Team-BHP - Honda Jazz : Official Review

Easily one of the best reviews so far on this forum. You guys have set a new standard.
Amazing attention to details!

I personally did not like the rear chrome strip. Somehow does not gel with overall design language of this premium hatch, feels more of an after thought.

Honda should seriously consider plonking 1.5i-vtec considering the premium hatchback growth and affinity towards petrol engines. I understand that they did not wanted to repeat the disaster of the 2nd gen so may have not launched it, but I do hope its on the cards.

I will also sorely miss the twin glove box from previous gen, it was really a neat trick.
All in all, a good improvement but Hyundai has set the bar very high and I don't think it will be easy for the 'H' to dislodge the 'H'.

I'm gonna call it, the Elite i20 is gonna do to the Jazz what the City has done to the Verna, sales wise.

Let me see:

*The design is funky, contemporary, not for everyone but can stand its own.

*With this kind of space, the Jazz has trounced the competition fair and square.

*Went all touch which is in sync with the smartphone crazed times we live in.

*Good engines known for their performance & FE.

*CVT with paddles which none of its immediate rivals have on offer.

*Managed to break the boring streak of all beige by offering all black in the VX.

The list of the goodliness can go on but Honda seems to have shot itself in the foot with the pricing.For this kind of pricing they should have not just gone toe to toe with the Elite i20 but should have also thrown in some extra goodies (which I feel is already there in the form of that loads of space) if their intention is to dethrone the i20. The i20 & Swift are very safe and Honda is gonna further feel the squeeze with the launch of the Fronx because people will start seeing it as the next step in the whole premium thingy that seems to have caught the fascination of the avg. Indian car buyers and Jazz will feel pale in comparison.

With this kind of pricing its obvious why Honda didn't launch a VX CVT, it would put it in the vicinity of the GT and there is a high risk of it being a DOA.

Also, if fully loaded, the Jazz diesel might eat into the City's sales and badly effect the Amaze as well.

The spaciousness & the Magic seats are the Jazz's ace of spades and latter should have been a default across all the variants but Honda seems to have gotten gluttonous with their margins. Speaking of margins, I may be a moron for thinking like this but I have a feeling that Honda is trying to pull a quick one here. I'm sure they realize that given their dealership & production constraints, this car isn't gonna move anywhere as good as the Swift or the i20, so why not make hay with whatever sunshine they're getting. I mean the profits Hyundai & Maruti makes out of selling a dozen Swifts & i20s, Honda just might make the same selling just half dozen Jazz, it makes sense with the way things stand right now or they may be in it for the long run, check the market's response and make improvements in the form of refreshed models, price cuts, extra variants, new colors, etc until they hit the sweet spot.

Rated it 5 stars, good review fellows, loved Suhaas' take on things vis-à-vis the old and new.

Look at the difference in spec when compared to Australia, which is where I am currently. The Indian Jazz is barebones even when compared to the base model which gets almost everything except alloy wheels and front fog lamps for approx 8 lacs on-road in Indian currency. Just look at the ice... it way more sophisticated and offers iPhone integration as well. It comes with a 1.5 litre Vtech as well!

http://www.honda.com.au/cars/models/jazz.html

The spec for the "base" model. Even has LED lights!!!

http://www.honda.com.au/cars/models/...ification.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolmel (Post 3749083)

You bet. But its not as bad as the Getz. Had the GLX.

Oh no no no, you are talking chalk and cheese here. Hyundai and reliability are like antonyms! No second thoughts on that.

I do not agree. Hyundai has come a long way and I think we cannot just chuck it because its not Jap!
The Korean has a strong presence in our country not only due to the VFM, but also because the new breed is reliable and continuously caters to the customer demands/ requirement.

In fact, I feel it is Honda which has gone downhill based on their cost cutting and arrogant attitude post sales.

Great review there. Rated 5 stars :thumbs up

Coming to the car, I feel other than the space, there's nothing much premium in this car that an average Joe would relate to when compared to the already popular elite i20. Magic seats, AVN system etc are nice features to have but in a country where mostly one car runs the entire family from point A to point B these features don't really matter to the average customer. They would have atleast offered a 60:40 rear bench in lower variants.

As for the petrolheads, how I wish they come out with the 1.5L variant (much like the Liva TRD sportivo). Owning a brio in the family I know the 1.2L is one addictive engine(on the smaller car). But its a serious overkill on these huge chasis' (both i20 & Jazz) and the review says so. :deadhorse

BTW , I just checked the tare mass of Australian base variant with 1.5L is 1048kgs and the indian version(as per review) is 1007Kgs. I am guessing the extra 41 kgs is for the bigger engine block and the safety features. So, the sheet metal used for Indian Jazz is pretty much in line with International standards(unlike the Marutis), which is a good thing. Here(in Australia) the JAZZ gets a full 5 star rating in ANCAP. Removing the curtain airbags would still keep it in line with Indian Polo I guess in terms of safety ratings?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR (Post 3749098)

After going through the review and pics few times - I can't help but feel that the single most negative point of the Jazz is the dummy button on the dashboard (where the start-stop button should have been!). There is no escaping that - it is right in the line of sight near the steering wheel and music system.

I agree, that is the peril of Indianising the new Jazz. I think top variant we have probably will not fit in as an entry level model in its export markets other markets.

That said, even though its not great when compared to the competitors in the same segment, I feel it's a decent option when compared to what Honda is offering in its own portfolio. It's a premium option compared to the Amaze and extremely VFM when compared with the City.

