[damager21]

Honda has confirmed the launch of Jazz in India early next year. Following is an excerpt from Jnaneswar Sen's interview to Zee Media corp

Q. Are there other cars in the pipeline? What are the company`s plans for the second half of this year?

Next in line is the Honda Jazz, which will come early next year. I can`t comment on further launches right now. Honda has opened its second plant in Rajasthan. This year we are planning to expand our dealership network by 35 percent. From 170 facilities in 107 cities, we will expand to 230 facilities in 150 cities.

Given the reaction to Mobilio pricing, I don't expect Honda to launch Jazz with 1.5L petrol engine. I think just like Malaysia, they will launch Jazz in 3 variants - E, S and V with 1.2L petrol engine and 1.5L diesel engine. The other possibility I see is Honda launching Jazz RS with a 1.5L petrol engine. Zigwheels is already carrying an article stating that Honda India is considering launching Jazz RS.

I would personally prefer a Jazz V (AT) with an option to buy Modulo and Mugen kit in India. Some of these accessories look fab.

Source of pics: Paultan.org

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by Car_fanatic

Really loved the Malaysia Honda Jazz TVC. I sincerely hope Honda folks bring the vehicle as an exact replica ( including the 1.5L engine) to India. Honda has got the models for masses in Brio, Amaza and now the Mobilio. They have to realise that the Indian consumer has matured and now have more refined choices then the last time Honda tried to bring in the Jazz. Reading thru ownership threads, wish list posts on this thread and overall, not even one user (current or prospective) has faulted the wonderful Jazz package. Therefore Honda has to lend an ear to these wishes. And frankly it is not that the consumer is asking Honda to build a spaceship. We are all asking Honda to acknowledge the revised expectation expressed by the uses and launch a model from their global portfolio that meets the ask.

Thats not going to happen.
In Malaysia, Jazz is priced almost at par with City. Will you buy the Jazz if it is priced alongside the City or may be 50K lower?
However matured we might be, we (the vast majority) still consider the boot and the length of the car as a status symbol

Originally Posted by RSR

The Malaysian Jazz has an overall length of 3955mm and a GC of 135mm. Honda is sure to increase the GC for India, which is a must to traverse the sorry surfaces that pass off as roads in this country.

I hope they also increase the length, by providing the solid rear bumper of the North American Fit. They have an additional 45mm extra, to stay within the 4m mark.

The North American Fit measures 160" in length, which equates to 4064mm, as this car has stronger, more protruding bumpers at both the front and rear to meet the stringent, legally mandated crash norms of the USA.

Honda India would do well by providing the longer rear bumper of the North American model, and still keep the car within the 4m mark. Honda (and all other manufacturers, too) must realise that a bumper is not just a showpiece add-on, and that its most important function is to act as, well, a bumper and a rear bumper must offer some degree of protection to the tail-lamps and hatch/boot-lid/tail gate of vehicles. A scratched/scuffed/dented composite bumper is far easier to repair or live with, while a damaged metal portion or broken tail lamp costs a tidy sum of money to repair/repaint or replace.

I also hope the same but again that's not gonna happen. The story was same for the previous generation Jazz as well - the American model had bigger bumpers and exceeded 4m in length.
I myself have suffered a dent in my hatch door because of the wafer thin bumper. But most manufacturers nowadays are following this practice. I even noticed that for cars like Figo the hatch door is protruding more than the rear buumper. There are some cars like the I20 and Polo who seem to have solid rear bumpers. I hope Honda does something about it but chances are next to zero.

[Car_fanatic]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Thats not going to happen.
In Malaysia, Jazz is priced almost at par with City. Will you buy the Jazz if it is priced alongside the City or may be 50K lower?
However matured we might be, we (the vast majority) still consider the boot and the length of the car as a status symbol

Interesting question and my answer would be a "Yes" - and maybe I am an exception and do. to fit into the majority buyer segment.

