Honda's Next-Gen Fuel Miser To Go On Sale In Japan

October 19, 2007 – Vol.12 No. 30

FIT AND PRETTY: HONDA’S NEXT-GEN FUEL MISER GOES ON SALE IN JAPAN.

Please excuse me for having an opinion about cars. I think cars should be efficient AND attractive, not just efficient.

US car buyers aren’t allowed by law to drive some of the most fuel-efficient, and often attractive cars on the planet. Protectionist import laws keep dozens of highly efficient models available overseas off US streets. Sadly many of those cars and trucks could meet US crash and emissions regulations with minor changes, but the roll of bureaucratic red tape is far too long for individuals to unravel, let alone small importers.

Yet with oil hovering at $90 a barrel and the probability that gasoline will eventually catch up (it’s too cheap now relative to the cost of oil), you’d think that lawmakers would take every step now to keep increasing the sales of high fuel economy vehicles by easing import restrictions. Such is not the case, however.

For now, US car buyers looking for better fuel economy will have to buy what’s available; an expensive hybrid or one of the smattering of subcompact cars offered.

One of those offerings is Honda’s Fit. While sales have increased for the small-on-the-outside, big-on-the-inside car, Honda’s more expensive and similarly efficient Civic is far more popular. As of the end of September about 278,000 Civics, including Civic hybrids, for the calendar year were sold compared with only 41,000 Fits. (But Honda has sold nearly twice as many Fits in 2007 as Civic Hybrids.)

One would think the Fit would do better. Perhaps it’s supply. Maybe Honda doesn’t have enough to sell here. But perhaps it’s because the current Fit has a face only its mother could love.

But take heart - there’s a next generation Fit about to go on sale in Japan and here in about a year. It’s a little bigger, but not much. It still has the same utility of foldaway seats to carry cargo. (It can carry nearly 8-foot long items inside.) It has a few neat new features like a big glass moon roof and a passenger seat that swivels. But more so, it has the best new feature yet.

It’s actually good looking.

Fuel economy should be the same or little better with its more aerodynamic shape. The current Fit, a very popular model in global markets, gets about 27 miles per gallon around town and 35 on the highway with the automatic transmission using the new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sticker and 31/38 with the old, but still official, estimate.

Attractive cars sell. An attractive car that gets good fuel economy should sell really well.

Links:

Honda
http://www.honda.com

US EPA Fuel Economy
http://www.fueleconomy.gov