   2015 Honda Fit, dashboard. Click image to enlarge |
Originally published August 29, 2014
Review and photos by Jacob Black
There are very few things with more versatility than a Honda Fit. Honda’s Magic Seats in the back, combined with some of the cleverest packaging of any small vehicle give the Fit genuine TARDIS-like capability.
How’s about a subcompact with almost 1,500 L of available cargo space? One that can take a mountain bike, four large storage boxes, 18 beanbags or even a kayak? On the first night of our press event someone managed to convince 10 of his colleagues to squeeze into a Fit with him – there were 11 of us in total, and we could have fit more. Check out our Facebook page for the hilarious time lapse.
The 2015 edition is the third edition and is a ground-up redesign. Apart from engine displacement (1.5L) and the cool magic seats there is pretty much nothing carrying forward.
The wheelbase has been extended, which increases overall passenger volume by 139 L to 2,710 L and the trailing arm for the rear suspension shortened to further improve rear leg room. These changes and the sloping rear roofline have led to a reduction in total cargo volume from 1,622 L to 1,492 L.
That reduction is surprising given the increase in width, height and passenger volume but given the demonstrations I explained previously doesn’t seem to be too onerous. Honda still claims a class-leading cargo volume, and even points out that the Fit eclipses some cars in the next size tier too – cars like the Hyundai Elantra GT and Toyota Matrix.
Honda has worked hard to improve the passenger experience though, even going so far as to redesign the centre-mounted fuel tank to open up 10 extra mm of headroom for the driver. The rear passenger now has 122 mm more legroom than in the previous model, and it was amazing to see a 6’2″ gentleman sitting in the front, and a 5’7″ woman in the back with enough room to cross her legs.
Headroom is cavernous in both front and the rear. Cargo space behind the rear seats has dropped from 583 L to 470 L but I could still sit cross-legged in the back with the hatch closed. [For your sanity’s sake we’ve not published that photo – you’d never look at a Buddha statue the same way again. –Ed.]
    2015 Honda Fit Magic Seat & cargo area configuration. Click image to enlarge |
Honda demarcates four major seating modes, utility, tall, long and refresh. Refresh allows the passenger to snooze with the front seat folded backwards to join up with the base of the rear seat and form a bed. Long mode has the rear seat folded flat forwards, and the front passenger seat folded backwards to sit just over the top of the back seat. It creates a 2,300-mm load floor, long enough for a kayak (up to a 2,300-mm kayak). Utility mode sees the rear seats both folded flat for a flat, 1,700-mm load tray and tall mode sees the rear seats folded up to create a tall, narrow channel in front of the rear seats perfect for plants or even a Grom. Sadly, Honda did not have a Grom available, so I wasn’t able to see if one would fit.
