Today was a historic day in my automotive life; I drove my first Chinese car.

As previously mentioned, TTAC has gotten their hands on a Chinese-made Honda Fit. It’s nothing special; Canada has been getting Chinese-made Fits for the better part of a year now. Europe has been getting Chinese-made models (sold as the Jazz) for half a decade. At first glance, quality issues seem to be non-existent, though the choice of paint color made me chuckle.

Some commenters suggested that a Chinese made Fit was actually a non-story, but I respectfully disagree. That North America’s first Chinese car came from an established OEM rather than a Chinese brand trying to get a foothold in North America is important in itself. Honda couldn’t have greater connotations of Japanese engineering superiority if it tried, and the Fit has always been a Japan-made anomaly in a field of North American built competitors. Whether the Fit is still competitive in a field of newer, more advanced subcompacts is another matter.