I can see why the car will do well. It has most of the bells and whistles which Indian consumers demand. Perhaps they will offer the top spec with AT in a brief while just like Tata did with the Zest. While localization is meant to cut costs, why should there be a visible cut in quality? Are Indian part suppliers unable to match their overseas counterparts? There is definite difference visible in the Indian and Aussie-variant Jazz posted earlier.

I briefly drove the Chevy Spark/Beat in the US last year and there was really no comparison between the interiors on offer. Is this because of the brief given to part suppliers or is it just lack of finesse in our manufacturing sector?

What a brilliant review! Thanks for sharing with us guys. clap:

The fake dead pedal coming loose and reviewer' shoe getting stuck was quite amusing on a media car. It would have been hilarious were it not so pathetic. Not getting height-adjustable seat belts is a big miss in a car where seat height adjustment has such a range. Even the humble Swift have them. It just makes wearing seat belts so much more comfortable. And that unpainted fuel nozzle, looks so bad. I don't mind the dummy start button though. :)

But kudos to Honda for listening to 'some' feedback from market. The Jazz comes across as a better put together car compared to the Amaze or City. Hope the improvement continues.

I like the new Jazz, but there are problems. The 1.2 petrol is going to drive me mad in the city if the old one is anything to go by. The review also states that its the same as before. The CVT also doesn't come across as nice to use in the city due to the severe rubber banding. Will take a TD and make out whether its as bad as the Micra. So, that leaves us with the Diesel power train.

There is no question on the variant. Its got to be the VX for its magic seats, better kit and all black interiors which makes the cabin so special.

And if I were to compare the Jazz VX Diesel and i20 Asta, the Hyundai looks, feels and comes across a better buy. The Diesel engine is better, the price is lower, the Korean exudes more premium with quality all around and got more toys as well.

The solution is a Jazz VX with 1.5 petrol. Both in MT and AT guise, and the 5-speed torque converter instead of the CVT? I guess so. The price will be high due to our crazy excise regulations, but it will be a car worth it. Will Honda do? I certainly hope so given how the market has matured in the past few years.

One fantastic and detailed review from mods Suhas307 and Vid6639. Hats off to you guys for sincere efforts and an eye for specific details. I am not a prospective buyer at this moment, but love to keep an eye on the hot indian car market with every new launch. What started off with new Jazz was a fervor and enthusiasm is now settling down to a mere disappointment with huge misses and insane pricing for diesels. I have always held positive sentiment for Honda and hope this new baby does not suffer the same fate as its predecessor :Frustrati .

Thanks for the review and appropriate comparisons between the old and the new Jazz. Very enlightening.

Honda have missed to tick all the boxes even with a marvelous product like the Jazz. The puny tires, false dead pedal, uncolored fuel lid and the various filler plastic caps where the export model has a button (start stop, central locking etc) are big misses. please:
In the diesel battle, it is elite i20 all the way, its a simple cakewalk.
In the petrol battle, the Jazz can hold fort to the elite but only on the basis of a more peppy engine and space. However, seeing the way spacious Mobilio could not dent the sales charts post the initial hype, the Jazz may soon follow the route. The Honda City too has many flaws but it sells on its hard earned reputation. The Jazz has not earned the reputation yet (the i20 definitely has).

The magic seats are fantastic and the car's front looks way better than the City.

Overall 8/10 for the Product and 5/10 for the Pricing.

Looking at the Jazz VX and comparing it against City VX, both in Diesel format, I think City will lose big time.

One gets the same engine with better mileage figures, magic seats, navigation system etc (not going into whether it works fine/not), LED Taillamps and a decent boot space as well.

If not for the Sunroof, leather seats and the keyless start/stop system, is there anything available on the City for it to be bought over the Jazz. Leave out the car with a boot status symbol :)

3L over Jazz for these features along with a 150L increase in boot sounds like some real costly real estate there!

Great Review. As usual all details covered and is much better than the reviews we see from the auto magazines. I am busy shopping for a 10-11L Sedan/Compact SUV/Premium hatchback hopping on different manufacturers and cars for Test Drive. I am amazed by all the details provided in these reviews and I know what to look for in each car. Strengths are felt during the TD and Weaknesses are noticed as well (if not for the these reviews, I would have missed most of them).
Truly helps us decide and make a sensible choice which not just by our head but heart as well.
Way to Go!

The comparisons in quality and reliability at least here in India are not warranted. Hyundai is every bit as competent in product quality and the reason why they throw in more goodies is because of legacy Japanese vs Korean rivalry. The culture is every bit sensitive to the fact that they cannot come with a quality failure.

Personally I think Toyota and Honda are taking way too much advantage of their heritage and giving us sub par specifications. Having worked with a Japanese manufacturing ancillary I am aware how much royalty goes out of each part's costing especially when you are not listed. MSIL has to be much more transparent as they are listed and hence you see them following a very different approach to pricing etc.

Coming back to Jazz:
- The ICE/dashboard finish looks like a plasticky low end mobile phone
- The provision for switches which have not been provided are an insult to the buyer. After spending 8-9 lakhs for a hatchback you will always know you did not get what should ideally be there in first place.
- Chrome strip on back. Looks bad.
- Magic seats are fantastic.
- Front end looks appealing.
- However I see a sub premium offering overall and Elite i20 will continue to rule this segment.

Regards
Anand