Subcompact see sales gains in March

While many in the auto industry saw big-time losses, there were a few standouts in March sales. Namely the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris (above).

According to ReportOnBusiness.com's, story entitled "U.S. auto sales tank," March 2008 Honda Fit sales were up 74%, and March '08 Toyota Yaris sales were up a whopping 83% from last year. Wow. Looks like small cars are beginning to catch on.

Link to Story: ReportOnBusiness.com

Behold – the 2009 Honda Fit!

Honda has released photos of the upcoming 2009 Fit for the U.S. market. According to the official press release, the '09 Fit will go on sale in fall of '08. It will again feature a 1.5-liter engine mated to either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed auto trans. Horsepower figures weren't given, but I'd bet them to be around the 105-110 mark.

Other unique features include a jack for iPods and USB port for "radio controlled connectivity," available satellite navigation system, the much-praised rear "magic seats," as well as the new Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).

More info can be found at the '09 Fit preview site.

New Fit in New York

Looks like Honda will be showing its redesigned 2009 Honda Fit at the New York Auto Show. In Japan, the Fit is available with both 1.3- and 1.5-liter powerplants. Speculation is that we'll get the larger of the two.

Personally, I like the looks of the new Fit. It kind of reminds me of the Mercedes A-Class. As long as they keep it similar to the Japanese domestic market version shown here, I think it'll sell very well in the U.S.

Here's Edmunds's First Drive of the '09 Fit.



Honda Fit Links
FitFreaks.net
Honda-Tech.com Fit Forum
The Micro Team