Honda Promises Next-Generation Fit Will Bring Four-fold Sales Increase

Honda wants to two million cars in the U.S. in 2016, but it’s not looking only to the blockbuster Civic or Accord models to puff up the sales sheets. Instead, Honda President Takanobu Ito is hoping that a new generation of Honda Fit hatchback–made in the company’s new Mexican plant–can make up the difference.

The Fit’s had a decently good ride over the past six years: it sold 27,934 units during its first year of American sales (2006), but that number ballooned to 79,794 in 2008 as gas prices jumped and customers looked to downsize their rides without sacrificing interior space. The second-generation model went on sale in Fall 2008 and enjoyed good sales in 2009–67,315 units–but have leveled to between 50 and 60,000 units ever since. 2011 is shaping up to be the Fit’s worst year since 2007, with good reason: not only does the Fit’s fuel economy leave it behind competitors (and even the Civic), Honda is limiting exports of the money-losing Fit thanks to a poor exchange rate between the Yen and Dollar.

So how will the Fit make its resurgence? Two ways: for one, President Ito promises that Honda’s new Mexican plant–which will make up to 200,000 units a year and go online in 2014–will make both the Fit and as-yet-unknown Fit variants, and send the “vast majority” of them to the U.S. market – which should make Fit pricing more competitive while retaining profit margins for dealers and Honda alike. Honda also promises that the new Fit will deliver better fuel economy and better packaging.

Considering the current Fit boasts both the so-called Magic Seat and surprising rear-seat headroom, that’s quite a promise.

Those forthcoming Fit variants are the second leg of the plan: while a new Fit with class-competitive pricing and better fuel economy would do well in the compact market (surely outselling the 50,000-or-so units Honda will sell here this year), Honda hopes to use the Fit platform to produce a slew of variants in hopes of catching buyers’ eyes. The next Fit Hybrid–which will be the first vehicle to use the new generation of Honda Integrated Motor Assist–isn’t yet confirmed for the U.S. market, but we’ve long heard of some sort of Fit-based CUV potentially coming to the states, where it would slot beneath the CR-V.

Can Honda quadruple Fit sales in four years? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Source;

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/honda-promises-next-generation-fit-will-bring-four-fold-sales-increase-182975.html

Honda Starts Selling Retro N-One Microcar in Japan

Hmmm, I think that this would sell here in North America....

Written by: Donny Nordlicht of http://rumors.automobilemag.com

Cute and stylish aren’t often words associated with Honda’s current lineup, even overseas. However, Honda has rolled out this new retro-inspired, chic hatchback called the N-One.

The underpinnings come from the aptly-named Honda N BOX and N BOX + kei cars currently on sale in Japan. All Honda N models use a CVT to power either the front or all four wheels, and the N-ONE is powered by a 660cc engine with or without a turbocharger. Pricing begins at ¥1,150,000 ($14,375) for the base N-One G with front-wheel drive and the naturally-aspirated engine. Honda also gives customers the option to step up the N-One Premium for ¥1,360,000 ($16,997), which adds upgraded interior materials and more exterior brightwork.

But the big deal about the N-ONE is its style. Despite being a micro car, it has maxi styling. The design was inspired by the 1967 N360, Honda’s first mass-produced minicar. The N-ONE has a modern update of the cheery front fascia, with circular headlights that stick up from the rectangular grille like Mickey Mouse ears. In lieu of multiple chrome bars, the headlight and grille surround is done here in black, with a body-color strip separating the upper and lower grilles. The entire car is slab-sided and very upright – like the original – and the small, mid-mounted taillights echo those from the N360. Inside, the dash is a more-rounded version of the dramatically vertical setup in the N BOX on which the N-One is based; a large infotainment screen sits in the middle of the dashboard, while a pod with the shifter, audio, and climate controls juts out in the middle of the cabin. Modern touches like LED interior and exterior lighting, xenon headlights, and a two-tone paint job are all available.

Sadly, the five-door N-One will never make it to the States. Not only is it right-hand drive only, at just around 133.3 inches long, the N-One is shorter than the Fiat 500 by a full three inches. To better utilize the limited interior space, Honda has fitted the fold-flat Magic Seat system out of the Fit in the N-ONE, which is made possible by placing the gas tank near the center of the car.

Do you think the N-One would make a good competitor for the Fiat 500? Should Honda still pursue quirky, fun niche vehicles for the North American market? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source;

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/honda-starts-selling-retro-n-one-microcar-in-japan-182253.html