1 year and 10 months have passed since the latest fit! New Fit Test Drive Part 1 for Those Who Are Considering Purchasing / Vehicle Overview, Appearance and Interior, Running Edition [New Model Nechinechi Check Part 1]

■Prologue/Birth of the Honda Fit in the 2000s

The 1960s, 70s, and 80s... Honda's four-wheeled history is based on "Showa," "Heisei," and "Reiwa." If you look at it not by number but by 10-year calendar year, you can see that each era has created one piece of automobile history. It wasn't a big hit either, but a big home run that filled the ground with an excruciating "Kakeen!" sound.

Most recently, the first “N-BOX (2011)” was a home run product in the 2010s. In the light market at that time, Honda, which was in an inferior position in front of the top two light cars of Suzuki and Daihatsu, laid out a new "N series" route apart from the main light and life. The first N-BOX was introduced as the first step.

"Look at the power of us who rampaged the light market with the N360 (1967)!" quickly repainted the distribution of power in the height light market that had been occupied by.

I am writing this article at the end of 2021, but the Honda hits that represent 2020-2029 have not yet appeared. There are still eight years left, so I'm hoping that during that time, I'll be able to give something away.

, you will know what I mean. Starting with the 1967 N-Colo, the first-generation Civic (July 1972), the first-generation City (October 1981), and the first-generation Odyssey (October 1994) The 2000s version of Honda's epoch-making work following these was the first "Fit" in June 2001 (Heisei 13). Aside from the N-BOX, which followed Tanto and Palette, what all the homerun teams up to the first Fit have in common is that they create something that overturns conventional wisdom and preconceived notions to arouse new demand and expand the market. It has taken the world by storm.

It has already been about 20 years since the first Fit, which showed off the image of a new entry car. The current 4th generation of the Fit was announced and released on February 13, 2020, but it was partially improved in June 2021, one year and four months after its appearance.

The content is limited to the addition of manufacturer options for the "Honda CONNECT + ETC 2.0 in-vehicle device" equipped with an automatic map update function and in-vehicle Wi-Fi, and the replacement of body colors, but there are no visible changes in the mechanical part. , I had the opportunity to ride the latest Fit in December, so I ran around on public roads to explore its marketability once again.

The idea is to divide the impressions by theme and deliver them over 5 times. In the first installment, I will report on the outline of the vehicle, the inside and outside of the vehicle, and the running.

● There are 5 basic variations. And 2 special models for Modulo X... 29 models in total!

It's been 1 year and 10 months since the current model appeared, but if we look at the variations from the cheapest side again--

From the bottom, "BASIC", "HOME", "NESS", "CROSSTAR", "LUXE"... There are 5 basic models. Special edition cars "Casa" and "Maison" based on "HOME" commemorating the 20th anniversary of the birth of the Fit have been added.

Each of the five standard models, Casa and Maison has a gasoline model and a hybrid e: HEV, all of which can be selected from FF and 4WD, and Modulo X is only e: HEV FF. There doesn't seem to be a limit on the number or sales period of the two types of special specification cars, so people who are considering purchasing a Fit in the near future will have to choose one of the 29 types.

The lowest price model is "BASIC". The base model is generally a simple model for business use, with a poor appearance and poor equipment, but that is a thing of the past. The appearance of BASIC is comparable to that of other models, and although it lacks some convenient equipment, it has a product appeal that can withstand general use. It's great that you can even choose the new Honda CONNECT, which seems like it wouldn't even be set as an option if it's the cheapest!

Perhaps the model that Honda positions as "This is Fit!" is "HOME". It's a model that you won't regret saying, "I should have bought a slightly better car!" It's HOME. In fact, the HOME is the best-selling among the new Fit.

