2007 Honda Fit Sport

The Honda Fit is a five-door hatchback automobile produced by Honda cars, first introduced in June 2001. The vehicle is known as the Fit in Japan, China, and in both North and South America. It is called the Honda Jazz in Europe, some parts of Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa. Although the Fit is now one of Honda's global models, it experienced a very slow progression as it made its way around the world. A production model for the United States and Canadian markets, debuted on January 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and was released in April 2006. Unlike most Honda models, which traditionally have 4 or 5-year model cycles, the current generation Fit will remain for a longer period of time due to its late release in North America.

Depending on the region, the Fit is equipped with either a 1.2, 1.3, or 1.5 liter i-DSI engine, or a 1.5-liter VTEC engine. All four engines are based on Honda's L-series engine family. The 8-valve i-DSI (intelligent dual & sequential) engines use two spark plugs per cylinder, allowing for a more complete burn of the gasoline, thereby reducing fuel consumption, and emissions, while allowing for maximum torque at mid-range rpms. The 1.5 L VTEC engine has the typical 16-valve configuration. The engines are mated to a 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, or Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), again depending on the region.

The Fit utilizes Honda's Global Small Car platform, which is also used by the Fit Aria or Fit City (a sedan version of the Fit), the Airwave (a wagon version of the Fit Aria/City), the Mobilio, and the Mobilio Spike. One of the unique characteristics of the Fit, which is also present in the Fit Aria and Airwave, is the location of the fuel tank. Rather than placing it under the rear seats, it is located under the front seats, thereby freeing up valuable room in the back. It also allows for Honda's "Magic Seat" system, called ULTR seat in Japan, which has five distinct seating modes.

The European market also has two engines available. The European-only 1.2 i-DSI is offered as the base model in many countries, and can only be purchased with a 5-speed manual transmission. The 1.4 i-DSI is identical to the 1339 cc 1.3 i-DSI sold in Japan, but marketed as a 1.4 L to differentiate it from the smaller 1.2 L engine (ironically, at 1244 cc, it's closer to being a 1.3, than the bigger one is to a 1.4). 1.4 L models start out well-equipped with the 5-speed manual standard and the CVT-7 available as an option.

All European models have ABS and 4-wheel disc brakes standard on every model. Side airbags are standard on 1.4 L models. In the United Kingdom, the Honda Jazz has received a serious amount of very good press. Most notably, the UK's biggest automotive service, by Top Gear, revealed that the Honda Jazz was the 4th best vehicle on UK roads, as voted by UK car owners. The enormous popularity of the Jazz has made it Honda's best-selling model in the region, comprising 30% of all European Honda sales.

In keeping with Honda's safety initiative, the Fit is offered in North America with standard side airbags, side-curtain airbags, and ABS, in addition to the mandatory front airbags. Due to differing safety regulations, North American Fits have larger bumpers than the rest of the world, resulting in a slight increase in overall length. The Fit is offered in two variants, base and Sport. All models share the same 1.5 L 109 hp (81 kW) engine and standard 5-speed manual transmission. A conventional 5-speed automatic transmission is optional, instead of the CVT found throughout the rest of the world. The Fit Sport receives paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel when ordered with the automatic.