[The Observer]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

So, my neighbours garage list goes like this- Mercedes A class, BMW 5 series, BMW 3GT, BMW X3, Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S60, Audi A6... and the Elite i20 Asta. Last time I asked them about a small city runabout- they shunned the idea of purchasing a small car. The Elite i20 however - managed to change just that.

.

I agree with your observation,just my thought :

Could this just be that your neighbors are big fans of European design rather than the Japanese/American. We all know the Elite i20 is having a fair European design language (German), now of course the Polo TDI could have been their hatch - but the i20's look more premium ( some feel in its interior they resemble Audi or at least that they what they recall when see the i20s interior) and also they wanted some space in the rear which Polo does not have. Again Jazz would not have been around when they actually bought it.

Having said all this, in the voting i selected "i20" , from a pure value proposition Elite i20 is a winner in India , but if both cars were fully loaded and priced within 50 k of each other - i will go with the Jazz , sadly in India the Elite i20 at the top end diesel is a better proposition than the Jazz i-dtec at the top end, in terms of Petrol - Jazz is a better proposition i would say.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

What is the meaning of restricting each of those options on other variants? I really expect them to offer better rubber and better interior quality as well, I mean it is a Honda for Christ's sake!

After the Pricing goof-up on the previous gen Jazz, this time it seems like they got the Variant-Feature combo wrong, wanting to give that "complete" package only in the higher/highest variants. This could spell doom for the lower variants when compared with their higher siblings.

And inevitably, the comparison with the i20/i20 Elite will come up so Honda doesn't really seem to have the edge and this second time in the market seems like a missed opportunity for them

The i20 Elite does look impressive on paper with everything from the dimensions to the wheelbase, tyres and engine going in its favour, but I'd still like to make a final call after seeing these cars in flesh and test drives of both.

[Vitalstatistiks]

Voted for Jazz. No real reason, I just like it better than i20.

p.s. Early days in the poll, but Jazz has polled 39 votes as against 76 for i20. That's a little over half of i20's. If that can translate into sales numbers as well (say 4,000 to 5,000), Honda will be opening champagne bottles

Honda may be cleverer than all of us think. If they made Jazz better than/at par with i20 AND gave at competitive price, Jazz would sell in numbers they can't manufacture. So they'll keep that for the time that they can

[Latheesh]

If I was in the market for a new hatch today, I will buy Jazz SV Petrol variant (it has dual airbags+ABS), and spend 10K for black seat cover and steering wheel cover with sufficient padding, and alloy wheels (20K). But Honda need to give me this money in the form of discount/offer, I'll wait till then.

Only thing I missing in this will be rear washer and wiper and split rear seat.

I hate engine start/stop push button, ACC, and touch screen ICU. I always wondered what is great about start/stop push button.

[Vinit Wakade]

Voted in favor of the Elite i20. Was in Honda Showroom couple of days back, owned by a friend, and was allowed to check out the just arrived Jazz. Must say was disappointed with the quality of some of the switches and plastics. That empty start stop button is an eyesore especially for a nearly 10 lakh hatchback. The rubber covering on the gear stalk was already loose, and seemed to be of poor quality. Less said about the piano black touch buttons the better, as somebody rightly pointed out you need to take your eyes off the road to operate them. I did not drive the car, but just at idling speeds seemed to be as noisy as the Amaze. We went to the showroom with the thought of booking the car, however returned disappointed and now are having a serious rethink, still would take a test drive of the Diesel and then decide.
On the other side is Honda planning to Launch Jazz with 1.5L ivtec kind of an RS version? If yes I would not mind waiting for one.

[Samba]

Between the two if its a petrol i will prefer the Jazz and if diesel then the Elite i20.

Now if i am out to buy a premium hatch at this budget i will simply go for the Polo Gt Tsi or the GT Tdi. A premium hatch must have a premium engine too! The 1.2 liter petrol engines of the Jazz/ I20 are no match to what the Polo Tsi offers! Same is the case with the diesel too! I understand Jazz and I20 are all about comfort and features but i still hoped Honda to plonk the engine of the Honda city in the Jazz. Jazz with the 1.5 L petrol would have been an excellent choice. If Brio and Amaze share the same then Jazz deserves to share the engine with the City not the Brio/Amaze! Same thing with the Elite I20 petrol.

Hope Fiat launches the Punto Tjet/Abarth soon and break the trend of limiting the hot/premium hatches to 90 bhp barring the Polo!

[RSR]

Originally Posted by The Observer

I agree with your observation,just my thought :

Could this just be that your neighbors are big fans of European design rather than the Japanese/American. We all know the Elite i20 is having a fair European design language (German), now of course the Polo TDI could have been their hatch - but the i20's look more premium (some feel in its interior they resemble Audi or at least that they what they recall when see the i20s interior)...

That's one way of looking at it, and I don't contest your observation about exterior and interior design at all.

Could there be other ways of looking at it? Let's see. Here's one, you know, just my thought:

Could it also be because Hyundai have managed to improve on their oft-repeated area of weakness (driving dynamics) to an extent where it's no longer a source of complaint for someone who's used to driving only premium German cars?

