2013 Honda Fit EV Receives Highest Ever EPA Rating for Electric Cars at 118 MPGe

Good news for Honda as its 2013 Fit EV has scored a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe, which the company says is the "highest fuel-efficiency rating ever given by the EPA".

But wait, doesn't the EV part of the new Fit's name stand for 'Electric Vehicle'? Yes, it does, so saying it has the "highest fuel-efficiency" is not entirely true. What Honda has achieved is to create a vehicle with a low consumption rating of 29 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 miles.

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Honda to Build Fit at New Plant in Mexico Starting from 2014

With Japan becoming the Land of the Rising Yen, more and more automakers are moving production outside the country to improve their profit margins. On Wednesday, Honda laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new production plant in Celaya, Mexico.

The new factory will become operational in 2014 and among other cars that will be produce there is the subcompact Fit (named Jazz in other markets) for the Mexican, U.S. and Canadian markets, as well as other regions.

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Honda Sports up the Jazz with a New Si Limited Edition in Geneva

Honda quietly revealed a new special edition version of its Jazz supermini at this week's 2012 Geneva Motor Show. It's called the Si and it has been designed exclusively for the European market combining a sportier look inside and out with an uprated chassis.

The first thing you'll notice on the Jazz Si is the new aero package that consists of new front and rear bumpers, with deep valances and prominent side skirts, along with a set of 16-inch alloy wheels fitted with low profile sport tires.

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2013 Honda Fit EV gets up to 123 miles, Priced at $36,625 but will be Available only for Lease [Video]

The brand-new 2012 CR-V may be the talk of the day at Honda's Los Angeles Auto Show booth, but the Japanese carmaker also presented the production version of the Fit EV and announced plans to begin leasing the pure electric subcompact from next year.

Honda said that the Fit EV's MSRP is $36,625 with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month. It will initially be offered for lease to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer, followed by six East Coast markets in early 2013.

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Honda to Debut Production Versions of Pure-Electric Fit and 2012 CR-V in Los Angeles

[2010 Honda Fit EV Study pictured above]

The 2012 CR-V won't be the only brand-new production model from Honda to make its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16th as the Japanese automaker announced that the 2013 Fit EV will also be displayed in final form.

Honda had presented a thinly disguised concept of the Fit EV exactly a year ago at the 2010 edition of the LA Show. The production variant of the pure-electric Fit will be closely modeled after last year's study and is expected to keep its lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor.

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Honda Recalls Over 1 Million Jazz/Fit, CR-Z and CR-V Models Worldwide over Separate Issues

It's recall time for Honda that said on Monday it is calling in three of its models globally in order to repair three unrelated problems. The bulk of the recall campaign concerns the Fit/Jazz subcompact: 960,000 cars built between October 2005 and October 2009 and sold mainly in China and other Asian countries are recalled to fix malfunctioning power window switches. Read more »

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan Outsells Competition in Sub-Compact Segment

While it may not be the car most dream to own, the low $10,990 ($11,750 including destination) entry level price tag of the 2012 Nissan Versa sedan seems to have piqued the interest of U.S. buyers looking for a cheap new ride.

According to data released by Nissan today, in August, the first full month of availability of the new Versa sedan, the subcompact model sold of 8,566 units beating all of its theoretical competitors, including the Chevrolet Aveo, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mazda 2 and the soon to be replaced, Toyota Yaris.

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Honda Updates Fit for 2012MY with Styling Tweaks and New Equipment Features

Honda has laid bare the highlights to its 2012 model year Fit hatchback, and the most important news concern the updated styling of the Fit Sport, some interior tweaks on all models and the addition of new standard and optional features across the range.

Beginning with the 2012 Fit Sport, the exterior updates include a revised front grille and bumper, black headlight bezels and a dark "machined surface" finish for the alloy wheels.

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Honda to Invest $800 Million in New Mexico Plant

Honda announced today that it will invest $800 million to build a new assembly plant in Mexico. The factory, which is expected to be operational in 2014, will employ around 3,200 workers producing up to 200,000 vehicles per year. Read more »

Mugen Attempts to Make the Honda Fit Shuttle Look Cool and Sporty

When the people over at Honda’s tuning partner Mugen aren’t working on more interesting and unique projects like the Civic Type R and even the CR-Z, they are usually kept busy with the brand’s more mundane vehicles such as the newly introduced Fit Shuttle.

The Japan market only Fit Shuttle is a slightly taller, longer and more practical version of the Fit (also marketed as the Jazz in certain countries) which itself is a tall five-door subcompact model.

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Honda Launches New Fit Shuttle Small MPV in Japan [ 46 Photos]

After briefly postponing the presentation of its all-new Fit Shuttle due to a variety of problems that arose from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Honda on Thursday officially launched its mini MPV.

While keeping the five-seat layout of the regular Fit (called Jazz in Europe), the Shuttle is longer and taller, with the extra space benefiting both the rear passengers and the cargo area.

