Looking to expand its crossover lineup primarily in Europe and Asia, Honda has announced that it will build a new, high-seat vehicle based on the next-generation version of its Fit subcompact.
Technically, the as-of-yet unnamed crossover will ride on the Honda Jazz architecture, but the Jazz is essentially identical to the North American Fit underneath the skin.
The new Honda will go up against rivals like the Nissan Juke, Opel Mokka (sold in North America as the Buick Encore) and the upcoming Ford Ecosport in Europe and Asia. It's unclear whether it will make it into the North American market, where it won't have many direct rivals aside from the oddly-matched Juke and MINI Countryman.
Honda's CEO, Takanubo Ito, will let loose a few more details about the Fit-based crossover at next week's Paris show, although the Japanese automaker is notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to detailing future products.Â
At the very least, we speculate that a downsized four-cylinder engine using the automaker's new Earth Dreams efficiency strategy will power the vehicle, while an ultra-compact CVT should send power to the front or all four wheels depending on the individual specification level.Â
