Honda tried to offer a bigger car in the small class segment, but the carmaker didn’t mean extended, but roomier, and that was the Fit/Jazz.
In 2001, Honda took ideas from the Japanese kei-cars and introduced them to the rest of the world with this little MPV. It was a mix between a small-sized hatchback and a compact-segment MPV. It used a new platform, which was later on used for the Honda City as well.

The egg-shaped minivan featured a raked front end with a short hood and a taller windscreen covering half of the car’s front area. A new bumper was fitted, with a touch of aerodynamic engineering on its sides. The tear-shaped headlights with clear lenses made it look like a bug, not a cockroach. On the sides, a slightly ascending beltline left room for big side windows and a short kick above the rear axle to form the D-pillar. In the rear, Honda installed new taillights with clear glass on their upper side for the reversing light instead of the previously used ones with a clear center section.

The interior was spacious for a car of its size. It provided room for five adults, but with not so ample hip space for the three rear passengers. One of the car’s best features was the seating versatility, with the “magic seats” feature that allowed the rear seats to be lifted or folded for extra loading storage. Unlike the non-facelifted version, it featured buttons on the steering wheel and a new, digital climate control unit.

Under the hood, the Fit/Jazz featured the same gasoline engine choice but upgraded to Euro4 pollution norms for the European continent. A CVT was available as an extra option for the 1.4-liter mill.