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Honda Postpones Launch of Fit Shuttle Due to the Japan Quake

The devastating earthquake and its aftermath in Japan have forced Honda to postpone the market launch of its new Fit Shuttle. The introduction of the car in Japan was scheduled to take place this month. Honda said it has not yet decided on a new release date and that the company will follow up with an announcement with more details soon.

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Honda Reveals Production Version of New Brio City Car in Thailand

Honda today lifted the wraps off the Brio, a small city car designed for emerging Asian markets such as India, China and Thailand. Previewed last year by the Brio concept, Honda’s new model measures 3,610 meters long and 1,680 meters wide, making it 290mm shorter than the Jazz supermini and only 1 centimeter narrower.

The Brio uses a 1.2-liter i-VTEC engine sourced from the Jazz, which delivers 90 horsepower and an average fuel consumption of 5 liters/100 km (47 mpg US), while respecting the Euro 4 emission standards. The engine can be linked to a manual five-speed gearbox or a CVT transmission.

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Honda Recalling 97,201 2009-2010MY Fit Models in the States

Potentially damaged lost motion springs are the cause of Honda’s latest recall in the U.S., which affects 97,201 2009 and 2010 model year Fit vehicles. Parts of the engine valvetrain, the lost motion springs may bend or break over time due to the compression forces exerted on them by the rocker arms, resulting in abnormal engine noise or even damage.

According to Honda, no crashes or injuries have been caused by the defective components. The Japanese automaker will start notifying customers by mail in early March, and have them take their vehicles for an inspection carried out at an authorized dealer.

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Honda Publishes New Photos and Info on European-spec Jazz Hybrid and Face-lifted Jazz Models

Honda today released full details and some 80 or so photos on the European-spec Jazz Hybrid and face-lifted conventional Jazz models, which will soon go on sale across the continent. Previewed at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Jazz Hybrid is said to be the first B-segment car fitted with a petrol-electric powertrain and it does it without compromising the cabin space and luggage compartment.

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Honda Officially Announces Fit / Jazz Shuttle, Sales Start in Japan this March

Less than a month ago, we broke the story on the leaked brochure of the Honda Fit Shuttle. Today, the Japanese automaker came out with an official announcement revealing a cropped image of the car and stating that the larger and more practical version of the Fit (otherwise known as the Jazz) will go on sale in Japan this March.

The new Fit Shuttle will be available in Japan with a similar engine lineup to the hatchback version including a conventional 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a hybrid variant featuring a 1.3 liter gasoline unit and a 10 KW electric motor.

Honda did not say whether the Fit Shuttle will be offered exclusively in Japan or if it will make its way to other markets as well. Follow the break for more pictures.

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Honda to Build More CR-Vs in the U.S., Plans to Increase the use of Parts from Low-Cost Countries

The strong yen is affecting all Japanese automakers that are exporting their locally produced cars to America. Honda is one of them, as of the 72,000 CR-Vs built last year in Japan, 35,000 made their way to North America. Japan’s third largest automaker wants to invest in its North American plants to increase the number of CR-V it builds here and reduce exports from Japan, thus minimizing losses due to exchange rates.

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New Honda App Allows iPhone Users to Catch Characters from TV Spot as they Appear on the Commercial

In a ground-breaking campaign, Honda has merged the worlds of iPhone Apps and traditional commercials, be they on your TV, computer screen or mobile phone. Created to celebrate the launch of the revised Honda Jazz [Fit in the U.S.], the new interactive app allows iPhone users to virtually catch animated characters as they appear on screen in the firm's new TV advert 'This Unpredictable Life' and drop them into their phones, more or less in the same way you'd use a PS3 Move or Nintendo wii motion-controller.

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Honda Germany Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Special Edition Models

Honda has launched a new series of special edition models in Germany to celebrated the company's 50th anniversary in Europe. The first Honda store in Germany opened in 1961 in the city of Hamburg. The lineup of special edition models includes the CR-Z hybrid sport hatch, the Civic, the CR-V, the Accord and the Jazz, all of which feature additional standard equipment such as larger alloy wheels and upgraded audio systems (depending on the model) without a price increase. More details on the 50th Anniversary specials can be found on Honda's German website.

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New Honda Fit Shuttle: Leaked Brochure Reveals Station Wagon-Like Model

A bonanza of allegedly official brochure photos showing a new, station-wagon-like variant of the Japanese domestic market [JDM] Fit have leaked onto the internet. Named the Fit Shuttle, the car appears to be based on the recently refreshed Fit (Honda uses the Jazz nameplate in Europe, Australia and other international markets) featuring a longer body with taller roofline and a redesigned rear end.

As you can see in the brochure shots, the Fit Shuttle will be offered in two flavors, a Hybrid version powered by the same IMA system with a 1.3 liter i-VTEC engine featured on the five-door hatchback model, and a more powerful variant with a regular 1.5-liter gasoline unit.

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