Honda to expedite new Fit's global launches

By raising localisation levels in the car to almost 90%, the need to modify its design across regions will be reduced.

Honda plans to halve the time lag between the domestic and overseas releases of its remodelled Fit subcompact by having local development bases simultaneously draw up design specifications tailored to their regions, reports the Nikkei financial daily. The automaker plans to begin producing the next Fit at a new factory in Saitama Prefecture in July, with the car to be released in Japan around November, followed by key markets such as Southeast Asia, North America and Europe by autumn 2014. By raising localisation levels in the car to almost 90%, the need to modify its design across regions will be reduced.