Toyota Aqua vs Honda Fit Hybrid

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Imported Japanese cars are becoming more and more common with each passing day in Pakistan, especially hatchbacks. You can now find a multitude of imported hatchbacks in the market from all sorts of manufacturers, but what if you are looking for an imported mid sized Japanese hybrid hatchback? well, chances are that you might be trying to decide between either the Toyota Aqua or the Honda Fit Hybrid, both vehicles fall in the same price bracket and are pretty easily available in the local market. So today we are going to try and make your decision a little bit easier by comparing both hybrid vehicles in a variety of categories to see which one is the best.

Honda Fit 1

Design

The third generation Honda Fit features a more futuristic and modern design language, with smooth tapering lines all around the bodywork, sprinkled with some slightly aggressive design cues here and there. Some of the aesthetics might even make you think that the Honda Fit is a fully electric vehicle. The front end houses slim-tapered headlights, a small front grille and trapezium shaped air intakes. The rear end of the Honda Fit is very similar to the rear of a Honda Civic hatchback with large vertical taillights that extend till the roof spoiler, chrome accents, and an aggressive but restrained rear bumper.

While the Honda Fit manages to achieve a nice blend between aggressive and restrained design aesthetics the Toyota Aqua follows sports hatchback route in terms of design as opposed to a traditional hatchback design. The front end features large headlights with sharp creases, the front bumper is relatively large and low to the ground for a hybrid vehicle of its type and it houses a fairly large front air intake. The rear ends design is much the same as we’ve seen on the Honda Fit, it houses large vertical taillights that once again extend to the roof spoiler and a fairly large sized rear bumper.

Toyota Aqua 1

Performance & Fuel Efficiency

Housed underneath the 3rd gen Honda Fit’s bonnet is a 1.5 liter DOHC 16 valve Inline-4 engine coupled with a hybrid drivetrain, mated to 7-speed dual clutch transmission. The Fit produces 109 bhp and 134 Nm of Torque. Due to the availability of instant torque from the electric motor; the DCT acceleration in the Honda Fit Hybrid is pretty decent under most circumstances. Thanks to the Hybrid drive train and regenerative braking the Fit is able to achieve anywhere between 20-24km/l (users calculation). The car also features a 40-liter fuel tank, which means you have a theoretical average range of anywhere between 800-960km however, the company claims an average of 35 to 37 km/l.

The Toyota Aqua also features a 1.5 liter DOHC 16 valve Inline-4 engine that is in tandem with the Hybrid drive train producing nearly 72 bhp, a good 37 bhp less than that in the 3rd gen Fit Hybird, both vehicles also weight about the same so in terms of raw performance; Honda Fit has the Aqua on backfoot. Despite that the Toyota Aqua is able to achieve around 20-23km/l thanks to the Hybrid drive train and regenerative braking. Though the Aqua features a smaller 36-liter fuel tank making for an estimated theoretical range of 720-864km on a single tank. The company claims an average is 33 to 35 km/l from this car.

Toyota_Aqua_Interior

Honda-Fit-Hybrid-interior

Interior Quality, Features & Practicality

The interior materials of the 3rd Generation Honda Fit are mainly comprised black and polished silver plastic trim pieces featuring a minimalist design. The front and rear seats are covered in black fabric. Standard features include climate control, cruise control, keyless entry, a multifunction steering wheel, push start ignition, a 160 watt 4-speaker stereo audio system and a 5 inch touch screen infotainment system. The 3rd Generation Honda Fit features a generous rear head and legroom. The Honda Fit also has a decent sized boot and thanks to Honda’s magic seating that allows the seats to be folded in many different ways it vastly increase storage space and overall practicality.

The Toyota Aqua features a fairly spacious front driver and passenger compartment, but the rear seats are slightly cramped with limited head and legroom. The Aqua features a decent sized boot for a hatchback of its size, however, the rear seats can be folded down to vastly increase storage space. The interior of the Aqua feels like a mixture of elements from both standard Prius and Toyota Vitz. Being an imported car it includes features such as a digital dashboard, climate control, an ECO mode button as well as an EV button that allows you to drive on electric power only, push start ignition, cruise control, power mirrors that are electronically retractable, 7 inch touch screen infotainment system with a 4 speaker stereo system and a reversing camera, multiple cup holders, power windows as well as ample interior storage space. The quality of the materials is also very nice as it features good quality plastics that feel well built and sturdy.

2015-honda-fit-hybrid

Safety

When it comes to safety the Honda Fit manages to earn a 5/5 star safety rating from JNCAP (Japanese New Car Assessment Program), in terms of safety features the Fit has a total of six airbags, out of which two are for the driver and one for the front passenger, ABS with electronic brake force distribution and traction control.

The Toyota Aqua once again manages to fall short as it only achieved a 4/5 star safety rating from JNCAP, still very good but just not as good as the 3rd generation Honda Fit. The Aqua also features twin air bags in the front and a total number of six airbags depending on the variant, Traction Control, Toyota’s Brake Assist system, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and Vehicle Stability Control.

Toyota_Aqua_Featured-1

Value For Money

Currently, a Honda Fit with around 30,000km will set you back anywhere between 18.5-19.5 lakh, while a lower millage version could rang up a total of 21 lakhs for a fairly recent variant. The 2010-2013 model year Toyota Aqua can be purchased for anywhere between PKR 16-18 lakh, while the newer 2015-2016 model years with low millage will run you an upwards of PKR 21 lakh. Since the Aqua is an older car as compared to the 3rd generation Fit you can find an older high millage car for a relatively cheaper price. The Honda Fit is the more spacious, powerful and safer car. In the end after comparing these two hybrid hatchbacks it really boils down which one suits your personal preference and needs.

 

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