I'm not suggesting the Elite i20's driving dynamics are in the same league as those cars - far from it. I'm only suggesting that Hyundai have managed to smash the cliché to smithereens, and that it's no longer a deal-breaker for someone used to driving the cars mentioned.

Oh my God! The very thought of that would be felt as a stunning high voltage shock by serious haters of the South Korean brand. I hope Hyundai work even harder in future, and that they have many more such high voltage shocks in store for their pathological haters.

[Hayek]

In my case, I'd vote for the Jazz since I would not touch a car with a stick shift. Though a 1.5 l CVT VX Jazz would have made a lot more sense - I found the 1.2 on the old Jazz too sluggish.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

I hate engine start/stop push button, ACC, and touch screen ICU. I always wondered what is great about start/stop push button.

I would much rather have the Jazz with better tyres, smarter interiors (I actually preferred the old one the design carried a certain functional yet intelligently quirky look), better quality, and magic seats for a cheaper price than with KESSY, ACC, Touch Screen HU etc. So I am with you about the lack of keyless entry and start/stop buttons and automatic climate control never being a deal breaker. However, I can't understand why you hate those features. Sure the touchscreen looks poorly incorporated and that could be aesthetically displeasing (I detest it for similar aesthetic and also ergonomic reasons), however since when was being able to set the desired temperature and have the car maintain it using automatic climate control, a bad thing worthy of your hate? Keyless entry and go is also a really nifty feature and I do sometimes miss it when driving cars without the feature. I no longer have to rummage through my pockets sifting through notes, lighter, smokes and other items to get my keys. I just have them in my pocket, walk to the car use the request sensor to get in, push the button and I go. I don't know about older days but modern KESSY systems are even fool proof for example my Kizashi wont start if it is unlocked and I am standing away from it and someone tries to get in and steal it. Neither will it lock if i exit the car and push the request sensor if the key is inside it. Really is convenient. The only time the key comes out of my pocket is on the occasion that I need to hand over my car to a valet service. Simply cannot fathom your hatred towards these features sir

[AtheK]

Jazz is what it is Jazz Music, and Elite is what it is Elite Music.

In the end if i remove numbered enthusiast, an end user does not care. he wants bang for his buck and Elite provides it. I am on sidelines to get it too, an AT with sunroof will do nicely.

Voted for Elite

[ThomasZach]

My vote goes for the i20. But I have to admit that it is purely based on the official reviews here and the pictures. i20 seems to have a better put together and finished interior. And from experience I know that the Hyundai service is difficult to beat. Personally, I think Honda has to put in some more work in to the dashboard design. It isnt bad it is far from as good as the i20 is.

[arunkumarsarat]

[quote=RSR;3749796]Could it also be because Hyundai have managed to improve on their oft-repeated area of weakness (driving dynamics) to an extent where it's no longer a source of complaint for someone who's used to driving only premium German cars?

I'm not suggesting the Elite i20's driving dynamics are in the same league as those cars - far from it. I'm only suggesting that Hyundai have managed to smash the cliché to smithereens, and that it's no longer a deal-breaker for someone used to driving the cars mentioned.
]


You sure managed to sent a jolt up my spine and made my brain go on overdrive. Can it be true that Hyundai no longer has an Achilles heel? Is the i20 as good as a German in the driving department? Is that the reason why we see so many of them on the roads?

It seems Maruti has realised this, otherwise how do we explain their sudden desire to go premium with showrooms et al. They fear only the Koreans. Thankyou Hyundai for giving the Indian customer his due and for waking up Maruti.

[tejas08]

For me, the Honda Jazz just just just marginally edges out over the Elite i20 as an Overall package.

Both have their advantages and Disadvantages. The downside of Elite i20 is the Safety Features varying across all variants. In the Jazz, at least Variants from SV all the way to the top have the same safety features.

From an appeal point of view, the design of Jazz is very much to my liking. It was the same with the earlier Gen Jazz.

Elite i20 is a fantastic car, no doubt. In fact, had I not finalised on the Honda City and had the Elite i20 as an option, I would certainly have gone ahead with the Elite i20, but between the Jazz and the Elite i20, I would be slightly tilting towards Jazz.

[Thebat]

My vote goes for the elite. Was egerly waiting for the jazz but Honda has left me disappointed . The jazz looks like a work in progress for me. Now my choice for a new hatch is narrowed down to the polo and elite i20.

[vivtho]

Both cars have advantages and disadvantages when compared to each other. I love the looks of the i20 and love the practicality of the Jazz. The i20 diesel is a gem which only highlights how much more Honda needs to improve their diesels. At the same time, I've not seen any other car in this segment which has a petrol engine as refined as in the Jazz.

I'm astonished that Hyundai are yet to offer an auto box on their flagship hatchback when cars on the opposite end of the spectrum (Nano, Celerio et al) have shown that even customers on a limited budget are willing to consider automatics.

I voted for the Jazz - mainly because of the automatic transmission and practicality. If I were still single, the i20's performance would have given it the edge, but the Jazz is just that much more practical.