The Honda Fit gets a mid-life update with a hybrid RS model in Japan

It has been five years since the Honda Jazz (or Fit) has been discontinued in the Philippines, and it’s quite obvious that many Honda fans still miss the bubbly little do-it-all hatchback. Earlier this year, we saw the Honda Fit get a rather hideous-looking facelift for the Chinese market, and while we were scared that the mid-life update might turn out like that, and thankfully, it hasn’t.

Full story: The Chinese took the Honda Fit and beat it with an ugly stick

Japan’s mid-life update is thankfully more conservative and sticks with the Fit’s formulaic design that resembles the first-generation model, with a new front and rear bumper that has a sportier design that resembles the RS, just finished in matte black, while the RS trim now has glossy black accents all around and machined black 16-inch alloy wheels.

The same can be said for the Fit Crosstar, where it has a larger front grille alongside more SUV-inspired design elements, and the basic X variant has a more subtle front bumper with smaller grille openings.

The interior remains mostly the same, just with most of the trim finishers now in black, the Z grade and up getting UV and IR cut front door glass, and a wireless charger, the new Honda Connect infotainment, and heaters for the steering wheel and front seats for the RS and Crosstar. Of course, this comes with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems.

New to the lineup is the introduction of the e:HEV RS and e:HEV Crosstar to complement the e:HEV X and e:HEV Z, which uses the 1.5-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine with two electric motors.

Maximum power output is 123 horsepower and 253Nm from the electric motor, and the engine making 106 horsepower and 127Nm, and is available either in front-wheel drive, or 4WD, with the RS being exclusively available in the former. For the base X and Z variants, it also has the standard 1.5-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine mated to a CVT with 118 horsepower and 142Nm of torque, available either in front-wheel-driven or 4WD guises.

While the Fit is most likely not going to make a return to our country as that space is now occupied by the City Hatchback, one can dream about this hatchback’s return to the Philippines, and at least we know that the international model remains desirable and good looking.

^{Photos from Honda Japan}