MotorTrend: First Drive: Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid

Not for our market....yet?....
Super-Sized Honda Is a Better Fit for Families
July 21, 2011
By Peter Lyon
Photography by Holiday Auto Magazine

Like much of Japan's industry, Honda's operations were massively disrupted after the March earthquake and tsunami, and new model launches were delayed. The super-sized Fit's debut was knocked back three months, and production temporarily relocated from the earthquake-damaged Saitama plant near Tokyo to Honda's Suzuka plant some 250 miles to the west. Now that things are back on track, we had a chance to take the Shuttle for a spin.

Based on the current model Fit's platform, with its superb center tank layout and low, flat floor, the Fit Shuttle is basically a Fit with a bigger, heavier body. It also inherits the 1.3-liter hybrid and 1.5-liter gas engines. In Japan at least, all models come with Honda's continuously variable transmission.

Some 20 inches longer than the current Fit, roughly 0.6 inches taller, and 154 pounds heavier, the Fit Shuttle employs the bolder, more substantial-looking nose from the U.S.-spec Fit. As you'd expect, the new Shuttle offers more head and legroom, and significantly more luggage space. While the increased space is its main reason for existence, the new Shuttle also delivers a better interior with higher-quality materials and trim, especially in the area of dashboard plastics. Honda is targeting customers downsizing from sedans, but still looking for acceptable ride quality and better quality and comfort levels than most small minivans. On those points the Shuttle delivers.


It delivers on the road, too, thanks to its proven hybrid IMA 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine, which generates 88 hp at 5800 rpm and 88 lb-ft of torque at 4500, while the electric motor produces 13 hp. Surprisingly, Honda engineers have managed to achieve mpg numbers that should match or beat the U.S.-spec Insight's roughly 40/43 city/highway (the same as its smaller, lighter Fit brother) by employing strategic aerodynamic revisions and friction reduction measures. These modifications make the Shuttle feel adequate but not quick, with a 0-60 mph time in the 10-second range. One aspect that impressed was the Shuttle's newfound quietness. Specially developed pile carpet, including synthetic inserts into the wheel wells and underbody, has significantly lowered the amount of noise and vibration reaching the cabin. You can hardly hear the engine laboring when pushed, or the CVT revving high to get the car up to speed.

Since the Shuttle went on sale last month in Japan, some 80 percent of customers have opted for the hybrid, which makes a lot of sense considering the post-earthquake mood here and the desire to save energy after the ensuing power cuts. However, Honda also offers a 1.5-liter gasoline model that delivers 117 hp and 106 lb-ft. For those looking for a Fit that has the get-up-and-go to propel five adults and their luggage, we'd recommend gas-powered Shuttle. That's not to say the hybrid doesn't cut the mustard. It does -- just not as well. The 1.5 jumps from 0-60 mph in around 8.5 seconds and delivers strong torque from as low as 2000 rpm. This for us was the pick of the crop, and it still delivers roughly 30 mpg combined.


On the road, the Shuttle has the Fit's sporty feel and handy road manners, combined with a more stable level of ride comfort. Its steering response is not quite as direct as the base Fit, but it still delivers good weight and channels ample feedback to the driver. Our only real gripe with the car was with its air conditioner, which periodically turned the compressor off to save fuel, then blowed hot air whenever it flicked into fuel efficiency mode at idle.

One Honda source we talked with suggested the Shuttle is being considered for export by mid-2012, with the U.S. as a long shot. A more likely scenario, however, would be for Honda to wait until the next-generation Fit lineup rolls out in 3-4 years before deciding on any U.S.-market launch. "We cannot send a soon-to-be-obsolete Fit, even if it's a bigger, more practical car," the Honda official told us. Stay tuned.

Source;
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/1107_honda_fit_shuttle_hybrid_firist_drive/index.html

Honda rakes up 7,000 orders for Fit Shuttle, Fit Shuttle Hybrid

Earlier this week, Honda unveiled the new Fit Shuttle and Fit Shuttle Hybrid. The Honda Fit Shuttle and the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid are both offered in 2wD and 4WD with prices starting at at ¥1,610,000 for the Fit Shuttle and ¥1,810,000 for the Fit Shuttle Hybrid.

