Please note : My post might seem overtly critical of the new Jazz and may seem biased in favour of the 2nd Gen Jazz as I own a 2nd Gen Jazz but this is a honest first impression of the All New Jazz that I saw and felt.
I had been to Magnum Honda, Bangalore with my dad to simply check-out the Jazz on Sunday.
The exterior design is very appealing to the eye but when compared to my Jazz, the cost cutting in the new Jazz is evident.
The key hole being away from the door handle is a very sore point.
No Saint Gobain glass!
And in the lower ends, the wheel cap provided in place of the alloys look extremely down market and cheap! Can't believe Honda has gone down to such levels!
The interior plastics are no where near my Jazz's - Even the highest version of the new Jazz doesn't come close!
The AUX and USB cables stick out of the single glove box (double glove box missing) cheaply. Looks really ugly in reality
The front left bottle holder is missing. The right one is so small and oddly shaped that it is anyway impossible to put a cup/bottle in it.
Even the cubby holes provided have very ordinary plastics.
The indicator and wiper stalks are the saving grace : They feel very premium, better than even my Jazz's stalks.
The console of the new Jazz feels very cluttered. Though this a personal opinion and opinions differ from person to person, I will any day prefer the simple yet elegant console of my Jazz. The Orange hue is so pleasing to the eye. To each to his own though!
The rear view mirrors and quarter glasses are not up to 1st and 2nd Gen Jazz standards, if you know what I mean!
Coming to the display unit, the touch screen is just about OK, nothing to write home about. It is not very user friendly, especially after seeing what TATA offers in their Zest and Bolt cars, it felt as though the display touchscreen was added in the new Jazz almost as a lazy afterthought!
The music system output is pretty decent. Didn’t get to use the Navigation part of the touch screen, so can't comment about it.
The AC was just about OK. Very noisy. Maybe I'm just too used to my Jazz's silent performance on a lot of fronts!
Coming to the ride and handling : The steering feels too light for my liking though the response is good. The horn is pleasing to the ear and audible. The brakes are very good.
Happy to note that the refinement in the new Jazz is as good as mine! No sound whatsoever during idling!
But it didn’t give the premium i-VTEC feel while driving : I felt like I was driving the Brio (No offence to Brio owners!), if you know what I mean.
The gear throws were very good! Honda has improved upon this aspect in the new Jazz when compared to the 1st and 2nd gen Jazz.
After driving the new Jazz (my dad had come with me as well!) the moment both of us got into my Jazz we looked at each other - The wide smile on my dad's face said it all!
Just about everything in my car felt premium - The seat belt, the steering, the seating posture and quality, the interiors, the amazing i-VTEC Jazz engine, the AC knobs (believe it or not!) - you name it and it just felt great!
Recalled my cousin's words to my dad - That we have indeed got our Jazz for a steal, a big one at that! We already knew our car is a really good vehicle, but after yesterday's comparo, my dad told me - "We've just got a 10 lac rupee car at just 7.6 lac!" And mind you, my dad is hardly interested in automobiles!
You can tell for all practical purposes that he's a layman. So, for him to comment like that shows that Honda Jazz (1st and 2nd Gen) is in different league altogether when compared to the new Jazz.
The new JAzz I'm afraid has fallen prey to cater to the competition in the Indian Car Market.
Somehow for me the "Wow" factor is missing in the new Jazz!
P.S : Magnum Honda, Bangalore has only one Test vehicle - 5 speed manual i-VTEC :( Pathetic show by Honda in this regard! The SAs literally were fighting with each other to take their potential customers on TD first!

A lot of people had come to the showroom yesterday to check out the new Jazz!
Warm Regards,
Rakesh
Mod Note : Please do NOT use acronyms (e.g. ANHC, T-Fort, ANHV) when referring to cars. You are ONLY permitted to use the full Make & Model name for cars. This will make our content useful, searchable & easy-to-understand for experts & newbies alike.
Any further usage of acronyms will invite Moderator action on your account.
Thanks!