2009 Honda Fit First Impressions (video)

You may be wondering why a brand-new Fit is heading into showrooms at this very moment, when the old Fit has only been in Honda's line-up for two years. That's because the outgoing model was actually launched way back in 2001 in overseas markets.

The new look isn't a radical departure, as you'll know right away that it's a Fit.

In Japan, the new-generation Fit has become the country's best-selling car in the last 10 months, which should've triggered many champagne-bottle uncorkings within the halls of Honda's headquarters. Let's see what has changed.

More aggressive appearance
The new look isn't a radical departure, as you'll know right away that it's a Fit. According to Honda, the new car's wedge shape will appeal to more customers. For 2009, the mid-level LX steals the Sport's hatch-mounted spoiler, and gets lightweight alloy wheels borrowed from the Civic Hybrid--not the best-looking units in Honda's parts bin, but that's a matter of personal taste.

The small front-quarter windows located at the base of the A-pillars are now three times bigger, which increases frontward visibility. The only thing that bugs me about the Fit's new clothes is the disproportionate front overhang when you're looking at the car's profile.

Minor changes under the hood
The Fit is still powered by a 1.5-litre engine, but gets a round of revisions to produce more power while consuming less fuel. Output is now rated at 117 horsepower, up from 109, and 5-speed manual and automatic transmission are still on the spec sheet. The automatic Sport model loses its paddle shifters, which shouldn't shed too many tears.

On the crowdy streets of Montreal, the Fit displays more than adequate power and a high level of nimbleness. On the highway, however, the 4-cylinder starts getting pretty buzzy under the hood; at 100 km/h with the manual-equipped car, the engine is spinning at over 3,000 rpm. The old Fit with the automatic kept engine speed around 2,200 rpm on the highway, so the new model should perform the same.

For 2009, the mid-level LX steals the Sport's hatch-mounted spoiler.