subcompact

  • 2015 Honda Fit, test drive around Ann Arbor, Michigan, Apr 2014

    If you're looking for a small hatchback that delivers high gas mileage and almost unparalleled flexibility, the all-new 2015 Honda Fit should probably be at the top of your list. The new Fit has become a more important car for Honda now that it's built in Mexico, and that's reflected in many of the changes Honda has made to the third generation of its subcompact hatchback. Not only does an all-new powertrain deliver much higher EPA-rated gas mileage, but trim levels have been aligned to those in other Honda models and the company proudly touts $1,000 to $1,800 worth of new standard equipment...

  • 2014 MINI Cooper S
    2014 MINI Cooper: Bigger, Faster, More Fuel-Efficient--And Start-Stop Too

    The Mini is one of the most iconic vehicles on the roads, but the car has changed--and grown--rather a lot since its introduction in 1959. Most of that change has happened since BMW took the reins and launched its MINI brand in 2001, and we're now on the third generation of the BMW-developed...

  • 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2014 Geneva Motor Show
    2015 Jeep Renegade - Tiniest Jeep Yet Unveiled In Geneva: Video And Live Photos

    It's often said that Jeep is the most valuable part of Chrysler, and the renewal of the legendarily tough utility brand's range is now well underway, courtesy of new owner Fiat. Introduced today at the Geneva Motor Show, the newest model is also its smallest modern-day vehicle ever: the 2015 Jeep...

  • Mazda Hazumi concept
    Next Mazda 2: Hazumi Concept Live Photos From Geneva Show

    Don't be fooled by the title. It may well read "Mazda Hazumi concept", but Mazda has played this game before. Just as Minagi begat Mazda CX-5 and Takeri begat Mazda6, the Hazumi is essentially the next-generation Mazda2. As you can see from our live Geneva Motor Show photos, the Hazumi--and...

  • 2013 Honda Fit EV drive event, Pasadena, CA, June 2012
    2014 Honda Fit EV: Model Year Ends Early As Last Cars Are Built

    Honda has announced through its EV sales division that the Fit EV model year production will end early, with production of the last of the 2014 Fit EVs this fall. [UPDATE: Honda North America subsequently clarified that Fit EV production will end on schedule this fall, not "early." Honda added that...

  • 2013 Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe [UK specification]
    Will Honda Insight, CR-Z Hybrids Be Pulled From U.S. Sale Too?

    Honda will end sales of the CR-Z and Insight hybrids in Europe.

  • Mazda Hazumi concept, 2014 Geneva Motor Show

    With the new Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 crossover launched over the last few years, you might have forgotten the smaller Mazda2 subcompact even exists. Mazda hasn't forgotten the 2 though, and will unveil a new subcompact concept car at the Geneva Motor Show to point the way to its replacement. Mazda calls it the Hazumi, which means "bound" or "spring up" in Japanese, a reference to a small car that's apparently "bursting with energy". Styling will echo that of Mazda's larger models, part of the firm's 'Kodo, soul of motion' design language. That much is clear even in the teaser image, which...

  • 2014 MINI Cooper
    All-New 2014 MINI Cooper Prices To Start At $20,745

    MINI USA has announced pricing for the third generation of its BMW-produced hatchback, which will be priced from $20,745 when it arrives in the spring. That figure includes MINI's mandatory $795 destination charge, which also applies to the $24,395 MINI Cooper S. The new car will be called the MINI...

  • 2014 Volkswagen Polo
    Volkswagen Launches New, More Efficient Polo Subcompact In Europe

    Back in the early 1970s, Volkswagen hit something of a milestone: It had sold over 15 million examples of its evergreen Beetle compact car. At 14 million and counting, it isn't hard to see VW's Polo subcompact breaking that barrier in the coming years, and maybe even eclipsing the Beetle's...

  • Nissan Micra now available in Canada
    Nissan Micra Minicar: Now Available In Canada, U.S. Still Denied

    Compared to Europe and Asia, the U.S. market for subcompacts and minicars is tiny, with dozens of models available elsewhere that will never hit U.S. shores. One of those is the Nissan Micra, slotting below the Versa Note in Nissan's range. Versions of the Micra have sold for decades in other...

  • 2015 Honda Fit at 2014 Detroit Auto Show
    2015 Honda Fit: Video Summary From Detroit Auto Show

    Undoubtedly the most important green car at a rather scattered Detroit Auto Show, the 2015 Honda Fit promises to be a strong entry in the subcompact segment when it arrives this spring. MORE: 2015 Honda Fit: Full Details From 2014 Detroit Auto Show The latest generation of the most flexible and...

  • Honda Vezel (Japanese market model) at 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
    Honda Fit-Based Crossover To Spawn Small Acura Luxury Utility?

