Honda seems to have received an impressive number of bookings for the Jazz automatic, accounting for 40 percent of the total bookings.
The Honda Jazz was launched only yesterday, but bookings for the premium hatchback have been open since 15th June 2015. Though Honda has not disclosed the number of bookings received, but a few insiders have revealed that 40 percent of customers have opted for the petrol automatic version of the Jazz. This comes as trending news for the vehicle because the petrol manual variant which retailed with the previous generation Jazz only accounts for 25 percent of the bookings, while the diesel variant has received 35 percent of the total orders.
The company itself is overwhelmed with the strong response for the automatic trim as they were expecting the same to account for 30 percent of total sales at best. As a result of this, Honda will be making a few changes to the production line to accommodate the huge demand for the Jazz automatic. This particular variant features a 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine that comes mated to a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Honda decided to plonk the CVT into the Jazz because of the transmission’s lighter weight, better gear ratio range and improved fuel economy. Therefore, the Jazz automatic returns an ARAI-tested fuel economy of 19 km/l as compared to the manual’s 18.7 km/l.
When it comes to the competition, only the Volkswagen Polo offers an automatic model. However, the Polo 1.2 TSI that has a seven-speed dual clutch transmission is only available in a single variant that costs Rs. 8.48 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), whereas, the Honda Jazz automatic is available in two different variants that lie in the price bracket of Rs. 6.99 lakhs to Rs. 7.85 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). If such a response for the auto variant continues to exist, then Honda’s competitors might contemplate to launch their products with automatic transmission as well.
Source – AutocarIndia.com