Gojirra99

Fit to be positioned below new Civic
YUZO YAMAGUCHI | Automotive News

Posted Date: 8/15/05

TOKYO -- Honda Motor Co. wants to sell about 60,000 Fit economy cars a year in the United States.

"We've got to sell about that number," says Koichi Kondo, CEO of American Honda Motor Co. Inc., who revealed the unofficial sales goal. The Fit is scheduled to go on sale in the United States next spring or summer.

Kondo expects the Fit to appeal to a broad group of customers, including young people and families "who couldn't afford the Civic."

When it goes on sale this fall, the redesigned 2006 Honda Civic will be sportier and more powerful, leaving room for the Fit below it.

Honda has not released prices for the redesigned Civic. The 2005 model starts at $13,810, including shipping.

The Fit will compete with Toyota Motor Corp.'s successful Scion youth brand. At 60,000 a year, Fit sales would be on par with U.S. sales of Scion's two best sellers, the tC and xB. Through seven months of this year, Scion sold 31,964 xBs and 42,767 tCs.

The xB starts at $14,195, including shipping.

Honda's plant in Suzuka, Japan, assembled 249,818 Fits in 2004 for sale in Japan, Europe and Asia. The car is called the Jazz in Europe. The Fit would help Honda achieve its ambitious goal: 4.0 million sales worldwide in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008. That's up from 3.4 million planned for this fiscal year.

source : autoweek

Gojirra99

Leets

I have a feeling Honda's going to have to change their marketing campaign if they're going to outsell Scions. Being the "smart, sensible" economy box isn't what sold Scions.

Pianoman72

Good point. I think Honda is smart offering something less expensive as the new Civic increases in base price, though.

ShadyJC

iTrader: (2)

Sorry, I don't like the way that looks.... yet another BLAH car from the designers at Honda.

TheRupp

I second that. It's very bland compared to the Scions. For some reason even thoug the Scions are the base model entry level vehicle, they still have some interior style.

mmarshall

Are you guys serious? Just LOOK at the classy interior of this new Honda. Nice, wood trim. Classy-looking fabrics. Two-tone dash. Clear, legible instrumentation WHERE IT BELONGS....behind the steering wheel, not in the center of the dash like on the Scion xA and xB.

Just judging from the pictures ALONE.....without even seeing the car firsthand.......IMO this car blows the Scions away.

Gojirra99

Yes, I like the interior too

XeroK00L

Don't forget Toyota is bringing here the Yaris too, though its interior isn't nearly as nice as the Fit either.


With regular gauges:

ShadyJC

iTrader: (2)

You guys are absolutely right about the interior, it looks pretty good for something in this class.

My comment about being BLAH was more about the overall shape of the exterior, there is nothing distinctive about it, from an styling "appeal" perspective. I would think that someone shopping for a vehicle in this price range would gravitate towards the Scions because they have more eye-catching lines than a generic econobox.

mmarshall

Yes...the Yaris is just basically an Echo with a hatchback.
This platform....the Echo / Yaris.......already forms the basis for the Scion xA and xB, which partly explains their Echo drivetrains and center-mount gauges.

Koma

iTrader: (3)

It looks like a 5 door Civic Si.

I don't like it. Although I'd probably take it over the xA and xB... definetly not over the tC. That car is gorgeous. Simplistic, fast and economy-smart.
None of those cars are on my radar for my next car (xA,xB, Yaris, Fit)

SoCalSC4

The Honda does have a classier interior, and I am sure the ergonomics are the typical near-perfect Honda variety.

But, based on the exterior shape & style, I see this car competing more with the Suzuki Aerio or the Chevy Aveo 5-door in the real world. Toyota has done a terrific job of branding the entire Scion line as youth-oriented, customizer-friendly vehicles. I see the buyer of this Honda as someone who wants something practical and economical (similar to Scion), but I think Honda's buyer will be more conservative and probably older. Of course, some will buy it because it's a Honda, so they have this working for them.

To me, this Honda says "cheap economy car." The Scion xB says "sensible individualist."
I see two different customers.