On top of that is NESS. What I don't quite understand is the relationship between HOME and the next item "CROSSTAR". In addition to the same LED fog lamps and double horns as "LUXE" described in the next item, the series' only auto air conditioner with plasma cluster, HOME's genuine leather steering wheel, shift lever In exchange for the 16-inch aluminum wheels, the overall equipment configuration and interior design are similar to the CROSSTAR. The vehicle price is also close to CROSSTAR. Is it worth the 110,000 yen price difference from the HOME in the equipment, or is it a CROSSTAR that is 60,000 yen cheaper? However, I have a feeling that NESS will eventually be integrated into HOME or CROSSTAR. However, only NESS can choose the "Accent Two-Tone", where the panel part from the front pillar to the roof side, the rear pillar, and the molding under the door are painted in orange, so if you are attracted to this color, NESS is the only choice. .

“CROSSTAR”, which is read as “Crosstar” instead of “Crossstar”, is a model with SUV-style interior and exterior while raising the floor clearance by 25mm for FF and 5mm for 4WD. Even so, the driving mechanism is exactly the same as the others, but this car is the only one that uses 185/60R16 size tires.

"LUXE" is a luxury car as the name suggests, and it is said that it is chosen by the elderly. Equivalent to the former Crown "Royal Saloon" and Mark II "Grande", this is the top-of-the-line model in the Showa-Heisei period. However, like the Showa and Heisei royal saloons and grandes, it can't have an enka or mood song style atmosphere, and the LUXE exclusive equipment is a "steering heater", "genuine leather seats", "center console box with armrest + wireless charger". etc. are given. Furthermore, when it comes to LUXE brown interior cars, it is the only series in the series that even the seat belts are color-coordinated and brown. . It was this “LUXE” e:HEV car that I borrowed for the test drive this time.

● 5-number size body with a sense of appropriate size

By the way, when you look at the exterior, you can see that the body has a maximum cabin with a total length of barely less than 4m, and a triangular shape. Although it maintains the usual fitting style, such as the hanging eye light, when you look at the details, it has changed greatly from the past three generations. The overall width is 1695mm, but the total length x width x height is 3995 x 1695 x 1540mm. increase. And the author was made to embrace the size of the new model precisely because of the unchanged width.

This is probably because the press line on the side of the body, which had been disgusting to domestic cars until a while ago, has disappeared, and the spacious bulge makes you feel the width. Although it shouldn't have as much design space as the so-called 3-number car (normal car standard), the body side molding has a sense of volume, and the interior is so spacious that you won't feel like asking for more width and length. …In the eyes of the author, who is still a believer in the 5 number size (small car standard), the Fit himself is saying, "Do you need a 3 number car in Japan, where there are not only wide roads?" It doesn't look like it.

However, this size is the limit for the fit, regardless of the outer length or width.

My family used the 1st generation Fit from 2003 to 2018, but when I put it in the garage where the 1st generation used to be, it looked bigger and bigger, even though the land wasn't that big. For some reason, the strange shape of our garage, which can accommodate four cars, seems to be making more noise with the new Fit.

For those who chose the Fit in the past because they wanted to enter the garage first, the increase in the size of the car should be a concern. I want it. This is because even if a car undergoes a model change every 5 to 6 years and becomes larger in size, the width of the garage, road, and parking lot in the city does not change every 5 to 6 years and become wider. Because it won't.

It's been a long time since Japanese-style compact cars have been neglected due to globalization and so on. Isn't it one of them?" I want to complain.

●Driving visibility is noteworthy ・The secret of the wide field of view, where you can see the front through the triangular windows on the side...?

Aside from that, I wrote that the overall style is the same as the past fit, but the details have changed. First of all, the silhouette of the side glass. Strangely enough, the change in the profile of the lateral glass greatly increases front visibility. There are two seeds of magic tricks.

When looking at the vehicle from the side, the bottom edge of the windshield moves forward until it covers the front wheels. This is the same for the past three generations, but with the triangular window on the body side, even if the front edge of the front side glass, which was the starting point of the door dividing line, is pulled by the forward movement of the windshield, the door dividing line remains at the wheel arch. It was just a result of the fact that the side glass had to be cut apart due to the need to be in front of it.

