The old Honda Fit/Jazz was one of ConsumerReports’ favorite city cars for its blend of interior space and reliability, but it was always let down by bland looks and a cut-rate scratchy interior. Now, they’ve had a look around the redesigned 2015 model-year Fit and their first report is a very positive one.

They say the most obvious differences are in the looks departments, as both the exterior and interior show a lot of progress. Inside, it now has soft-touch plastics atop the dash, and while many European superminis have had this for over a decade, it’s nice that Honda finally decided that it was the way to go too….

Noteworthy is the redesigned 1.5-liter engine too. It puts out 130 hp (132 PS) and boasts efficiency gains at the same time, plus there’s a six-speed manual gearbox on offer to make the most of that power in a fun way.  The CVT is aimed at maximizing efficiency, but you must really hate rowing your own if you go for that option…

Check out the CR video posted after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

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