Based on an all-new platform and featuring the carmaker’s new Earth Dreams Technology fuel-efficient drivetrains, Honda said its newcomer will build on the interior flexibility of the outgoing car, which features the same Magic Seat rear bench as the Civic hatchback.

It will also introduce a new, safer body structure and connected infotainment options.

The Fit and Jazz are sold in 123 countries worldwide, and this will be the first time Honda has produced North American models in their domestic market – at a new plant in Celaya, Mexico.

Drivetrain options for the new car have not been confirmed as yet, but are likely to include a mass-market successor to the US-only Fit EV available today, a hybrid and possibly a new i-DTEC diesel engine for European buyers.

The 2015 Fit will break cover at the Honda press conference on 13th January, broadcast live via webcast. European market versions are likely to be shown either at Geneva in March or Paris in October.