[racer_ash]

Originally Posted by aim120

That 200 or 300 car figure a month is due to supply ,why else does it have or had a waiting period of 2 to 3 months.

When you factor in the sale of other B+ petrol hatchbacks from competitors you will notice that Jazz sales are more then the majority of the other hatchbacks like Figo,Micra/Pulse,Punto,Sail,Liva,Fabia (there is no data on the sales of petrol swift or i20 but i wouldn't be surprised if these also sell in 3 digit figure) .

As per the Feb 2013 Indian car sales, VW polo has the most healthy Diesel: Petrol split of 1970 : 1657. For the i20, this could around 70:30 types (around 2100 petrol i20s, as per what my SA says). Even if Swift (P) were to sell only 10% of the total swift sales, it would well be around 2000. So, there is no way atleast these three cars are selling in 3 digit figures.

I dont think that a mass market manufacturer will have such a low installed capacity for any model. Even with high profit margins, considering the amount of money that goes into R&D and setting up an assembly line, even break-even times would take ages if they have such low capacity. Forget about profits

[aim120]

Originally Posted by racer_ash

.

I dont think that a mass market manufacturer will have such a low installed capacity for any model. Even with high profit margins, considering the amount of money that goes into R&D and setting up an assembly line, even break-even times would take ages if they have such low capacity. Forget about profits

Honda does have capability to deliver as much as 1600units the highest units of Jazz reported to be delivered in a month.
But due to really low profit margin in Jazz they were not interested in selling it and have limited the supply of Jazz.

[Motored Mindset]

Originally Posted by zenren

Why don't you reply asking him the same? It'll be interesting to see what their answer is!

To be fair to Honda Customer Care, they would lose their job if they had to explain the waiting period as a case of bad marketing, bad product positioning, staggered part supplies or the delayed introduction of a diesel engine

So while there's no harm in saying Jazz bookings have closed because of customer demand (although that is skewing basic economic concepts), it's amusing that they haven't been notified of the Jazz's discontinuation. Honda officials have gone on record to say that it has been discontinued (link here: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle4442849.ece). The next generation Jazz is too far into the future to expect buyers to wait, so it isn't correct for them to say that the Jazz has been discontinued.

On a side note, the Jazz is a brilliantly packaged car with a rev-happy engine and that is the core of Honda engineering - I guess I'll be settling for the Amaze diesel it is then, with its less appealing looks but economical engine.

Originally Posted by zenren

Reply was not from a dealer but an official reply from Honda.

You're right, I emailed Honda on their customer care email address and not a dealer.

[rutvij]

There is an interesting anecdote here.
I had purchased my Jazz in September 2010 after much deliberations mainly because I had previously owned honda and I had great faith in the product though it was a bit pricey.

Later on when my brother in law was searching for his new car I highly recommended him Jazz. He was also convinced that Jazz is the car for him. When he told his father that he is going to buy Jazz, his father's immediate reply was that you only look for failed models. His father said so because earlier in his college days he had bought Kawasaki Bajaj 125 after much persuasion against the will of his father. And the model was discontinued after he bought it. This time also his father feared similar fate.

And Honda has proved his father right!

[Motored Mindset]

I'd still be interested in purchasing this car, despite the fact that its discontinued, only because it ticks all the boxes in terms of meeting my requirements. Any idea how I could find out about availability in the Western India region? Honda Customer Care hasn't given me a definitive answer and none of the dealers in Mumbai are willing to take bookings.

[coolmel]

Originally Posted by Motored Mindset

I'd still be interested in purchasing this car, despite the fact that its discontinued, only because it ticks all the boxes in terms of meeting my requirements. Any idea how I could find out about availability in the Western India region? Honda Customer Care hasn't given me a definitive answer and none of the dealers in Mumbai are willing to take bookings.

I highly recommend, you wait. Same dilemma here but well need to move on. And Honda need to fix more than a few things than the Jazz( customer care in particular). This is what Honda wrote back to me for more info on the Jazz and never cared to reply back. They employ highly educated people who normally dont put fullstops after completing a sentence!!

"Dear Sir,

This is with reference to your trailing mail pertaining to your interest of purchasing Honda Jazz.

