The 2015 Honda Jazz is on its way and will for sure be launched in the month of July. The premium segment hatchback hadn’t fared too well when it came to India at first, but that was because some of the parts and components were imported. This time around, Honda is playing the wise game by stepping up its localisation plans, which means that the new Jazz should have a lower sticker price than before. The other factor that should appeal to the Indian audience, is the fact that the 2015 Honda Jazz will finally be offered with a diesel engine as well.
The interior has ‘Honda City’ written all over it. That is a good thing, of course.
The new Honda hatchback will use a petrol and diesel engine this time. The former is the 1.2-litre 4-cylinder i-VTEC unit which is found in the Brio. This engine develops 87bhp of power and 109 Nm of torque, all of which will be sent to the front wheels via either a 5-speed manual or as an automatic gearbox in the form of a CVT. There could very well be paddle shifters behind the wheel for the CVT-equipped Jazz. The more interesting engine for many would be the 1.5-litre four-pot i-DTEC unit that also does duty in the Amaze and City. This oil burner puts out around 100bhp of max power and 200 Nm of torque. This engine will possibly be mated to a 5-speed manual tranny, albeit Honda is still to confirm this.
The 2015 Jazz will offer a diesel mill for the first time.
With the new Jazz, Honda has shown keen interest on the safety front. The premium hatchback will feature ABS and EBD (electronic brake-force distribution), electronic stability control (ESC) and dual front airbags as standard. These along with an excellent body shell and several crumple zones, means that the all-new Jazz earned a full five stars from the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP).
This new Honda will be one of the safest cars on our roads, setting benchmarks for several others.
Thanks to its similarities with the City’s cabin, the 2015 Honda Jazz will offer features such as a touch-enabled climate control system, touchscreen infotainment and navigation system, steering-mounted telephony and audio controls, electrically operated ORVMs, AUX/USB/Bluetooth functions etc. Apart from a good list of cabin tech, the new model will offer more interior space than the earlier car. The new Honda Jazz will be made at the carmaker’s Tapukara plant in Rajasthan.
Expect to find even more space than before on the new Jazz.
According to Oncars.in, bookings for the new Honda Jazz will commence in the third week of this month. When launched, the 2015 Honda Jazz will compete with the likes of the Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto Evo etc. All that said, it will be interesting to see how Honda India prices their new premium hatchback in our market.