Honda Fit gets trimmer on the outside, bigger inside

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Even as newer B-segment cars hit the scene, the older Honda Fit continued to shine, and for good reason, boasting a spacious cabin for a diminutive hatch. Utilitarian to the core, it also had surprisingly playful dynamics that made it a guilt-free joy in the bends.

Knowing it had a winning formula, Honda didn’t mess with success with the third-generation Fit. It’s still a packaging marvel, trimming 1.5 inches from the length while still getting five additional inches of rear legroom (although losing a couple cubic inches of cargo space in the process).

The ancient 117 hp powerplant finally gets a direct-injected upgrade, bumping up the output to 130 hp while still getting a respectable 33 city/41 highway mpg.

Thankfully, it also trims the fat off the body in the process, and is 57 pounds lighter. And yes, for the Fit fanatics there are still the Magic Seats to the rear that can fold up--or down flat.

Less impressive is the visual evolution, and Honda has continued the trend of overwrought styling, inside and out. There are modest improvements to the cabin with a smattering of soft-touch materials of the dash, but I overall preferred the simpler, cleaner look of its predecessor.

While the Fit is no looker, it’ll likely enjoy solid sales stateside—and prove that big successes can still come in a small package.