2009 Honda Fit hits Canadian showrooms in mid-september

Honda launched the new generation of its popular subcompact car, the Fit, in Japan last October. The Japanese manufacturer has now announced that this updated version will be available in Canada on September 15 as a 2009 model.


For this 2009 model, the wheelbase, the overall length and the width of the Fit have all been increased, which allows for a more spacious passenger compartment. The maximum cargo capacity is now 1,622 litres, up from 1,186 litres. With all these changes, the Fit has gained some weight, a little more than 220 lb in fact.

To counter this increase, the engineers at Honda grafted a brand-new, 1.5-litre, i-VTEC engine onto the 2009 Fit. It produces 117 hp, 8 more than the one outfitting the current generation. It can be coupled with either a manual or automatic transmission, both featuring 5 speeds.

Those expecting markedly superior fuel efficiency will be disappointed. The numbers announced are hardly better than what the 2008 Fit is capable of. The new incarnation equipped with a manual transmission will consume 7.2 L / 100 km in the city and 5.7 L / 100 km on the highway, while the automatic-transmission version will consume 7.1 L / 100 km in the city and 5.5 L / 100 km on the highway.

The 2009 Fit will be available in 4 versions: DX ($14,980), DX-A ($16,280), LX ($17,380) and Sport ($19,280), which can all be delivered with either manual or automatic transmission. An extra $1,200 will be tacked on to the suggested retail price for the latter.