The new model is also divided, but this time, the side glass is decisively divided from the top of the split line to the top of the pillar to enlarge the triangular window. This is the first seed.

The second trick is how to show the pillars. From the outside, the main body-colored front pillar is the same as before, and the sub-pillar hidden between the triangular window and the front door sash is the sub-pillar. is reversing its position.

Therefore, it would be an overstatement to say that the presence of the front pillars is weak when viewed from the inside.

Up until now, the triangular window was only a bonus size, and because of the ceramic coating, the effective field of view was not as good as when viewed from the outside. , the field of view from the sideways triangular window enters the front field of view even if it is unpleasant, enhancing the driver's field of vision. The upper surface of the instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as the instrument panel) is almost completely flat, so it feels like a bay window in a Western-style house. It's something you just can't get with other cars.

I wrote earlier that the sub-pillar on the front side is thick, but here we are trying to make it look thinner by making it a clever shape.

By narrowing the width or area of ​​the side of the sub-pillar that can be seen on this side and facing the windshield with the remaining wide side (this is quite wide!), the apparent width of the thick sub-pillar can be reduced. doing. This is the story of the right sub-pillar as seen from the driver's seat.

No one talks about it, but it seems that the body designer's hard work is visible and hidden around here. The first time I saw this technique was the previous generation Levorg, but Honda is not defeated! For some reason, Honda has not advertised this sub-pillar structure, which seems to be boasting, but the same technique is diverted to the center pillar and rear pillar, and the thicker pillars due to the collision resistance requirement put a brake on the deterioration of visibility. I want you.

Oh yeah, the reason why the overall driving field of view was somewhat clear is because it feels like a bay window. The glass of the house is not round! It was also ○ that the wipers were almost fully concealed (meaning "completely hidden") when viewed from the driver's seat.

In spite of that, it looks bare from the outside, but if you can hide it under the hood, it's perfect! (For collisions with pedestrians and to improve the clean appearance of the exterior.)

●Instrument panel that should be interpreted as the 21st century version of the 2nd generation Today

If you sink yourself into the driver's seat and look ahead, you will notice the considerable depth of the upper surface of the instrument panel.

As I wrote earlier, the upper surface of the instrument panel is almost flat, the left and right triangular windows surround the upper surface, and the lower edge of the windshield is almost straight, so the upper surface of the instrument panel beyond the steering wheel is almost rectangular, somewhat facing the desk. I feel like I am.

If possible, leave the three sides of the rectangular glass side as they are, and the upper part of the meter and the pad in front of the instrument panel, which will be described later, can be protruded.・ A sense of openness will be born. It's my preference, but the current situation is that the top surface, which is quite noticeable, leads to a somewhat oppressive feeling.

The soft-looking pad spreads left and right while leaving the cup holders on both ends. Only the lid of the glove box on the upper side is actually soft, and the rest is just a plastic imagination that looks soft. I think it would be more comfortable if they were upholstered with cloth, but when I looked at the catalog, NESS and CROSSTAR were covered with water-repellent fabric. I wish I could put a cloth on the superlative LUXE.

Even so, the interior designer may have paid homage to the instrument panel of the second generation Today.

Meter, navigation, air conditioning panel, 12V accessory power supply & 2 USB jacks, under that, from front to back, smart phone tray (LUXE has a wireless charger here), shift lever, parking brake ... visible The list of types and controls is very orthodox, but each one has been modernized from the 3rd generation. First of all, the meter has changed to a liquid crystal display. It's interesting that even though it's a modern high-definition LCD, the rounded corners somehow remind me of an old CRT-era television. A 10-dot LED fuel gauge is placed on the right side of the liquid crystal display, and a high-voltage battery level gauge with a 10-dot display is placed on the left side.

