We got our first look at the next generation Honda Fit a few weeks when a couple of sites that got invited to the long-lead previews in Japan spilled the beans. Honda will be showing the the new Fit publicly for the first time next week at the Tokyo Motor Show and, unlike so many auto show debuts, there will be no six month lag between between the show and retail sales. The new Fit will go on sale in Japan on October 26 just as the Tokyo Show opens to the public.

The initial reactions to the new styling has been decidedly mixed with some liking the updated look while others prefer the existing car. While the car has grown by a couple of inches in length, the crashworthiness is improved and apparently the weight has remained the same which is definitely a bonus. In Japan, buyers get a choice of 1.3L or 1.5L engines both of which offer improved fuel efficiency. If they follow the current pattern, only the larger engine will be available when the new car comes to the US, probably sometime in mid-2008 for the 2009 model year. That model is now rated at 46 mpg (US) on the Japanese test schedule. More details on the new Fit are after the jump.

[Source: Honda]