So far, Honda has raked up 7,000 orders for the new model with 90 percent of the pre-order sales coming in for the Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid.

Will this encourage Honda to bring the Fit Shuttle lineup to the United States? It just might.

Refresher: The Honda Fit Shuttle is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC gasoline unit allowing it to average an estimated fuel-economy of 44 mpg using Japan’s 10·15 testing mode. The Honda Fit Shuttle Hybrid is powered by a 1.3L i-VTEC engine mated to the company’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid system. It returns an estimated fuel-economy of 59 mpg.

Source;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/06/18/honda-rakes-up-7000-orders-for-fit-shuttle-fit-shuttle-hybrid/

2012 Honda FIT Shuttle Late Honda car debut turns into hot event

Not for us in North America.... yet....
Honda headquarters is sweltering, executives are without ties and reporters are fanning themselves in a scene illustrative of the nation's struggle to conserve electricity since March 11, when the massive earthquake and tsunami sent the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into meltdown.

The scene unfolded as Honda Motor Co. launched the Fit Shuttle station wagon, including hybrid versions, for the domestic market Thursday — three months later than planned — another sign of the disaster's widespread impact.

The quake and tsunami destroyed Honda's parts suppliers, dealers and design facility in the Tohoku region.

Still, President Takanobu Ito was relieved the company had come this far.

"It was a real tough three months for us," he told reporters, wearing a casual beige jacket and no tie instead of his usual dark suits.

Cool Biz, the annual practice of allowing less formal attire to be worn in the office during the summer, is finally being embraced in a big way in the name of saving power. Now dubbed Super Cool Biz, some employees are even being encouraged to wear Aloha shirts and shorts.

Although no Honda executives were seen in shorts and their shirts were relatively staid, the nuclear crisis hung like a cloud over the event.

Tokyo-based Honda's invitation to the product launch — one of the first since March 11 — had warned that thermostats will be set at 28 degrees and that executives would be dressed in Cool Biz attire.

In addition to the Fukushima No. 1 crisis, which is expected to take years to resolve, another power plant was shut down months later over safety fears, causing the government to pressure companies and consumers to cut back on power use.

Automakers, a pillar of the economy, are under great pressure to cut power use 15 percent.
Autoworkers are producing cars on weekends and will instead take Thursdays and Fridays off for the next three months starting in July to reduce the load on power companies and avoid blackouts during peak demand periods.

Honda has said vehicle production in Japan will return to predisaster levels by the end of this month, and global production in August or September.

All orders for the Fit Shuttle will be delivered in two months' time, said Sho Minekawa, the executive in charge of Japan sales. There are no plans to offer the model overseas so far.

"We are finally able to introduce this product," he said. "We apologize to all those who have been waiting."

The Fit Shuttle, which comes as a hybrid (starting at ¥1.81 million) and with a gasoline engine (starting at ¥1.61 million), delivers the same mileage as the smaller Fit hatchback, according to Honda.

The hybrid version delivers 30 km per liter, or about 70 mpg, under Japanese test conditions, it said.

Honda is expecting its profit for the fiscal year through next March to plunge 63.5 percent to ¥195 billion from the previous year because of parts shortages and other disaster woes.

The maker of the Civic sedan and Odyssey minivan was battered by the cost of fixing damaged property and equipment, higher raw material costs, the strong yen and research expenses related to future products, such as environmental technology. Honda's global vehicle sales for the current fiscal year are projected to drop 6 percent on year to 3.3 million vehicles.

Honda to hire 1,000 temps
Kyodo
Honda Motor Co. will hire about 1,000 term employees at domestic plants, including in Saitama and Mie prefectures, during the second half of fiscal 2011 to cope with increased production expected from October to March, company sources said Thursday.

Honda is taking the measure because production is recovering from the March 11 catastrophe more quickly than anticipated and is expected to return to near normal by late June, they said.

The automaker will therefore withdraw its earlier plan set in April to gradually reduce the approximately 600 term employees at the plant in Saitama to zero by the end of September.

Honda will renew contracts of term employees if they want to do so, even for those whose employment contracts have already expired, they said.

Source;
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20110617a1.html