Vehicle: 2007 Honda Fit Sport with automatic transmission
Price as tested: CDN$20780

Performance: The North American bound Fit is powered by only one engine. Its 1.5L SOHC VTEC is go for 109 horses and 105 lb/ft of torque. This little mile is really a delightful surprise as it provides plenty of bottom end torque even if its maximium at 4800 rpm. Like other Honda powerplants, its very willing to rev through the rev range. However, the VTEC kick-in aura is definitely not as obvious as in other DOHC VTEC motors. In terms of refinement, once again, it rates very highly. Yes, its still noisy when pushing through the redline since its low displacement 4-banger. But the overall refinement and smoothness are typical Honda quality. Matched with this engine is either a 5-speed stick or 5-speed automatic in our tester. This 5-speed automatic is designed specifically for North American in mind. The gear ratios are excellent for highway cruising with good fuel economy. Both the up and downshifts are excellent in “auto” mode but little reluctant in “S” manumatic mode.

Handling: Honda engineers have recalibrated the suspension geometry in the Fit to suit North American lifestyle. That’s the biggest surprise because our Fit drives better than the JDM Jazz 1300cc I drove last year. Both the suspension and rebound damping have tuned for the better in the Fit. The low-speed ride is much more comfortable while high-speed doesn’t feel floaty at all. That’s despite it doesn’t absorb large bumps as well as Yaris, it absorbs small bumps with ease. The turn-in is sharp and precise, while steering ratio has tuned quicker for sportier handling. Its still light due to its electric power steering nature, however, it overall weight is miles ahead of the Jazz. Both the off and on-center feel are more than acceptable although not plenty for enthuisasts. In terms of body rolls and understeer, they are more than acceptable given Fit’s 14″ wheels.

Brakes: With standard front discs/rear drums and standard ABS, Fit’s pedal feel has to be one of the best in its class. The stops are firm and solid, while ABS doesn’t kick-in until absolutely necessary. The best aspect of Fit is ABS standard regardless of 15k DX or 20k Sport.

Interior: The materials used in Fit are quite impressive considered its an econocar. There are enough classy soft-touched materials to match up with supportive velour seats. Yes, there are remain some hard plastic. But even those hard plastic are of high-quality materials that make it a surprise. The driving position is easily found. Everything from rotary HVAC and stereo are placed ergonomically, with latter placed higher than former. HVAC is extremely efficient in our spring weather. However, the lack of dead pedal in the nearly perfect driving position is a huge drawback.

The most amazing part of Fit has to be its interior layout. You can fold down all the seats flat like a bed. Its completely flat floor with 60/40 split fold-down rear seats is simply astounising. The amount of space is larger than any of those so-called sport UTILITY vehicle.

Conclusion: Fit is definitely a welcome addition to Honda’s product range. It looks good, drives decently and got an excellent powertrain. Here lies the rough: when one loaded up a Fit Sport which costs 20 grand, a Civic sedan with even better feature content and more upmarket appearance would sway some customers from Fit. As for me? I would go for LX for Fit. If I go anywhere higher than a LX, Civic is my ticket.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2007 HONDA FIT
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5