Refreshed 2018 Fit Sports Styling Updates and Honda Sensing Safety

Sporty New Design Energizes Entire Honda Fit Lineup

The wonderfully practical Honda Fit subcompact hatchback gets a very thorough mid-cycle refresh for 2018, with dynamic new styling, a special Sport trim line, and the availability of Honda Sensing advanced driver-assistance technologies for the first time.

In a press release, Honda claims this 2018 update adds "youthful, sporty and emotional character" to the already popular model, the new 2018 Fit's styling enhancements including "a horizontally layered, two-piece chrome and piano black grille with a larger, more prominent "H" mark," plus "more integrated and sophisticated" headlamp clusters that "blend into the side edges of the upper fascia's wing creating a unified yet more aggressive design." Additionally, Honda has added new chrome accents to the front bumper plus a full-width splitter below, as well as "more angular fog lights pods" to the frontal design.

The 2018 Fit gets updated combination taillights in the rear and a reworked back bumper too, the latter feature now incorporating a "full-width character line in piano black" plus a "splitter-shaped" lower apron. Lastly, new Orange Fury paint is kept exclusively for an entirely new Sport trim level.

New Sport Trim Adds Unique Styling Details and Special Orange Fury Colour

The 2018 Fit is available in the same DX, LX, EX and EX-L Navi trims as last year's version, now priced at $15,190, $18,590, 21,890 and $23,990 respectively, but new this year is a $19,590 Sport trim that slots in between LX and EX models.

A standard aero kit adds muscle to the new Fit Sport's front, side and rear body panels for a more aggressive look, with bright orange pin-striping highlighting the deeper front splitter and tri-strake rear diffuser, no matter the exterior colour chosen. Additionally, gloss-black painted 16-inch alloys fill out each corner while a chromed exhaust finisher and "SPORT" liftgate badge complete the Fit Sport's exterior design enhancements. Finally, the Fit Sport boasts an all-black cabin with unique orange contrast stitching.

New 2018 Fit Sport trim may get the exclusive option of Orange Fury paint, but the rest of its colour palette is limited to Crystal Black Pearl and White Orchid Pearl, with Modern Steel Metallic (medium grey), available with the base DX and other trims, taken off the menu. Likewise, Milano Red, available on LX trims and above, plus Aegean Blue Metallic, optional on the EX and EX-L Navi, are unavailable with the Sport.

"With sporty new styling and additional feature content, the 2018 Honda Fit ups the ante with new styling and sophistication not typically found in the subcompact segment," said Jean Marc Leclerc, Senior Vice-President Sales and Marketing, Honda Canada Inc. "Fit has always represented a great value for subcompact customers and the addition of available Honda Sensing to its fun-to-drive performance and unmatched versatility will keep the Honda Fit as the industry's benchmark subcompact.

Addition of Honda Sensing Technologies Makes Fit Safest in Segment

The 2018 Fit's available Honda Sensing system is the most technologically advanced of its type in the subcompact segment thanks to autonomous emergency braking joining lane/road departure warning with mitigating assist, as well as adaptive cruise control. This allows Honda to rightly claim that the new 2018 Fit with Honda Sensing offers, "the most robust suite of available advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies in its class in Canada." Choosing Honda Sensing adds $1,300 to the Fit LX and Sport trims, while it comes standard with the Fit EX and EX-L Navi.

The 2018 Fit's direct-injection 16-valve, DOHC, i-VTEC-enhanced 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine provides 130 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque, which allows for strong acceleration thanks to a light 1,133-kilogram base curb weight. Of note, Sport trim with the CVT, plus EX and EX-L Navi models receive standard steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters to improve performance and driver engagement even further.

Honda claims an impressive five-cycle fuel economy rating of 8.1 L/100km in the city, 6.6 on the highway and 7.4 combined with the base six-speed manual, 7.0 L/100km city, 5.9 highway and 6.5 combined with the CVT in LX trim, or alternatively 7.6 L/100km city, 6.5 highway and 7.0 combined in EX trim and above, which only come with the CVT. This represents an improvement over last year's claimed fuel economy.9

The Fit has always delivered excellent driving dynamics for its class, but nevertheless Honda has added retuned suspension dampers to the 2018 model, while also making its electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system more rigid, and providing a stiffer structure overall thanks to more body reinforcements. This helps to improve crash resistance, ride quality and handling prowess, as well as interior refinement, the new Fit said to be quieter than the outgoing model. Along with the stiffer structure, Honda achieved the 2018 Fit's refinement goals by revising its transmission and steering system mounting hardware, while acoustic-laminated glass and more insulation has been added throughout.

Standard and Optional Equipment Sets the Honda Fit Apart

Standard features for the base 2018 Fit DX include auto-off multi-reflector halogen headlights, heatable powered side mirrors, LED brake lights, power locks with remote access, power windows, intermittent windshield wipers, an intermittent rear wiper/washer, tilt and telescopic steering, a 5.0-inch colour LCD infotainment display, a multi-angle rearview camera, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity with streaming audio, four-speaker 160-watt AM/FM/MP3/WMA audio, a USB port, a 12-volt power outlet, the Fit's unique 60/40-split second-row Magic Seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks, cargo area tie-down hooks, 15-inch steel wheels with covers on 185/6 all-season tires, front disc and rear drum brakes with ABS, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction and stability control, hill start assist, and the usual assortment of advanced airbags.

Additionally, the LX adds a rear rooftop spoiler, illuminated steering wheel-mounted switchgear including cruise control, filtered air conditioning, a new 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Siri Eyes Free, text message functionality, Wi-Fi tethering, a second USB port, the HondaLink Assist automatic emergency response system, a front centre console with an armrest and storage bin, heatable front seats, another 12-volt power outlet, a cargo cover, and more.

On top of everything already mentioned, new Sport trim adds auto-on/off headlights, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, two more stereo speakers and 20 additional watts of power to the audio system, plus more.

EX trim builds on these features with proximity-sensing keyless access with pushbutton ignition, Honda's impressive LaneWatch blindspot display that projects a rearward view of the passenger's side lane, a powered moonroof, extendable sunvisors, etcetera.

Lastly, top-line EX-L Navi trim includes LED turn signals integrated into the side mirror housings, automatic climate control, navigation with detailed mapping and voice recognition, satellite and HD radio, leather upholstery, and more.

The 2018 Honda Fit Continues with Best-In-Class Cargo Flexibility

All of this equipment comes in a subcompact hatchback renowned for offering the most accommodating interior in its class. In fact, with its rear seats laid flat a total of 1,492 litres is available. Even better, when the backrests of the Fit's rear Magic Seats are upright it's possible to flip their lower cushions upwards for yet more cargo capacity, especially helpful for loading in taller items like bicycles or plants, this combining for a collective 609 litres of available cargo space when including the Fit's dedicated luggage area in back. What's more, the front passenger's seat can be folded forward to allow ultra-long cargo inside, while both front seats can be laid completely flat when their headrests are removed, providing a large safe place for impromptu camping. No competitor comes close to the Fit when it comes to passenger and cargo flexibility.

For more information about the 2018 Honda Fit contact Vancouver Honda by phone at (877) 860-5172 or drop by the showroom at 850 Southwest Marine Drive, Vancouver.