It’s been over a year now since the Philippine market bid goodbye to the Honda Jazz—a move that makes sound business sense given the existence of the City Hatchback for our region, but which has left fans of the nameplate pining for the little subcompact.
Elsewhere in the world, though, the model continues to exist as either the Jazz or the Fit, depending on where you are. In Japan, a refresh is set to be launched later this year, bringing with it a new variant: the Honda Fit RS.
The Fit e:HEV RS joins the Basic, Home, Luxe, and Crosstar trim levels, replacing the Ness spec in Honda’s home market. Aside from RS badging, it will feature variant-specific bits like a sportier mesh grille, front and rear bumpers, and rear spoiler, and a new Slate Gray Pearl paint job shared with the Crosstar. The RS will be available only in front-wheel-drive.
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Honda hasn’t specified any performance figures yet, saying only that there will be increased power output and better accelerator response. Currently, the hybrid Fit produces 108hp and 253Nm of torque courtesy of a 1.5-liter two-motor hybrid setup. The RS will get a drive mode switch for toggling between three modes (Normal, Sport, and Econ), and a deceleration selector in paddle-shifter form to control the level of regenerative braking.
Honda Sensing is of course available, with Traffic Jam Assist now standard across the range. The feature combines both adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, and operates at speeds below 45mph (72kph).
We’ll get more information about the updated model closer to its launch. In the meantime, here’s a question to the Jazz fans: Has the City Hatch grown on you, or is it still Jazz all the way? The comments section is open.
