Autoblog

Click the image above for a gallery of live and press shots of the new Honda Fit.

Honda's redesigned Fit was on the floor for all and sundry to kick tires, snap photos and enjoy the economy-class interior provided by the Big-H's sub-compact offering. Although the Fit apes the styling of the Euro-Civic, much of what's aft of the A-pillar will look familiar, with a few subtle tweaks to differentiate it from its predecessor. Powertrain choices include a 1.3- or 1.5-liter four, with an all-wheel-drive option.

Our previous post has all the details and the gallery below has a selection of live and press images.

click above image to view more pics of the Mugen Honda Fit

There's usually less than a week between the time a new vehicle is introduced by Honda and Mugen debuts its own hotted up version. Such is the case with the 2008 Honda Fit, also known as the Jazz in other markets, including Japan. The 2008 Fit was revealed by Honda last Thursday, and not four days later do we have the Mugen version. The splash page on Mugen's website is of course in Japanese, so we found out the details elsewhere and can tell you that Mugen will be offering two body kits for the Fit. The RS body kit (shown above) will be aggressive, or at least more so than the L/G Aero kit, and both will include new front and rear bumpers, side skirts, a roof spoiler and chrome exhaust tip. Other accessories like alloy wheels, aluminum pedals, different gauges, a sports exhaust, stiffer suspension and the like will also be available. No word on any force fed assistance for the Fit's little 1.5L powerplant, but we'll keep you posted if we hear anything.

[Source: Mugen via Carscoop]

UPDATE: 60+ images added to the gallery.

Click the image above for more high-res images.

The second-generation Honda Fit drops in Japan on October 26th. The new Fit refines the basic recipe of the current car, marrying innovative packaging and a carved-out interior with efficient mechanicals. Honda has also added a sportier "Road Sailing" trim level that adds a larger engine. The A-pillar has moved forward and stretched the wheelbase two inches, utilizing that space to add four-mode "Ultra Seats" that flip and fold in a variety of ways to increase cargo capacity, or even create a bed when set to "Refresh mode." They've also found room for ten (!) cupholders in there somehow, but Honda swears that the interior volume is equivalent to one of its mid-size sedans.

Five new exterior colors bring the available hues to a total of 12, and the exterior design has evolved into something more handsome than the current Fit. It's still not terribly stylish, but for its homeliness, but we doubt that anyone would argue that the outgoing Fit looks better. A 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine is the base powerplant, upgradeable to a 1.5-liter unit, and both powerplants are available with an all-wheel-drive system when mated to a 5-speed automatic. There's also a CVT and a five-speed manual available to transmit twist to the road. Prices start at about $9,800 (1.14 million Yen) and go up to about $14,600 (1.7 million Yen).

Honda's full press release is posted after the jump.

[Source: Honda]