The Honda Fit hybrid makes its worldwide debut next month at the Paris auto show and rolls into showrooms next year -- except in the United States.
American Honda execs say there are no plans to bring us the four-door compact hybrid because the Honda Insight fills the same segment, according to Automotive News. We couldn't disagree more. Although the Fit and Insight are of similar size and price, the Fit is a fun car with personality. The Insight has all the pizazz of dry toast. (Jeremy Clarkson called it "Biblically terrible.") What's more, the Fit is more practical than the Honda CR-Z hybrid, which is sporty but has just two seats. A Fit hybrid would seem to fill the gap between those two cars.
Be that as it may, the Fit hybrid will be available only in Europe and Japan, where it is called the Jazz. It features the same 1.3-liter gasoline engine and continuously variable transmission as the Insight. The electric motor is sandwiched between the two, and Honda says the Fit Hybrid will be capable of electric-only power under low speeds. Honda says it will release fuel economy and emissions data in Paris.
The hybrid gets different headlights, chrome trim and other baubles to differentiate it from the conventional model. Pricing is TBA, but earlier reports put the sticker price at 1.5 million yen, or about $16,780.
Photo of the conventional Fit: Honda