At the outset, we thank you for showing interest in Honda products and choosing to buy Honda Jazz.

You would acknowledge that, due to overwhelming response from our customers there is a huge demand vis a vis its supply. However, we are trying our best to meet the demand and pass on the joy of ownership experience to our esteemed customers

With respect to your concern, we wish to inform you that due to overwhelming demand in market and already pending back log of booked cars, some of our dealers has stopped taking further bookings. The waiting period of the car will be informed by the dealership based on booking no. and choice of variant, color etc.

We hope above clarifies your query

Assuring you best of our services at all the times "

[Motored Mindset]

Originally Posted by coolmel

I highly recommend, you wait. Same dilemma here but well need to move on.

I agree with you on the Honda Customer Care and Marketing with regard to the Jazz. The dealers have absolutely no information to give to owners who have already booked the car, forget being able to take bookings from prospective customers. I received the same reply (and have posted it at #66 on this thread).

I received a follow-up response to my query asking for a list of dealers within the Western Region (I live in Bombay) who may still have stock of the Jazz/ are willing to take Jazz bookings and was told that the allotments of vehicles to Bombay is going on as per their "allotment schedule" and they may re-open bookings next month once the "sequential allotment of cars has been completed". Very cryptic information, and doesn't clarify whether I'd be given delivery soon even if I do book it next month.

I did in fact want to wait, but the Amaze, sharing platforms with the lower-segment Brio doesn't give you that feeling of having been over-engineered the way the Jazz does with its magic seats and futuristic dashboard. I was considering it (and may even have to go in for it seeing that the Jazz is unavailable) but the Jazz is my first preference. Any leads on how I can go about determining whether a car is available?

[Baddychat]

I had accompanied a friend of mine in June last year when he had booked his Jazz. The waiting period for the Jazz was approximately 3 months or thereabouts even then.
I happen to know the Sales Manager of that particular Honda dealership and on pestering him as to why this car had such long waiting, he told me that the manufacturer was looking at producing fewer cars as they were making considerable losses for every unit of Jazz they were selling. This could be related to supply issues of spares from Thailand or the fact that they goofed up when they that re-priced the car at considerably lower levels. Even then each dealer was being allotted about 3 cars per months at the most. They could however reopen bookings later this year which added levels of localisation and tweaks here and there.
Honda's margins on the Brio based cars are healthy and hence the push in that segment. The redesigned MPV which is rumored to hit the Indian markets in 2014 could be based on the Brio platform rather than the Jazz. Again I am not too sure on this.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Baddychat

The redesigned MPV which is rumored to hit the Indian markets in 2014 could be based on the Brio platform rather than the Jazz. Again I am not too sure on this.

Good set of inputs. But based on ACI says the next Jazz platforms also supports diesel. I think that should be the same platform as the new city. From they might bring in this as well. Of course they wont have two MPV segments, but a City/Jazz based MPV segment seems like a better option.

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by ampere

Good set of inputs. But based on ACI says the next Jazz platforms also supports diesel. I think that should be the same platform as the new city. From they might bring in this as well. Of course they wont have two MPV segments, but a City/Jazz based MPV segment seems like a better option.

Yes I too read that the next Jazz platform supports diesel. It would then be up to Honda to decide which platform they would use for their MPV because the Brio platform would also have a diesel car on the roads by then.

[sarthakgupta]

Jazz and Civic have finally been removed from the Honda India Website.

Link:http://www.hondacarindia.com/default.aspx#

[coolmel]

An interview with the CEO of Honda India appeared in the Times Of India Mumbai edition today and here are a few excerpts on the Jazz from the horses mouth:

Honda has an aggressive product plan for India. Can you give me a roadmap of the new launches?
>Within the next three years, we will come with five big launches. The next-generation Jazz and an all-new utility vehicle will debut next year.

What about the new City?
>First the new Jazz will be introduced globally. The City, which is a sister model of Jazz, will come after that.

Compact SUVs have had a good run in India. When can we expect a smaller SUV?
>Recently, we had showcased a Jazz-based SUV concept. That can be one of the options in the future. Maruti is very strong in India and one of the reasons is their multi-product strategy in small cars.

Very interesting!