Honda Fit facelift launches in Japan from $11,000 – flagship trims now hybrid-only

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Honda refreshes the Fit in Japan to celebrate its 25th birthday.

New Z grade pairs aggressive RS looks with a soft, comfy setup.

Flagship RS and rugged Crosstar trims are now hybrid-exclusive.

The Honda Fit vanished from America six years ago, but the practical hatchback lives on elsewhere in its newer fourth-generation form. Honda has now facelifted it in Japan, marking 25 years of the nameplate since the original showed up in 2001. The subcompact stays instantly recognizable while adding a revised trim structure and more standard kit.

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The updated range spans the entry-level X, the mid-range Z, the sporty RS, and the rugged Crosstar. The Chinese-spec model got a redesigned face, but the Japanese Fit carries on with the same exterior it wore after the 2022 facelift , so nothing changes on the outside here.

Honda

The bigger story is the Z trim, which takes over from the previous mid-range Home. It borrows the deeper front and rear bumpers from the RS, though finished with matte black accents rather than the flashier trim. It still rolls on the 15-inch wheels from the base car and skips the RS spoiler, side skirts, larger tailpipe, and lowered suspension , running a softer setup instead. The cabin adds a leather three-spoke steering wheel, heated seats, and special windshield glass for better thermal insulation.

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Moving up the ladder, the RS flagship inherits the premium touches of the old Luxe trim and now comes only with the e:HEV powertrain. The sporty bodykit with the gloss black accents stays, while the five-spoke 16-inch alloys wear a slightly different finish. The RS-specific suspension tuned for sharper handling also carries over, though it arrives without any actual performance upgrades over the rest of the range.

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Inside, the Fit RS gets black pillars and headlining, plus suede and leather upholstery with red contrast stitching and stainless steel pedals. Standard equipment runs to a 9-inch infotainment screen, wireless charging, a heated steering wheel, the Multi-View Camera System, and Blind Spot Information.

The Crosstar is also exclusively available in e:HEV form, with optional 4WD capability to match its crossover-style bodykit and lifted stance. For this update, it gains a standard heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and upgraded thermal-insulated glass. Of course, all trims of the Fit retain the signature Magic Seats that make it easier to carry larger items.

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The Mechanicals Stay Put

Underneath, the Fit stays largely as it was. The X and Z trims come with both gasoline and hybrid setups in FWD and 4WD, and the non-electrified 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder makes 116 hp (87 kW / 118 PS) and 142 Nm (104.7 lb-ft), tied exclusively to a CVT. The e:HEV models sit across the lineup and keep the dual-motor self-charging hybrid setup good for a combined 121 hp (90 kW / 123 PS) and 253 Nm (187 lb-ft), with the RS the only version denied 4WD.

What It Costs

The updated Honda Fit range opens for orders through Japanese dealers on July 10. Pricing starts at ¥1,806,200 ($11,100) for the entry-level FWD gasoline X trim, while the newly added Z trim asks ¥2,145,000 ($13,200).

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Over on the hybrid side, the e:HEV X begins at ¥2,238,500 ($13,800). The sporty e:HEV RS runs ¥2,899,600 ($17,900), and the priciest member of the family is the rugged e:HEV Crosstar 4WD at ¥2,955,700 ($18,200). Honda has sold more than 3.25 million Fits in Japan since 2001, making it one of the brand’s best-known names in the region.