Filed under: Japan, Hatchbacks, Honda
Honda Fit named Japanese Car of the Year
click above image for high-res gallery of the 2008 Honda Fit
The second-generation Honda Fit (a.k.a. Jazz in some markets outside the U.S.) has been named Japan's Car of the Year. Reuters reports that the little Honda hatchback beat out such heavyweights as the new Nissan Skyline (a.k.a. Infiniti G37 in the U.S.) and the new Subaru Impreza. Chosen by a 60-member panel comprised mainly of automotive journalists, the Car of the Year award in Japan has gone to Honda five times in the last 10 years. Last year's winner was the new Lexus LS sedan. You can check out the entire list of past winners here on Wikipedia. While we in the U.S. aren't able to purchase the new Fit yet, it's on sale in Japan and flying off the lot. Expected to sell around 12,000 units per month initially, Honda sold more than 20,000 in the car's first two weeks of availability. The new Fit's larger size and smoother looks should help it find a few more buyers in the U.S. as well when it goes on sale sometime next year.
[Source: Reuters]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
calebe 11:32AM (11/21/2007)
sweet car.
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James 11:33AM (11/21/2007)
ok, this is really funny. US car of the year is caddy cts, europe's is fiat 500 and japanese is honda fit. I did a story on my blog about cts and just the la auto show winners and losers http://www.tengears.com. Guys what would you pick as a car of the year.
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Xcountryflyer 11:36AM (11/21/2007)
I hope Honda brings the new Fit over sooner than later. How about a Fit Si?
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Menice 11:37AM (11/21/2007)
the FIT .....voted on by 60 journalists. (that honda gives hookers too)
sorry, i'd drive a 76' pontiac before i drove that weenie mobile.
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psarhjinian 11:44AM (11/21/2007)
Wow, you're such a manly man. I bet the chicks are impressed.
I drive a Fit. It's agile, practical, economical and fun to drive. The fact that it's out-slalomed a number of very serious sports cars in several tests speaks to a well-done chassis, especially at this price point, and crashes better than many cars much larger than it.
But it's not a manly car, so you wouldn't want one.
geo.stewart 11:48AM (11/21/2007)
short wheel base, not well done chassis, is what helps its slalom number.
dont know why they are making it bigger. the only difference between it now and a civic is the trunk/
calebe 11:51AM (11/21/2007)
Some people's egos are not driven by the car they drive. O_o While I think Caddy has came a long way, It's looks are not any less wild than the Fit. Both are pretty far out there style wise. Also, The Honda Fit that won and the Fiat 500 are not available yet in the USA so we would have to base our judgement on the media. I'll wait until i can drive both before saying one is better than the other.
Menice 1:11PM (11/21/2007)
my ego is totally driven by the car i drive.
i think what a person drives says something about that person.
agile, practical, economical and fun are great when they are combined with something that doesnt look like a retarded turtle. HOW come you cant add 'good looking' or 'eye catching' to that list.
Seriously, when the designers sat staring at a fresh the lump of clay, I think after 5 minutes they shrugged and said "lets just leave it".
EMC 6:29PM (11/21/2007)
is that... a Hyundai Tiburon as your avatar...?
*cough*
Menice 7:19PM (11/21/2007)
what you gagging on?
yep, with way more style then the FIT and probably more then what your driving. its my second one. best car i've had in 22 yrs of driving... my current santa fe is close second.
do you drive the "practical loaf of rye bread too?"
great car- I dont doubt it.
car of the year- maybe if your looking from underneath it.
Hondai 11:47AM (11/21/2007)
Honda better get their grill heated up because this thing is gonna sell like hotcakes when gas climbs to unthinkable prices.
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J M C 3 11:59AM (11/21/2007)
When they stick their little diesle in this thing it's gonna be a milage champ.
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Ligor 12:00PM (11/21/2007)
that's still one UGLY car
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Leaf 12:25PM (11/21/2007)
I love the Fit, but really, I think it should've gone to the G37. THAT is one sexy, sexy auto.
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why not the LS2LS7? 12:57PM (11/21/2007)
How can you give the G37 the nod? It's a new motor in a car with the same body style as last year. It seems like it's pretty difficult for a 10% power bump to improve a car enough to make the the best new car of the year.
Leaf 2:55PM (11/21/2007)
The interior has gone from good to nearly class leading. I'd say the only car in its class with a better interior is the Audi TT. The wood trim option in this and the G35 is some of the best wood trim you'll ever see anywhere- and this is coming from someone who absolutely loathes wood trim in everything else.
On the outside, it has subtle but really effective improvements. At first I was very skeptical, because in pictures it looks like the same car with a few smoother lines. In person it's more impressive.
I guess I'm just in love with that car and thus I'm completely biased. The Fit is great, it just doesn't wow me like the G does.
why not the LS2LS7? 3:50PM (11/21/2007)
I dunno about class leading, and honestly I don't like the TT interior at all (G37 is much better there).
I can tell you as an Audi owner that that orange display in the middle of the instrument cluster will start to dim out and die in 6 years. Sorry if I'm not impressed by that. Also, without the wood the center console doesn't look good to me. Looks great with it though.
I love Infiniti's NAV systems though.
gsolman6 1:02PM (11/21/2007)
Ugly car? Well fortunately "ugliness" in this case is in direct proportion to its practicality.
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justin 1:04PM (11/21/2007)
i like the design more than the first one, but now the front end looks very similar to the yaris hatch...
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stefan 1:08PM (11/21/2007)
@why not the LS2/LS7?
The G37/V36 skyline is a totaly new model and doesn't share any parts with the G35/V35.
The fit has the same engine as the last model so why would you name the fit the best new car of the year just because it has new sheat metal.
But hou could you know.
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