Click the 2009 Honda Fit Sport for a high res gallery

When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor MI last week.

As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length) but it's only about 44 lbs heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the fun-loving qualities of the original. In the process, Honda has had to deal with rising raw material and shipping costs while keeping the price from getting out of hand. Read on to find out if the spiritual descendants of Soichiro Honda have succeeded.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click for a high-res gallery

As of this month GM is adding a third model to its family of Two-Mode hybrids as the Cadillac Escalade hybrid becomes the first luxury SUV so equipped. The Escalade is of course built on the same GMT900 platform as the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. As such much of what goes in the places you can't see is exactly the same on all three vehicles including the entire powertrain. All three SUVs get the same 6.0L V8 paired up with the Two-Mode transmission. Unlike Chrysler's new hybrid SUVs all three GM trucks are available in either rear or all wheel drive.

The Escalade distinguishes itself from its siblings with unique front and rear styling and a significantly more upscale interior. If you thought the first two hybrid SUVs were expensive you haven't seen anything yet. The rear wheel drive Escalade price tag tips the scales at a mere $71,685 some $20,000 more than the Tahoe. That makes the Escalade the world's second most expensive hybrid behind the Lexus LS600h. Unlike the earlier hybrids GM is actually declaring that the Escalade hybrid commands a $3,600 price premium over a comparably equipped conventional model. We had a chance to take a short drive in the Escalade around Birmingham MI today.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click the 2009 Escape Hybrid for a high res gallery

When we visited with the 2008 Ford Escape hybrid last year, it had just received a whole new look. It went from the softer, rounder appearance of the first-generation model that debuted in 2001 to a sharper-edged look more in keeping with its big brothers in the Ford Truck lineup. The 2008 changes were almost entirely visual with most of the major mechanical bits carried over from 2007. Nonetheless, the changes seem to resonate with consumers. Sales of the Escape were up almost ten percent in the first four months of 2008 compared to last year, even while the market as a whole was down.

For 2009, Ford has addressed the mechanical side of the Escape equation with new powertrains across the board along with a host of other upgrades. Both the four and six cylinder engines have been upgraded and the former four speed automatic transmission has been replaced with a brand new six speed that we told you about last week. The hybrid model has also been rewarded with a new brake system that provides better pedal feel and finally adds traction and stability control. We headed out to the wilds of Pinkney MI to sample the upgraded Escape and you can read about it after the jump.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.