New Honda Fit takes Japan’s Car of the Year Award

The current Honda Fit may have only been on sale in America since April 2006, but it came out in 2001 in Japan. The next generation Fit, which went on sale in Japan only on October 26th of this year, has claimed Japan’s Car of the Year award.

Sales for the first two weeks on market topped 20,000, while Honda had originally planned to sell only 12,000 each month.

The new 2008 Honda Fit is powered by a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine that produces 98 horsepower. The engine is matted with a new continuously variable transmission (CVT). The new Honda Fit will have a fuel-economy of 56mpg. Also new to the Fit lineup is a Road Sailing (RS) version which is powered by 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine that produces 118 horsepower and gets a fuel-economy of 46 mpg.

The award is given by a panel of 60 Automotive Journalists. The Fit beat out rivals including the Nissan Skyline and the Subaru Impreza. Last year’s award went to the Lexus LS.

2008 Honda Fit Gallery:

Source: Reuters

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