2015 Honda Fit First Drive
...and 'Big Change'
They say, "When you're on a good thing, stick to it." Honda has followed that formula since launching the first Fit back in 2001. And why not? It's worked wonders for the automaker so far, even if Honda of America took three years to wake up to the car's potential and launch it in the US. Now manufactured at 10 plants in eight countries, the Fit has sold more than 4 million units. The second generation, released in 2007, essentially followed the original's design with bolder headlights and grille, and maintained the car's central fuel tank layout and dimensions. But according to the third generation 2015 Fit's chief engineer, Makoto Konishi, "It's time for a big change. That 'good thing' needs to get better."
The new, polarizing look
We got a chance to test the all-new Fit at Honda's Takasu Proving Ground in Hokkaido, and the car looks better in the flesh than in photos. The front end is stunningly bolder and adds plenty of street cred. It appears to take design hints from the Clarity fuel-call car, the CR-V, and even the new NSX. Design boss Toshinobu Minami says that in designing the new exterior, he wanted to make a strong connection with a market smitten with smartphones and the Internet, a market fascinated by new gadgets. "We had to give the new model a significantly new face and stronger road presence while maintaining its dimensions," Minami said. The face, especially, had to exude 'new.' That is why Honda opted for a more solid face with an "exciting edge design." said Minami.
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