2014 Honda Jazz to debut in Japan during September 2013

Honda has announced that the next generation 2014 Jazz hatchback will go on sale in the Japanese domestic car market during September this year. The 2014 Jazz is based on an all new platform, which will also underpin the likes of the next generation City sedan and the Jazz-based compact SUV. While a September 2013 launch for the 2014 Jazz has now been confirmed, the Indian launch of the hatchback will happen in early 2014. 

The 2014 Jazz to be sold in India will come a year after the model was discontinued from the Indian car market on account of poor sales and low profitability. To begin with, the previous generation Jazz was priced at a steep premium. Poor sales resulted, prompting Honda to sell the last few thousand units of the car at a heavily discounted price tag. This discounted price tag is said to have hit the profit margins of the Japanese car maker, prompting it to pull the car off the Indian market. 

Also, the previous generation Jazz's major handicap in India was the lack of a turbo diesel engined variant in a market that clearly loves its diesel powered hatchbacks. All these issues are expected to be addressed in the 2014 Jazz. Honda has gone up on the localization levels, with the initial efforts very evident on the likes of the Brio hatchback and the Amaze compact sedan. The high amount of localization on the 2014 Jazz is expected to make for a competitive price tag. 

The lack of a diesel engine option will be addressed by adding the 1.5 liter i-DTEC turbo diesel motor to the 2014 Jazz's engine line up. Therefore, petrol and diesel engine options will be standard on the 2014 Jazz sold in India. Dimensions wise, the new hatchback is said to be bigger than the outgoing model. So, additional room on the inside is a distinct possibility on the 2014 Jazz. More features will also be added to the car.

Given the fact that Honda now operates in India's compact sedan space with the Amaze, it would be interesting to see the car maker's price strategy for the new Jazz as some amount of overlap between the 2014 Jazz and the Amaze seems inevitable. With Honda already selling the Brio hatchback as its entry level car, the 2014 Jazz could be positioned as an upmarket, no-compromise hatchback that takes the versatility of the older Jazz to newer heights.

The 2014 Jazz, like its predecessor, will be a global car model that will be produced at multiple locations across the globe. India could be one of the few markets in which the 2014 Jazz will be available with petrol and diesel engine options. In many international car markets, the 2014 Jazz will be called the Fit. 

Leaked images courtesy CarAndDriverBrasil