Honda spreads the tech

It always surprises me when Auto makers who are known for their high-tech don’t spread those goodies around their model ranges.

Honda is a good example, as it recently updated its FIT eHEV hybrid electric vehicle to increase its power and fuel efficiency. The rest of the FIT range has struggled to shake off the 2-decade old sub-brand’s legacy of low specs in a sub-compact hatchback.

Now Honda is spreading the love and the tech. To start, it has refreshed the rest of the FIT range with sporty styling, while retaining its well-known shape.

All three grades, the Comfort, Elegance and FIT eHEV now sport a refreshed honeycomb grille design, a grained lower front bumper insert, and a headlight projector ring surround finished in black, creating a more characterful expression. The FIT Executive variant has been discontinued.

Advanced features include LED headlights and Daytime Running lights, Front and Rear Parking Sensors, Smart Keyless Entry, and a 9-inch HMI Infotainment system most significantly, Honda Sensing is now standard across the model range. This is Honda’s suite of comprehensive advanced driver assistance systems.

It offers a broad range of driver assistance features and aids as standard, thanks to a front wide-view camera with a broader field of vision and night-time operation, increasing safety in more situations.

The camera recognises a comprehensive range of road surface and traffic characteristics, while also eliminating fogging for a constantly clear field of view.

Honda provided the following information on the technology included in Sensing:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System: Applies the brakes when the FIT cuts across or turns into the path of a car. It can also detect pedestrians and cyclists when there is no street lighting at night.
• Adaptive Cruise Control: Manages the gap to the car in front and allows the car to follow vehicles at highway speeds.
• Lane Keep Assist: Helps keep the FIT centered in a detected lane by applying steering assistance if the vehicle begins to drift out of the detected lane.
• Road Departure Mitigation System: Helps the driver stay on the road, by alerting them if the vehicle approaches the outer edge of the pavement (into a curb, grass or gravel border), an oncoming vehicle, or drifting into another lane without indicating.
• Auto High-Beam: Works at speeds of more than 40km/h to automatically switch high beam head lights on or off depending on oncoming and preceding vehicles (cars, trucks and motorcycles), bicycles and environmental light.

Warranty and Pricing:

The refreshed FIT range comes standard with a 5-year / 200,000km Warranty, a 4-year / 60,000km service plan, and 3 years of AA roadside assistance included in the retail price.

The FIT Hybrid grade includes an additional extended warranty of 8-year / 200,000km covering the Lithium-ion battery and other related components of the Hybrid system.

1.5 Comfort CVT     R 379 900

1.5 Elegance CVT   R 415 900

1.5 Hybrid eCVT     R 544 900