Navigators have ridden the wave of screen size expansion in recent years, expanding from the conventional 7 inches to 9 inches, and the parking brake has finally become electric.

The steering wheel is a two-spoke type, which is rare these days. A horn pad that makes you feel that "Airbags are also very compact" (by the way, NESS, LUXE, Modulo X are double horns!) In the center, adaptive cruise control (ACC) on the right, on the left has an elongated spoke that houses the meter display operation switch.

The switches are not only moderately uneven, so you can operate them without looking. had become

What is slightly new is the left switch, which is a dial switch that rotates up and down with a push operation, and is called the "left selector wheel." At the moment, it's only used for meter display and audio source switching, but if the dial itself can be moved left and right and can also be used for navigation, the significance of its existence will increase significantly. In this area, there are some cars that give priority to appearance, eliminate unevenness and make it flat, and it is almost impossible to operate by fumbling, but among them, we can expect a little progress in the future. It was a left selector wheel.

●Surprisingly wide EV driving zone

After adjusting the tire pressure to the specified value, the first thing I noticed was that the electric speed range was surprisingly wide. In city riding, I will do my best only in EV mode. When I got on the early e-POWER car of the predecessor notebook, until I got on it, "A series hybrid is a hybrid. After all, the engine starts immediately to charge, right?" I worked hard with just the motor, and I was taken off my hat by saying, "Even though it's a hybrid, the engine hardly starts while driving. It's almost like an electric car!"

The impression I had with the Fit e:HEV was similar to when I got on the early e-POWER, and it was like, "The e:HEV works pretty well with just electricity!" During EV driving, the green "EV" mark lights up in the meter. e: I tried to observe on the highway how far the HEV Fit-kun could do with just EV. I was able to confirm that it was lit (I wasn't staring at the meter, so there may be more possibilities).

Fit's e:HEV is a series hybrid with two motors, one for driving and one for power generation, just like e-POWER. It is common for both to have two motor full mobilization driving modes that let you run. The difference is that in e-POWER, the engine is dedicated to power generation, and only the motor is in charge of driving the tires, whereas e: HEV can be used with the engine when it is more efficient to run with the engine alone at high speeds. It has the flexibility to directly connect the tires with the clutch and switch to pure engine driving. However, the sound insulation has improved, and the fit has become a very quiet car, and there are many times when I can't tell if the engine is running or not (that's why I heard the most road noise). I would like to add that the only way to perceive the energy flow was by looking at the meter.

●Unlike Fit tire size and heavy ride feel

The tire size is 185/55R16, which seems a little too much for the Fit. Comes with LUXE exclusive aluminum wheels with a design that seems to be misunderstood as X. Although it has a squeaky feel that is attributed to the 55% profile, it has a solid riding feel that does not suit its shape. Until recently, there were many cars in this class that were conscious of the overheated competition for low fuel consumption, and the high tire pressure was directly linked to the ride comfort of jumping, but recently, the ride is not affected by high tire pressure. I wonder if they were able to find the setting of springs and shock absorbers that show comfort, even though this fit still has high tire pressure (front wheel 2.4kg/cm2, rear wheel 2.3kg/cm2), and the rear suspension is simple. Although it is a simple axle type (FF car / 4WD is a de Dion type), it has a fairly solid feel. Whether it's a simple axle or a complex multi-link suspension, you'll find that it's all about design and tuning.

The handle is neither quick nor vague. However, in spite of that, I felt that it was too early to fully lock, such as when making a U-turn or entering the garage, so when I checked again from neutral to right, it was about 1 rotation and 60 degrees.

I forgot to look at the important end-to-end lock-to-lock, but when I looked at the catalog later, the steering gear ratio is a variable type that changes the tire turning angle depending on the amount of steering wheel operation. and (VGR. NESS, CROSSTAR, LUXE FF only. Manufacturer option for HOME FF cars.). In an old film commercial, there was a saying, "The beautiful one is more beautiful, and the other one is more beautiful." It may seem difficult to change the gear step between near and beyond neutral, and to change the tire steering angle between the initial operation and full operation, but when changing lanes, turn right or left. However, it is so familiar that you can handle it in the same way as the car you were driving until yesterday, so no one should feel uncomfortable.