I remember reading another thread which was dedicated to Indian love for a boot and how that has fuelled the growth in sales figures for Dzire for Maruti and, more recently, Amaze for Honda. That thread also posed the same question that keeping the status symbol aside, how important is a boot for daily use of the vehicle. There were multiple readers who seemed to subscribe that they need a fully loaded, spacious, easy to use in city traffic hatchback instead of buying a sedan with a bolt on boot.

Let us look at Honda stable for a moment and see what choices Honda offers to a typical city user who has a family of four, uses the vehicle mainly for city run, family safety is critical and hence needs the build quality of the vehicle comparable to international standard. Clearly, Brio will drop off on sidelines due to its basic economy build. I would look at Amaze and put it in same bracket as Brio except for the additional boot space. I would not look at Mobilio as I really do not need a 7 seater. I am then left with a Honda city which is an excellent vehicle in all respects except for the boot, which really is not required for daily city use. Even though it is a hatchback, Jazz will still give me 400+ litre of boot space that is enough to take care of my grocery shopping, kids school bags and travel bags for the weekend trips. With bumper to bumper city traffic, driving a sedan makes the commute more painful and stressful. If I can lose the boot and get a vehicle that is easier to manoeuvre and nearly as spacious as a sedan with some additional features not even available in the City, and can still help me save 50 to 75k on the initial ownership costs, a Jazz would score higher for me.

But like I said earlier, maybe I am an exception and this is my personal view so would look at what other readers think.

[damager21]

In many aspects I think Indian Jazz will be different from its global counterparts.

1. Engine: Indian Jazz will get a 1.2L petrol engine as compared to 1.5L engine which is available in all other countries. In Japan there is a 1.3L engine option available along with 1.5L
2. AT gearbox: Indian Jazz will get the standard 5 speed - automatic transmission gearbox available in Brio & Amaze as compared to CVT available in all other countries
3. Ground clearance: In India, Jazz will come with a GC of 165mm as compared to 150mm in Malaysia and Japan
4. Features: Following features may not see the light in Indian Jazz

• Side curtain air bags
• Hill start assist
• Paddle shifters
• Cruise control
• Telescopic steering wheel
• Daytime Running Lights
• Height adjustable front seat belts
• Touch control for Air conditioning (I see this as a possibility if Honda is planning very aggressive pricing for Jazz)

Apart from the Malaysian TVC, I like the Australian TVC as well.

Australia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0hQrRH-MuM

Thailand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZm2TBlCYIY

USA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJEco3ob8m8

[rutvij]

These TVCs look very tempting. I hope Jazz comes with all bell and whistles in India along with a striped off base version.

[ToyotaFan]

I believe the jazz should be priced 50k lesser than the ecosport spec for spec. I don't know if I am wrong but the target customer for both seems to be the same. Jazz will have better rear space(I think) and the ecosport has much better ground clearance. Diesel engines are decent. performers in both cars and I think jazz boot space is also similar. Indians love for SUV's means it has to be priced lower than the ecosport. I believe that means almost 2L lesser than the city spec for spec but unless that is achieved I feel the jazz will go down the same route as its predecessor. Jazz is a great car but the indian market is still not matured enough to pay above 10L OTR for a hatch.

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by Car_fanatic

Interesting question and my answer would be a "Yes" - and maybe I am an exception and do. to fit into the majority buyer segment.

I remember reading another thread which was dedicated to Indian love for a boot and how that has fuelled the growth in sales figures for Dzire for Maruti and, more recently, Amaze for Honda. That thread also posed the same question that keeping the status symbol aside, how important is a boot for daily use of the vehicle. There were multiple readers who seemed to subscribe that they need a fully loaded, spacious, easy to use in city traffic hatchback instead of buying a sedan with a bolt on boot.

