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-   -   Honda Jazz F/L with 1.5 coming by June end (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/100207-honda-jazz-f-l-1-5-coming-june-end.html)

Honda will finally give the jazz it always deserved-the city's 1.5 i-vtec engine along with new front grill, lights, bumper, hood and a new rear bumper plus clear taillights.
The jazz will be available in 1.5 "X" monicker. From what my sources tell me, the production of 1.2 X has been stopped. Still, no point in making any assumptions till we see the final communication from Honda. The current 1.2 will also be facelifted and will be available in two versions along with the 1.5X variant. Obviously, premium comes in at a premium and expect a price increase. Could this be a case of another "Chevrolet SRV"?

Only time will tell. The car will be launched by june end.

Any idea how much Honda is loosing on the Jazz? A perfect product, which got killed by Honda marketing.

Seriously, How much money would Honda loose by repricing the car to a Hyundai I20 (Asta) level? The margins would be thinner, but, they would have some profit.

Gosh !! A price hike again !! Have not they learnt yet ?! Apart from the engine, are they improving the creature comforts and are they planning to give i20 a "real" tough time? Or just with the engine spec they think of managing better sales?

Killer! Thats good news,i think polo's 1.6 sales figures + customer feedback encouraged honda to do so.

I believe the 1.5 would be priced around 7.99 lacs (ex showroom - Delhi)

Would the new jazz look like this one here - Official Honda Jazz Site | Home ?
So will it be the fastest hatch to be sold in India?

^ but polo 1.6 on-road price is similar/less than current Jazz's price. Polo and Jazz can't be compared at the same price point - neither the 1.2 nor the 1.5/1.6. Pricing 1.5 X at 8 lakh ex-showroom, would surely mean the same SRV story being repeated.

Well thats the worst part, Jazz according to me did not fail because it was underpowered. It failed cos it was costly.

Remember Ford is selling Petrol Figo 50:50 ratio. We all know Figo petrol is underpowered. But its the cost thats helping the purpose.
The market will not be bothered if its 1.5L or 1.2L under the hood, people are bothered about the cost that it would take to buy the product.

All said and done, if they maintain the price level at the same (which is very unlikely) I dont think the 1.5L version would succeed. Again, a poor thing has to die.

Well well. Its such a waste of time in my opinion. The 1.5 will be 8.5-9 Lac on-road and it will flop once again. The problem is that the Jazz is not suited to the Indian market and they cant do much about the pricing of the car.

Ford has decided not to get the Fiesta Hatch based on the same market feedback and they have the Jazz as a great example for them.

I also think that India is not the market for cars like Jazz. Indians look for practicality. No offence to Jazz owners but the monthly sales report are evidence that very few indians find Jazz practical. The concept of powerful hatchbacks (not just in terms of price) is still not developed here.

Honda has a wound on the left hand, but are applying band-aid to the right!!

The Jazz' 1.2 liter is an excellent motor. The market did NOT reject the Jazz because it's a 1.2. Rather, the hatchback flopped because it is severely overpriced. A 1.5L at the same price will do nothing. Instead, Honda should cut the Jazz price by 1.5L :D

The same 1.2L will make its way into the Brio's engine bay. Hence, from Honda's POV, they might want to differentiate between the entry-hatch & premium. Problem is, once the market decides it won't pay that price for your product, they usually never will come around. Only price cuts work (Logan & Fabia are recent examples of successful repositioning).

Isn't it the classical definition of insanity to keep repeating the same action in the expectation of a different result?

Honda needs to seriously fire the product management team that worked on Jazz. It's a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL car that has been completely screwed over by bad management. I can imagine this being released at 9-10 lac. Even the handful of daring souls who opt for it these days will stop buying it.

Honda should realize that they need a maruti or a Hyundai competing hatch and not a 1.5 vtec 9L+ hatch. Who will buy one when you can get a city at the price. GTO is perfectly right when he says that a reduction of 1 to 1.5L to the existing 1.2L version is the key to selling the jazz and not the heart transplant to a bigger 1.5L mill.

Spot on! Totally agree with you.
While I agree with your overall assessment, 1.5 L price cut for the Jazz in its current form will make it cheaper than the Polo/Punto/I20. Don't think that is required.

What is needed is to do a Fabia. Cut features and have some lower trims available at much cheaper prices which will make the buyers of other hatches to definitely look at this wonderful car.

I welcome this move by Honda and though there might not be many takers of it, I would have definitely bought one if I were in the market to buy a car now.

I have no hesitation in admitting my lack of knowledge of "matters automotive" beyond the cursory/rudimentary at best.

Now that the standard disclaimer is in for me making a foot in the mouth kind of statement, allow me to play the devil's advocate on this issue.

The considered opinion of the majority is, this move by Honda is asinine to put it mildly. I would like to submit that maybe Honda is not playing to make the Jazz a volume product. They are ramping up their margins by adding a new more powerful heart to cater to a niche segment that craves a hatch which is probably the most powerful in the same price at which they will get an entry level sedan.

Admittedly this will be a niche product for a niche audience. However that surely does not mean, such product positioning is a recipe for a disaster and a loss making exercise.

What you are saying makes sense to an extent, but why would anyone pay such a premium and NOT buy the ANHC, with the same engine but a class higher in almost every other department?

Any cost difference between the Jazz and ANHC will be more than covered by the resale value of ANHC at this price point.

Honda India is by no means a niche manufacturer and Jazz can't be termed as niche. What is the point of a niche product in a highly price-sensitive market, esp. in the sub-10lakh category?!

I wonder how many would want a 1.5l hatch when 1.5l is a good sedan by Indian standards.

I don't think anyone has a problem with Jazz; except its price. People have realized it, when will Honda?!