The Honda Jazz is back in India with a diesel heart and better localisation levels (95%) helping the company price the premium hatchback more competitively.
Having created much hype for its highly awaited premium hatchback, Honda Cars India has finally introduced the third generation Jazz in the country with prices starting at Rs. 5.31 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Retaining the positives from its capable predecessor, the new Jazz gets a diesel heart in place along with additional features, improved cabin space and a competitive pricing thanks to improved localisation levels. With Honda aiming to break rival Hyundai Elite i20’s success streak in the segment, here is what the all-new Jazz has to offer.
Design – The 2015 Honda Jazz is a familiar sight but gets a host of character lines similar to its booted sibling the City. That said, the overall profile is a lot MPV-like, which though not bad doesn’t feel as exciting as the sharply styled offerings in the segment. Nonetheless, the 2015 Jazz comes gets a strong identity with a piano black finished grille, single barrel headlamps, large windows and a receding shoulder line. The rear profile gets funky LED tail lamps, while the top variants gets a larger roof spoiler to induce a sporty appeal. The front and rear bumpers get rectangular mesh on either ends, but we did feel the rear could do with a black diffuser to reduce the visual bulk. The car rides on 15-inch alloy wheels on the top trims.
Interiors – The new generation Honda Jazz boasts of an impressive cabin with best in class space on offer. There is ample headroom and legroom at the front and rear, while the all-black dashboard with silver accents look premium. You do get beige coloured door pads and seats for a premium look on the lower variants, whereas the range-topping trim gets an all-black theme. The new Jazz also boasts of the segment first Magic Seats (available only on the top trim) that can be folded in different positions to maximise space. The boot space is measured at 354-litres and can be expanded up to 882-litres with the rear seats folded.
Features – The 2015 Honda Jazz gets a 6.1-inch touchscreen AVN system on the top trim, while the mid-variants get a 5-inch display unit for the audio system and rear parking camera. The car features a three-pod instrument cluster with an MID unit, multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifters (a segment first offered on the automatic), climate control with touch-panel, electrically adjustable and retracting rearview mirrors. The premium hatch also gets 9 cupholders inside the cabin, while the driver side cupholder is placed in front of the AC vent that helps keep your drink cool.
Engines – Power on the new generation Honda Jazz comes from both petrol and diesel engine options with the latter being the new addition. The petrol unit is a 1.2-litre four-cylinder i-VTEC motor tuned to produce 90 PS at 6000 RPM and 110 Nm of torque at 4800 RPM, paired to a 5-speed manual and a 7-step CVT automatic transmission. Diesel power comes from the India-specific 1.5-litre i-DTEC Earth Dreams engine tuned to produce 100 PS at 3600 RPM and 200 Nm of torque at 1750 RPM, paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Fuel Efficiency – Honda India has hit the sweet spot with the 2015 Jazz as the diesel version is the second most fuel efficient vehicle in the country, returning an ARAI certified 27.3 km/l, while the petrol powered version returns 18.7 km/l for the manual and 19 km/l for the CVT.
Safety – Honda has loaded the 2015 Jazz hatchback with some essential safety tech including dual front airbags, ABS (standard on all diesel variants), EBD and reversing camera. The international spec version with side airbags scored 5-stars on the Australian NCAP, but sadly Honda isn’t offering the same in India.
With the high pricing having been a party spoiler for the previous generation model, Honda has managed to keep the prices comparatively competitive this time and the 95 percent localisation has surely helped the automaker achieve the same. The company is producing the 2015 Jazz at its Tapukara facility alongside the City and bookings for the model had commenced since last month. Deliveries though begin from today. Honda is investing Rs. 380 crores in its Rajasthan plant to boost capacity to 3 lakh units per annum by next year. The company will expand its dealership network to 300 facilities in 200 cities by the end of this fiscal year.
Make sure to read our comprehensive review of the 2015 Honda Jazz HERE, and also find out how it fares against the segment leader Hyundai Elite i20 in our shootout HERE.
2015 Honda Jazz Petrol Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Jazz 1.2 E MT – Rs. 5,30,900/-
* Jazz 1.2 S MT – Rs. 5,94,000/-
* Jazz 1.2 SV MT – Rs. 6,44,900/-
* Jazz 1.2 V MT – Rs. 6,79,900/-
* Jazz 1.2 VX MT – Rs. 7,29,000/-
* Jazz 1.2 S CVT – Rs. 6,99,000/-
* Jazz 1.2 VX CVT – Rs. 7,85,000/-
2015 Honda Jazz Diesel Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Jazz 1.5 E MT – Rs. 6,49,900/-
* Jazz 1.5 S MT – Rs. 7,14,000/-
* Jazz 1.5 SV MT – Rs. 7,64,900/-
* Jazz 1.5 V MT – Rs. 8,09,900/-
* Jazz 1.5 VX MT – Rs. 8,59,000/-