Let us look at Honda stable for a moment and see what choices Honda offers to a typical city user who has a family of four, uses the vehicle mainly for city run, family safety is critical and hence needs the build quality of the vehicle comparable to international standard. Clearly, Brio will drop off on sidelines due to its basic economy build. I would look at Amaze and put it in same bracket as Brio except for the additional boot space. I would not look at Mobilio as I really do not need a 7 seater. I am then left with a Honda city which is an excellent vehicle in all respects except for the boot, which really is not required for daily city use. Even though it is a hatchback, Jazz will still give me 400+ litre of boot space that is enough to take care of my grocery shopping, kids school bags and travel bags for the weekend trips. With bumper to bumper city traffic, driving a sedan makes the commute more painful and stressful. If I can lose the boot and get a vehicle that is easier to manoeuvre and nearly as spacious as a sedan with some additional features not even available in the City, and can still help me save 50 to 75k on the initial ownership costs, a Jazz would score higher for me.

But like I said earlier, maybe I am an exception and this is my personal view so would look at what other readers think.

Of course, you are an exception and so am I.
That's why I bought the Jazz when everyone else thought that the car was insanely overpriced. You can refer to my ownership thread and you will see the reasons given by me are very similar to what you have mentioned above.

The market has matured from then but still people are not ready to pay extra for a much superior hatch over a built-to-cost sedan.

You can see so many comments against me when I said Jazz costing a little more than Amaze is definitely justified. People are not ready to see the huge difference in build quality, interior quality , aesthetics and finesse.

Originally Posted by damager21

In many aspects I think Indian Jazz will be different from its global counterparts.

1. Engine: Indian Jazz will get a 1.2L petrol engine as compared to 1.5L engine which is available in all other countries. In Japan there is a 1.3L engine option available along with 1.5L
2. AT gearbox: Indian Jazz will get the standard 5 speed - automatic transmission gearbox available in Brio & Amaze as compared to CVT available in all other countries
3. Ground clearance: In India, Jazz will come with a GC of 165mm as compared to 150mm in Malaysia and Japan
4. Features: Following features may not see the light in Indian Jazz

• Side curtain air bags
• Hill start assist
• Paddle shifters
• Cruise control
• Telescopic steering wheel
• Daytime Running Lights
• Height adjustable front seat belts
• Touch control for Air conditioning (I see this as a possibility if Honda is planning very aggressive pricing for Jazz)

I would be very disappointed if they dont have the height adjustable seat belts which is there in my car.
As a Jazz owner, I would love to see the ACC, bluetooth controls, extra map lights for the front And DRLs would be nice to have along with LED tail lights.

Other than that, Honda should improve low end torque , low speed ride quality, GC and better insulation from road noise (wheel cladding please, Honda)

[damager21]

Originally Posted by adimicra

I would be very disappointed if they dont have the height adjustable seat belts which is there in my car.
As a Jazz owner, I would love to see the ACC, bluetooth controls, extra map lights for the front And DRLs would be nice to have along with LED tail lights.

Other than that, Honda should improve low end torque , low speed ride quality, GC and better insulation from road noise (wheel cladding please, Honda)

I think Honda Jazz when re-launched will be the most practical car available in India.
-Loads of leg space for front and rear passengers
-3 passengers can comfortably sit on the rear seats
-400L boot space
-Magic seats or should I say Ultra seats
-Huge windshield and windows giving it a roomier feel inside
-Well loaded audio, security and safety features
-Most important, Honda badge on the car and its service

I think it will be important for Honda to launch Jazz at a competitive price for which they may cut down on some of the features. Eventually they will price Jazz above Amaze and below Mobilio.

Also, I think Jazz will be launched in 4 petrol variants and 3 diesel variants
Petrol pricing could be
E - 5.45 lacs
S - 6.1 lacs
V - 6.85 lacs
V(AT) - 7.85 lacs

Diesel should be priced a lac above respective petrol variant.

Post launch of Mobilio, the common reaction has been that Honda is charging a huge premium. I think if Mobilio as a product fails to generate expected volumes then it could be a blessing in disguise for prospective Jazz buyers like me. Honda will be forced to cut down their margins and launch Jazz at a lower price. However, if Mobilio was to do well then I think Honda will charge a premium of 35k to 50k on the above mentioned price.

[deetjohn]

It will be great if Honda puts the 1.5 i-VTEC with AT on the Jazz.

