New Honda Jazz is 3955-mm long, 1694-mm wide and 1544-mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2530-mm. (CarDekho)
Compact, cute, curvaceous, clever. These were some of the adjectives I used to describe the new Honda Jazz when a curious driver, who had recently bought the Hyundai Elite i20, asked me about the car. “But is it as ‘comfortable’ as my ‘classy’ hatchback?” he shot back. Let’s find out.
But before that, a short story. When it was first launched on June 10, 2009, the Jazz was instrumental in opening up a new segment in India. Here was a hatchback which was as spacious as most sedans and as versatile as most MPVs.
It was a very practical car, especially for urban Indians—parking it was a breeze, the cabin was well-appointed, and the ride quite comfortable. However, there was no diesel-engine option and even the entry-level model cost a steep Rs 6.98 lakh. The result was that while the Jazz did make the Indian buyer recognise the value of a truly premium hatchback, it could never give Honda the numbers the company was looking forward to.
GALLERY: Check out Honda Jazz next-gen in pictures
On August 18, 2011, Honda dropped the price of the entry-level model to R5.5 lakh. But that couldn’t revive its fortunes. In March 2013, the Jazz was discontinued in India, selling a total of only 23,000 units over four years.
On July 8, Honda relaunched the Jazz.
Exterior
Because the Jazz enters the arena ruled by the ‘classy’ Elite i20, Honda has tired to make the car look as stylish as it can. To an extent, it has succeeded. Gone are the plain Jane looks of the previous generation Jazz. The new car gets sharp and well-defined character lines which give it a sporty and premium feel. The top-end variants get ample features such as LED tail and stop lamps, tail gate spoiler, rear micro antenna, 15-inch alloy wheels, chic fog lamps, sleek turn indicators on door mirrors, and more. The use of chrome is just right.
Interior
It gets the first-in-segment auto AC with a touchscreen control panel, an always-lit three-eye meter array with eco-assist function, steering wheel with buttons for audio and other controls, integrated sound-system with 12.7-cm screen, and rear parking camera with multiple views. The top variant has a large 15.7-cm touchscreen audio visual navigation system with camera display and DVD playback. The base variants have a black-and-beige colour scheme while the top grade gets an all-black treatment. However, there are no rear AC vents nor does the Jazz gets key-less ignition—both are available in the Elite i20.
The car is 3955-mm long, 1694-mm wide and 1544-mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2530-mm. Intelligent packaging—Honda calls it man maximum, machine minimum—ensures that the Jazz has a very spacious cabin. There are as many as nine cup-holders and even the boot is a generous 354 litres. The large glass area gives the cabin an airy feel. The Jazz also offers excellent manoeuvrability with a 5.1-metre turning radius and has a ground clearance of 165mm.
Magic seats
While in the previous avatar all variants got the ‘magic seats’, this time only the top grade gets these. Essentially, seats can be folded in various ways to store luggage.
* Utility mode: Fold the rear seat flat, and you can carry large items such as a bicycle in the second row.
* Tall mode: Fold the rear seat up, and you can carry tall items such as plants in the second row.
* Long mode: Fold the rear seat flat and the front passenger seat reclined all the way back, and you can carry very long items such as a surfboard.
* Refresh mode: Recline the front passenger seat all the way back, and the front passenger can sit on the rear seat with her legs on the reclined backrest of the front seat—somewhat like a business-class experience.
Petrol
The 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine delivers a maximum power of 90PS and a torque of 110Nm. The five-speed manual transmission version has a claimed mileage of 18.7 kmpl. The automatic CVT delivers even higher 19 kmpl. The Jazz is the only car in its segment to be equipped with steering-mounted dual-mode ‘paddle shift’ option. The engine is supremely refined and very quiet.
Diesel
The 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine delivers a maximum power of 100PS and a torque of 200Nm. It has been mated to six-speed manual transmission that offers a segment-leading fuel economy of 27.3 kmpl (claimed). The engine, though refined, is noisy.
Verdict
Various segment-first features, a frugal diesel engine, now with stylish looks, the new Jazz has a lot going for it. Honda has also priced it right, this time around. The petrol version ranges from R5.31 lakh to R7.85 lakh (top-end automatic), and diesel (R6.5 lakh to R8.59 lakh). While it is not a threat to the Elite i20, the new Jazz is on its way to make a successful comeback.
(Prices are ex-showroom, Delhi)
