The Honda Fit is a compact five-door car manufactured by Honda. It is also marketed as Honda Jazz in various markets. First debuted in 2011 Fit is based on Honda’s global car platform. Honda Fit is one of the best fuel-efficient cars today available on the market. 2016 Honda Fit sets the benchmarks for interior room, efficacy, and safety for small hatchbacks. It is not as enjoyable to throttle as early models, and some minor fit and finish grumbles could cause some consideration.
Nonetheless, by a wide margin, it’s one of the top choices in its range. It has raised the bar of safety with features like ABS, EBD and brake assist that come standard. Let us explore more about Honda fit in terms of design, infotainment system and safety technologies.
Chiseled Exterior Looks
Sensible but striking, unlike the earlier designs, the Fit isn’t styled so much like minivan any longer. It’s grown more toward the latest state of the art models in the hatchback segment. New Fit comes with deep side creases, a shoulder line that emphasizes the wedge in its shape, and a slimmer and stiffer stance.
The stout, short hood, and long roofline draw out the lengthier body, and the glass areas are in better balance giving you an impression of larger interior space and allowing more light to enter the cabin. Rear end looks similar to Volvo’ design and this time Honda decided to use LED technology to make it even nicer and more attractive. Headlights are automatically activated when it gets dark and switch off when it’s not required.
Other exterior features include a roof-mounted antenna, one-touch side indicators, intermittent rear wiper and washer, heated side mirrors and security system with remote entry. It certainly isn’t luxurious but still offers more than a decent level of equipment that will suit your basic needs.
Premium & Modular Interiors
The Fit has a spacious interior and hardly feels compact. It is available with a leather-trimmed interior for top variant (EX-L) which gives it a higher class feel and look. Illuminated steering wheel with mounted controls is a first in class feature for cruise, audio, phone and navigation on the go.
One of the keys to the Fit’s simply unparalleled interior modularity is the so-called “Magic Seat” setup. Seating adjustment comes in 4 models named Utility mode, Long mode, Tall mode and Refresh mode.
a) Utility Mode- In this mode, the 2nd Row Magic Seat should be folded down to get enough space for a bicycle or even a small sofa.
b) Long Mode- In this mode long items like surfboards and skis can be stored by folding down the passenger-side rear and front seats.
c) Tall Mode-This mode is for tall plant or for keeping objects vertically and can be achieved by, folding the 2nd Row Magic Seat up to bring nearly 4 feet of vertical space.
d) Refresh Mode- This mode is a relaxing mode for those who want to take a break after a long drive. In this mode, the headrest is removed and the front seats folded back and you get enough space for a long stretch.
With best in class interior space, Fit sets a benchmark for the entire hatchbacks segment on the space utilization and packaging design. There is always a trade-off between internal space and cargo room and Honda went for a roomier interior and made a flexible layout for those who want to carry more.
Infotainment System
Infotainment system consists of 7-Inch display audio with high-resolution WVGA display. Electrostatic touch screen and easy voice recognition are the major highlights in the infotainment system. Other features include Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC) and Radio Data System (RDS).
Bluetooth audio streaming, Satellite Navigation System with voice recognition and Honda HD Digital Traffic are other additions. The infotainment system is compatible with SiriusXM and Pandora App. The dual USB interface provided in front of the console is a clever utility anybody wishes for and Honda did it first.
The Honda Link Next Generation connects your phone to a vehicle like never before. Use Honda Link to plan service appointments and to keep your vehicles in great condition.
Safety Technologies in New Fit
2016 Honda Fit brings a lot of safety technologies such as Multi-Angle Rear View Camera (MARVC) which allows you to easily get a great view of what’s behind you with three set angles. Daytime Running Lights is standard across various trims and it help to increase car’s presence of the car to other drivers. Supplementary safety technologies such Vehicle Stability Assist VSA with Traction Control is also available with new Fit for those who want to push safety to even higher level.
Passive safety options include ACE (Advanced Compact ability Engineering) body structure with reinforced steel structure, Dual stage Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS), Smart Vent Front Side Airbags and Side Curtain Airbags with integrated Rollover Sensor. Lower anchors and tethers for children-(LATCH) for children seat safety and childproof rear door locks.
Honda’s 2016 Fit has received very decent safety scores from both the IIHS and the NHTSA. The NHTSA gives it a Top rating in general, and the Fit achieved “Good” ratings in all IIHS categories excluding the tough new small overlap front crash tests, where it was evaluated with “Acceptable” score. That means 2016 Honda Fit is one of the safest vehicles on the road.
Compact Powertrain and improved Handling
The Fit comes with a 1.5 Litre, 16 valves, 4 Cylinder Inline direct-injection engine that churns out 130-horsepower and 114 lb-ft torque. Termed as the Earth Dreams engine, the compact power pack helps Fit earn an impressive 41-mpg highway rating and 33- mpg in the city.
It is designed to improve efficiency without sacrificing performance. The 6-speed manual transmission and continuously variable transmission (CVT) are the two transmission option available in this hatchback.
For sports enthusiasts, CVT comes with an upgrade of sports mode and dual mode paddle shift for sheer driving pleasure. With the amount of power and general purpose of this car do not expect stellar performances.
The Electronic power assisted Rack and Pinion steering (EPS), precision tuned independent MacPherson front suspension and torsion rear suspension gives an incredible handling as well as improved ride comfort.
The ECON button in CVT-equipped models adjusts engine systems for more efficiency. Eco Assist colored bars on both sides of the speedometer helps to know how ably you’re driving.
Variants, Models, and competitors
The 2016 Honda Fit is available in three models with LX is the base, EX the medium and EX-L the premium one. In LX and EX model CVT is optional. The LX comes with cruise control, automatic headlamps and DRL as standard.
EX trim comes with Honda Lane Watch, 7 Inch Display Audio Touch-Screen, Push start button, 1 Touch moonroof with tilt function, etc. EX-L is also equipped with leather seats, leather steering wheel, and leather gearshift knobs. Heated/ventilated seats and mirrors are the additional feature in EX-L Model while in addition, CVT comes as standard on EX-L Model.
2016 Honda Fit Price
With a price under $16,000, or $15,890 to be more precise, the 2016 Honda Fit is one of the most affordable vehicles in the subcompact segment. Rivals of Honda Fit include the Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris which are similarly priced.
Higher trims are more expensive and for EX version will cost from $17,800 and the EX-L you will need to pay $20,165. As we mentioned before CVT option is available on LX and EX models and it will cost you additional $800.
