Honda Sneak Peek: The Fit?

出典: くみこみックス

Credit Honda with not giving up very easily in what will performance headers surely grow to be a huge fight: the sub $15,000 value range category of new automobiles. Presently, only a stripped down Civic competes in this area and I mean stripped: no a/c, fundamental tranny, honda brake pads no radio! With Toyota's Scion brand catching on Honda is hunting to fight back. A tiny auto now on sale in Japan might soon locate its way to a dealership in your neighborhood helping to turn the tide for the revered automaker.

So, why the massive push in this "cheap" category? Chiefly because automakers know that if young and first time buyers have a extremely excellent experience with their entry level cars then much more than probably they will stay with the brand as their lives alter, i.e., get married, begin a loved ones, make much more money, and so on. This practice has been in place for years, even though not as widely emphasized by all manufacturers and to their dodge auto parts detriment.

Honda's long time low value leader has constantly been the Civic. Introduced to the North American industry in 1971, the Civic was the original Honda for the western hemisphere and has been a value leader in its class for some time. Even so, like the Toyota Corolla, the Civic has been gradually creeping up marketplace becoming better equipped and a lot more costly. At least Toyota slipped in a new entry level car a couple of years back, the Echo, but Honda has been with out one. In addition, Toyota launched an all new brand, Scion, in 2003 to capture a larger chunk of the youth market. So far, Scion has been a runaway results story.

Enter the Fit. Say, what?! Yes, a tiny Scion-like auto sporting a 1.5L engine is already navigating Japanese streets. Unfortunately, the name isn't catchy and probably will have to be changed when the automobile is imported to the US and Canada. Let's just say that some of the names that rhyme with Fit are not specifically favorable. At least it is not as apparent as Daewoo's Charade a vehicle that really lived up to its name!

We don't know a lot but about the Fit other than to say that Honda knows that they need to respond to Toyota and soon. Honda does not seem prepared to create a separate brand to take on Scion, but a vehicle in the class of the Fit will support Honda capture a larger chunk of the all important youth market place. With styling cues reportedly comparable to the Scion xA, the "Fit" will most likely be fitted into the bottom of the Honda line up. Paired with the Element, each vehicles will be perceived as true Scion fighters. At least Honda hopes that you do.