I for one cannot digest the idea of the Jazz with an oil burner. Even though, it will be an immensely practical car.

[crazyro]

New Honda Jazz officially confirmed for March 2015 launch.

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-new...ch-389648.aspx

I guess by then they would have sorted out the production issues with added capacity

[damager21]

Originally Posted by crazyro

New Honda Jazz officially confirmed for March 2015 launch.

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-new...ch-389648.aspx

I guess by then they would have sorted out the production issues with added capacity

I would say that to some extent this news is a speculation and not confirmed yet. If you watch the following interview, Hironori Kanayama correct's himself and says that Honda will launch Jazz by March next year. Which means it could be in March or even before March.

http://youtu.be/SrWTkf67Kyo?t=17m19s

In one my previous post I mentioned last week that March would be the ideal time for Honda to launch Jazz because currently there is a six months waiting period for City. Moreover, there are over 10,000 bookings for Mobilio as well. Given the capacity constraints, Honda will want to focus next 6 months on bringing down the waiting period and serving existing buyers rather than hurry themselves into a new launch.

Also, launching Jazz in February does not make sense because any upward or downward revision in taxes as maybe announced in the budget would lead to Honda reworking their pricing. Rather, Honda can start production of Jazz in February and launch in March.

These are the various colours in which Jazz is available globally.


I hope in India we get the 'Sporty blue metallic'. It just looks fab!




Source of Blue Jazz pic: Paultan.org

[pdma]

The next most awaited launch from Honda.I hope they don't give us any undesired surprises like the case in Mobilo. Jazz will face tough competition from the already successful Polo GT and the upcoming face lifted I 20.It would be interesting to see how the car fares in compression to the tough competition.

Cheers,
pdma.

[Car_fanatic]

With Hyundai announcing launch date of 11 August for next generation i20, I am wondering what is the discussion in Honda camp? They obviously saw i20 as direct competition to Jazz which in fact managed to stay in market and delivered reasonable sales numbers. The impending launch of Jazz has probably forced Hyundai to launch Elite i20 in India as part of global launch and not wait for the response in larger markets to decide on India launch date.

I am therefore wondering if this will force Honda to bring forward the launch date? Whatever Honda does, Hyundai will have a head start of minimum six months or maybe more. Similarly, will this force Honda to reassess the feature list for Jazz and bring in fully loaded version to have a chance of fair fight in the market. Finally, the price point will also get revisited to ensure Honda does not end up with another Mobilio like pricing.

[D4D]

The Jazz was simply the best hatchback on sale in India. Oh! Wait. That's was only until you heard it's price.
But I think this time, Honda can make a big impact with the Jazz.
Here's why:

• The 1.2 petrol is used in Amaze and Brio. So with the Jazz, the production cost of the engine will decrease
• The 1.5 diesel is the best diesel in India for sub-4 meter cars today
• Jazz's boot was 386 liters. Hoping that design doesn't change or improves. Comparable to Amaze's 400 liter boot
• The platform and a lot more will be shared with the City, which sells a lot due to a diesel
• It's more premium than the Amaze

Pray to god that Honda doesn't make an error with the pricing, especially like how they have done with the Mobilio.

[silentscreamers]

Talk about a dilemma, I want to buy a city car for my fiancé and my first preference was the Jazz and with the earlier reports I was quite happy with the November expected launch. The car seems too good as an overall package, if the specs of the Malaysian release are anything to go by.

Now in comes the Hyundai Elite i20, definitely not my first choice, but I like the looks and the interiors and I think it'll hold its own against the competition and it's on sale this month! But rumours suggest a toned down equipment list from even the current model, no auto tranny and sunroof! It is such a big turn off!!

Car to car I'd pick the Jazz any day, as I think it has the potential to be the best package in its segment. But the march waiting time is too long and I might have to just go ahead with the i20

Why are all the Japanese manufacturers so slow to release newer models and speculate market demand and production constraints! Are they so naive? Or India still isn't a priority market? All in all the Big Korean has had them licked on all these fronts!

Please do correct me if I am wrong.