America Gets Fit, Thanks to Honda

Automakers have a nasty habit of introducing a low-priced car and when it becomes successful, upgrading it and raising the price until the entry-level buyers are abandoned. Take Honda, for example. It introduced the Civic, then grew on the back of those nifty, affordable hatches until, in the 90's, it dropped them in favor of larger, pricier Civic sedans and coupes. Now Honda has decided bring us a version of its Fit 5-door hatch, the second best-selling car in Japan and priced well below the Civic. The Fit has a 1.4-liter engine delivering 83 hp and 88 lb-ft of torque, mated to either a 5-speed manual or CVT automatic. Top speed is 106 mph; Fit scoots 0-60 in under 12 seconds. But don't have a fit over that label. The car is sold in a variety of countries under different names. Jazz is one that would work for me.