The tire angle when fully locked to the right is as shown in the photo, but because the number of rotations until full lock is small, the tires are tilted like other cars, but it gives the illusion that "small turning does not work". Someone may come out.

The electric power steering is so light, light, and light that you can turn it with a wet little finger! "It goes around cleanly from beginning to end." However, on the other hand, it also means that the reaction force cannot be obtained, and some people may prefer a slightly heavier steering wheel steering force.

When Honda changed from number 3 to number 5, the 6th generation Accord (and Torneo) was the world's first to use an electric power steering that can switch the steering force in 3 stages in combination with VGR. I think that it will be appreciated if it is diverted to a class. Since it will only change the control, it won't cost more than the additional switch, right? "Let's hope."

For generations, large Fit seats have been used for the front seats. rice field. I think that the seat and backrest have little cushioning space, but that doesn't mean they are hard or soft, and the inwardly curved backrest holds the upper body moderately.

The lift amount (vertical adjustment amount) of the driver's seat is about 75 mm according to the actual measurement by the author. The lowest seat height from the ground was 455mm, which was as low as 90's sedans, and the highest was 520mm. While I was borrowing this car, I was riding in the middle or highest position, but I thought, ``I just need a space above my head so that I can sit back and not hit anything.'' At 176 cm tall, I had no shortage even at the highest position.

Speaking of reseating, it is a good tradition of Honda vehicles that there is an assist grip on the driver's side (Honda name, grab rail), which is often omitted in other vehicles of other companies. Even the driver who is holding the steering wheel while driving is the same as the front passenger seat and rear seat occupants, so it is necessary to sit in the driver's seat!

Somehow we talked a lot about visibility, but this is the end. I haven't forgotten about the rear seat, luggage compartment, and other usability that Fit has been proud of, but I decided to put these aside for later, and next time I'll deliver the Honda SENSING edition.

[Test Ride Main Specifications]

■Honda Fit LUXE FF e: HEV (6AA-GR3 type, 2021 (Reiwa 3) year, electric automatic continuously variable transmission, midnight blue beam metallic) ・Manufacturer's option: Honda CONNECT display + ETC in-vehicle device, premium audio ・Dealer's option: Drive recorder, floor carpet mat

● Overall length x overall width x overall height: 3995 x 1695 x 1540 mm ● Wheelbase: 2530 mm ● Tread front/rear: 1485/1475 mm ● Minimum ground clearance: 135 mm ● Vehicle weight: 1210 kg ● Riding capacity: 5 persons ● Minimum turning radius : 5.2m ● Tire size: 185/55R16 83V ● Engine: LEB (water-cooled in-line 4-cylinder DOHC) ● Total displacement: 1496cc ● Compression ratio: 13.5 ● Maximum output: 98ps/5600-6400rpm ● Maximum torque: 13.0kgm/4500 -5000rpm●Fuel supply system: Honda PGM-FI (electronically controlled fuel injection)●Fuel tank capacity: 40L (unleaded regular)●Motor: H5 (AC synchronous motor)●Maximum output: 109ps/3500-8000rpm●Maximum torque: 25.8 kgm/0-3000rpm ●WLTC fuel consumption rate (general mode/city mode/suburban mode/highway mode): 27.2/26.5/29.6/26.0km/L ●JC08 fuel consumption rate: 35.0km/L ●Suspension front/rear : Strut type/axle type ●Brake front/rear: Ventilated disc/disc ●Vehicle unit price: 2,426,600 yen (consumption tax included, excluding manufacturer/dealer options)

(Text: Takashi Yamaguchi, Photo: Takashi Yamaguchi/Honda Motor)