New Honda Fit arrives in Namibia

The Honda Jazz has gone on to establish itself as one of its segment's leaders. Not only did it impress with its versatility, but as a proper value-for-money hatchback. After three generations, Honda thought it would be a great time to bring the latest model to market. As the new car enters the local market, it also brings a new name: Fit. That's right, Honda South Africa has done away with the Jazz name and has gone the global route by adopting the Fit nameplate. The new Fit is also the first model to introduce Honda's new e:HEV hybrid technology, marking the return of Honda Motor Southern Africa (HSAF) to the Hybrid market.

Dinesh Govender, General Manager of Honda Motor Southern Africa, says: "The all-new Japanese-built Honda Fit represents a new generation of cars for Honda Motor Southern Africa focused on reasserting Honda's position as a brand that is synonymous with outstanding quality, durability and technology. Our rebranding strategy for the all-new Fit aims to rebrand the image of the model from one that has always appealed to customers' rational side due to its space and practicality, to one that appeals more to customers' emotional side with an exquisite design, exceptional drive and brand-new technology."

2021 Honda Fit

Fresh, new cabin

Honda gave its new Fit a fresh new interior, with the improved quality and thought-through design coming to the fore. Immediately noticeable is the new 9-inch HMI touchscreen interface, which is standard on Elegance and Executive models, including the new hybrid model.

Honda says that the simple-to-use LCD touchscreen interface is designed to minimise driver distraction, and that operation time for the most regularly-used controls is reduced by 58% compared with the previous model, providing a safer and more ergonomic experience. The system interface is navigated using familiar smartphone-style usability, with swipe controls to scroll through pages and lists. The display can be configured to suit any usage requirements, incorporating customisable shortcuts to frequently used functions and audio sources.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard.

The new Fit offers a luggage capacity of 309L (209L in the hybrid) and 1 210L (1 199L) with the rear seats folded down. Over the model it replaces, the new Fit is 88mm longer and offers 35m more rear legroom.

2021 Honda Fit

New hybrid model

The base Fit petrol models are equipped with Honda's new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine generating a power output of 89kW @ 6 600rpm and torque of 145Nm @ 4 300rpm. Honda says that this new powertrain is more powerful and efficient than the outgoing model, while returning a fuel consumption figure of just 5.5-litres/100km and a CO2 emission figure of 132g/km.

Carrying Honda's new e:HEV badge, the all-new flagship FIT Hybrid. The hybrid motor consists of two electric motors connected to the 1.5-litre petrol engine, a lithium-ion battery, and an innovative fixed-gear transmission via an intelligent power control unit.

The total output of 80kW and 253Nm of electric propulsion torque can propel the car to 100km/h in just 9.4 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 175km/h. Its fuel-efficient hybrid system returns a fuel economy figure of just 3.7-litres/100km and produces CO2 emissions of 88g/km, exempting the FIT Hybrid model from additional CO2 tax.

2021 Honda Fit

Pricing and warranty

• Fit 1.5 Comfort CVT - N$ 319 900

• Fit 1.5 Elegance CVT - N$ 359 900

• Fit 1.5 Executive CVT - N$ 389 900

• Fit 1.5 i-MMD e-CVT Hybrid - N$ 474 900 (available from November 2021)

The Honda Fit range comes standard with Honda's 5-year or 200 000km warranty, as well as a 4-year/60 000km service plan with 15 000km service intervals. Customers also have the reassurance of a 3-year AA Roadside Assistance.

The Fit Hybrid model comes standard with an extended 8-year or 200 000km warranty specifically covering the battery and related components of the Hybrid system.

Source: News24 Website