I think that's a pretty accurate summary of the difference and I agree its not an auto or manual. The 7 speed mode is a bit artificial on the jazz as they are just arbitary electronic points. They could have made it any number of points (7 just sounds impressive).

The transmission as well as 7 speed mode and D (drive) also has S and L selections. Unlike a conventional automatic gearbox where these are lower gears sports mode and low changes the continous ratios. Lows really only for very steep hills or maybe in icey conditions (bit hard to test in the dryest flatest continent on the planet).

Interestingly selecting 7 speed mode while in D or S mode is different as those arbitory points are placed over different ratios.

Top speed can only be attained in D. Arguably fastest acceleration is in S.

The 7 speed mode is really just a gimmick. You play with it a few times and people see it and go WOW 7 gears but you end up wacking it in D and dropping it to S sometimes. Honda is careful not to call it 7 gears but 7 speed.

Its a very interesting piece of technology that works well with the Jazz to maximise its diminutive power and torque. Other manufacturers that are producing vehicles using CVT include Nissan's Murano and Mitsubishi's Colt. Surprisingly Nissan has made the technology work with a V6 while Honda has had issues extending it to more powerful engines. I'm sure the implimentations are quite different much as VTEC differs from other manufacturers variable valve timing.

 

Actually, Honda has made their CVT work with the K24 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine, at least for the Elysion minivan sold in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised that Honda is seriously looking at offer a CVT automatic on the four-cylinder variants of the US-market Honda Accord very soon.

 

Not a chance. The Fit is designed as a fuel efficient run-about and meant to fit below the Civic models. Of course, some tuner is bound to try fitting the R18 in the Fit.

 

Here's an interesting except about CVTs from one of those site links I posted earlier.

"The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is 35% more performant than the Manual Transmission (MT). With same car and engine, the CVT takes only 75% of the time to accelerate to 100km/h, compared to the MT.

This means that:
-Although the known CVTs (ex: "V"belt, Toroidal) have greater inherent dissipations than MT, they may be still advantageous.
-To take full advantage of the whole 35% improvement of CVT, it would be necessary to invent something as a "Geared CVT", (without the unavoidable limitations of friction CVTs).
-If it is difficult to eliminate significantly the energy losses of some friction drives, then these CVT will hardly improve performances up to 35%. Power-split and similar techniques may help here.

Perhaps, the most remarkable practical proof of the CVT performance, was the CVT use in the 800cV Formula One Canon-Williams-Renault, in 1993. Without so much development as the MT version, the experimental CVT Formula One was 1 second faster per lap."

 

Thats good news as CVT really is the transmission of the future.

 

Nice graphical comparison.

 

The existing US Honda Jazz

Doesn't need an optional sunroof.

 

i have not seen one of these here or heard of anyone have this in US..

 

I was reading the Oct 2005 issues of Motor Trend and Consumer Reports today. Both mentioned the Fit; one magazine said 1.3 engine and the other a 1.5 engine. Even the magazines don't know! However, I guess you can't fault them too much, cuz by the time the magazine is out, the info is already 2 months old.

 

That's how I found out about the Fit, siguy. I read my latest issue of CR and was intrigued, ran some online searches, found this site...

 

Any word if Honda will offer a sunroof and rear disc breaks on the U.S. Fit???

 

No, that big scooter is sold in Italy only. The Honda Jazz scooter in Cananda is 49cc and is the same as the Honda metropolitian scooter sold in the USA, just a different name for what ever reason. I know, I drive my Honda Jazz 49cc scooter everyday.

 

One great thing about the manual over the CVT is the $1000 price drop for manual. Or so I hope. Correct me if I'm wroung.

 

I sure hope it comes with a sunroof.

 

Only one thing though: chances are pretty good Honda might not offer the manual transmission on the US-market Fit, just like what is now available in Japan. It will probably be regular CVT on the low end models and the CVT-7 automatics on the higher-end models.

 

All fits manufactured in Japan have rear drums. Fits manufactured in Thailand and China have discs. Personally I'd rather my car manufactured in Japan and live with drums.

The car weights 1000kg, drums work just fine. ABS and EBD still work with this arrangement. In fact it has been reported that the Japanese fit stops better than the Chinese fit with 4 wheel discs but could just be because of different pads.

If you want it to pull up better you can do a mod like the jazz below

 

Ewwww, they have to offer a manual here. Every other lower priced car here comes in manual. Japan is the only market that does not have manual, so I can't imagine them not offering a manual. If that's the case the Fit is less desirable to me. Maybe the new Yaris will have manual or the new Nissan Versa. I did sit in a 2006 civic DX the other day, damn nice and 5 speed

 

I think the reason why Honda might consider not offering the five-speed manual on the US-market Fit is the fact given the relatively small displacement of the engine, drivers will have to constantly shift gears and rev the engine to get the most performance, not a very good idea for commute driving! Besides, unlike regular automatics CVT's can always use the most efficient ratios regardless of driving conditions, which means better acceleration throughout the rev range.

Mind you, Honda does make excellent manual shifters, so we could see a small number of Fits offered with the five-speed manual in the US market.

 

Honda offers a manual and the 7 speed CVT with the 1.5L Fit in Japan but only offers the CVT(not the 7 speed) with the 1.3L Fit.

I think that whichever engine is offered in North America a manual will be standard with the option of the CVT.

Honda provides the 1.3L Fit in other countries outside Japan with a manual so I'm pretty confident that we will see one in the US. I think the main reason the CVT is the only transmission offered in the 1.3L Japanese market Fit is that a manual is a liability in Japan. Traffic is terrible and most people want automatics.

D

 

I agree; I think they'll have to offer a 5-speed in the U.S. The Toyota bB is offered in only in automatic trim in Japan and they released the Scion xB in a manual trans. I would take the Fit off my list if it only came in CVT. I'd probably get a new Yaris if that were the case.

I also picked up the new-car issue of Motor Trend magazine the other day. In the new-for-2007 section, they speculated that the Fit would come with the 1.3-liter engine, although I still think it'll be the 1.5. I don't know how well the little 1.3 would do on large American highways.