    Honda is mulling an Acura-badged version of the Vezel compact crossover.

  • 2015 Honda Fit launch at 2014 Detroit Auto Show

    The all-new 2015 Honda Fit was unveiled this afternoon at the Detroit Auto Show--one of very few cars that could conceivably be deemed "green" at an event dominated by the huge new 2015 Ford F-150 full-size pickup truck. The new Fit is a complete redesign of the five-door subcompact that won raves for its interior space and versatility in its previous two generations, the last of which was launched in 2009. The 2015 model has more interior space in the same footprint, more refined interior features, a more powerful engine, better acceleration, and higher gas-mileage ratings than its...

  • 2014 Ford Fiesta 5-door
    2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0-Liter EcoBoost Cars Now Being Delivered

    The first 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0-liter EcoBoost cars are making their way into customers' hands.

  • 2014 Fiat 500
    Four-Door Fiat 500 Coming In 2015 Or Later

    Fiat, like MINI before it, thinks it's on to a good thing with its retro-styled small car, the 500. And like MINI, the Italian automaker thinks the best way of expanding on the car's popularity is to apply the badge to a whole range of vehicles--the latest being a four-door version of the currently...

  • 2015 Honda Fit
    2015 Honda Fit To Make 2014 Detroit Auto Show Debut

    The Honda Fit has always been a little different from other small cars. A little more zing, a dash more space inside and a much smarter interior layout than most. The new 2015 model looks set to continue those trends, but we'll know for sure from January as that's when the car will make its U.S...

  • Ford EcoSport subcompact crossover first drive review
    Ford EcoSport Compact Crossover: Forbidden Fruit First Drive

    Last year, Nissan sold over 230,000 examples of its Juke compact crossover worldwide. MINI sold over 100,000 Countryman and Paceman models. Kia moved nearly 400,000 Sportage crossovers. The message here is that subcompact and compact crossovers are big business. Ford knows this, which is why its...

  • 2014 Honda City (Indian market)
    Is The 2015 Honda Fit Sedan India's Just-Launched Honda City?

    We know what the all-new 2015 Honda Fit hatchback will look like; that car was unveiled in Japan last July, and then went on sale in September there. But have we now seen what the sedan model of the 2015 Fit will look like as well? Yesterday, Honda Cars India unveiled the latest version of the...

  • 2014 MINI Cooper

    It's the world's best-known small car, and it's all new for 2014. It is of course the MINI Cooper, though you might have stumbled over the phrase "all new", since a quick glance won't really reveal what parent company BMW has changed--the quirky retro styling is as familiar as ever. BMW has changed the car though--quite significantly, under the skin. MINI mechanicals We already knew the new MINI would feature a three-cylinder powerplant for the first time, but now we know more details. The 1.5-liter, turbocharged unit develops 134 horsepower, 13 hp more than the previous Cooper. There's also...

  • New Honda Fit Hybrid (Japan-only model)
    2015 Honda Fit To Have 36-MPG Combined Gas Mileage Rating

    The new 2015 Honda Fit will have a combined EPA gas mileage rating of 36 mpg, according to Honda officials. That's the second-highest rating for any five-door subcompact hatchback, and notably improves on the current 2013 Fit's highest rating of 31 mpg. MORE: 2015 Honda Fit - preview In a company...

  • Teaser for 2014 MINI Cooper
    New MINI Cooper Teased, Win A Trip To The Unveiling: Video

    The classic Mini was one of the first true economy cars, both in terms of frugality and in offering purchase price that regular people could afford. Since BMW's resurrection of the badge its priorities have shifted a little to capitalize on the car's fashion status, but that doesn't mean the new...

  • 2014 Fiat 500L at twilight, upstate New York
    2014 Fiat 500L: Gas Mileage Test Of New Tall Wagon

    There aren't many cars like the 2014 Fiat 500L on the market today. It's a tall wagon, not a crossover, because all-wheel drive isn't available. And it shares only a name and an engine with the much smaller Fiat 500 minicar that reintroduced the Fiat name to the U.S. market after a long hiatus...

  • 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, Quebec City, Sep 2013
    2014 Mitsubishi Mirage: 40-MPG Minicar Gas Mileage Test

    Do you miss your old three-cylinder Geo Metro? If so, Mitsubishi has a new car just for you. The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage five-door hatchback minicar has the highest fuel-economy rating of any non-hybrid on the market. The EPA rates it at 40 mpg combined (37 mpg city, 44 mpg highway) when fitted with...

  • New Honda Fit Hybrid (Japan-only model)
    No Start-Stop For 2015 Honda Fit To Avert Acceleration Lag: Report

    Honda says start-stop will make the 2015 fit too slow off the line.

News First Drives Electric Cars Hybrids Guides Green Life