features
The Fit’s interior doesn’t just look great from the inside but also comes equipped fairly well. You would probably want to skip the base trim, which comes with an old-fashioned 5-inch display and get a model that comes with Honda’s latest infotainment system and a pretty massive 9-inch touchscreen. With the upgraded infotainment system, you may also count on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, as well as on satellite navigation. Furthermore, you get more speakers and several more upgrades. The digital instrument cluster is standard and although it won’t blow your mind in terms of graphics and aesthetics, it’s very transparent and pretty functional.
Besides lots of infotainment and other tech goodies, this model also comes with plenty of safety features. Typically for Honda, there is a full load of driver-assistance systems. You may count on automatic emergency braking, a forward collision warning system, lane keep assist, a lane departure warning and a traffic sign recognition system. You can also pay extra for upgrades like blind-spot monitoring, cross traffic monitoring etc.
2023 Honda Fit Engines
The engine offer largely depends on the part of the world where this model is offered. In Japan, the base model comes with a small 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which puts out around 100 horsepower and 120 Nm of torque. Also, the Japanese version comes with a Hybrid powertrain, which combines a 1.5-liter engine with a single electric motor, with a total output of around 110 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque.
On the other hand, the European version, which comes with the “Jazz” nameplate, is available with the hybrid powertrain only. It’s the same 110-hp system, which offers pretty decent performance, even on the highway. This is arguably the best powertrain option for this small hatchback. Simply, the electric motor ensures a lot of additional torque and pretty much instant throttle response.
In China and some other markets, this small hatchback comes with a 1.5-liter inline-four, which comes in two output versions, with either 120 or 130 horsepower.
All engines come in pair with a CVT gearbox.
2023 Honda Fit Release Date and Price
The current generation is still a pretty fresh model on the market, so we presume it won’t feature bigger changes. Therefore, it should arrive at a typical time of year, sometime in the last quarter of the year. The price largely depends on the market. In Japan, it starts at around 19.000 dollars, while the UK version is available at around £20.000. In China, this small hatchback starts at around 90.000 yuan, which would be around 15.000 dollars.
Competition
The 2023 Honda Fit will continue to compete with other subcompact hatchbacks on the market. Some of the names that come to mind are Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta etc.