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Honda Jazz first drive : Playing a different tune

CarWale Team, 10-Jun-2009
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The front three-quarters is the angle that the Jazz is best viewed from.

    Honda Siel Cars India has built up a reputation for building cars that people want. They began with the City, and moved on to the Accord and then the Civic. They’ve set their sights on bigger numbers now, which means they’ve got only one way to go: smaller cars. Enter the Jazz, which Honda hopes will play its part in increasing their share in the Indian market. Honda invited us to Goa for a first impression of their newest offering, and here’s our initial impression.
    It’s got a mini-MPV shape when looked at side-on. The best view is from the front, where the prominent headlamps and grille leave you in no doubt as to what you’re looking at. The rear isn’t our favourite view, but looks good enough. The real story is on the inside, though. The dashboard is like a mini Accord’s, and the air-con controls are chunky dials that will make life really easy for the driver. The steering wheel will be familiar to most Honda owners and fans, and has buttons to control the music system on it. The dials use orange on orange, like the City does, but with the addition of a digital readout that shows useful information like a distance-to-empty readout as well as a realtime fuel consumption indicator that encourages the driver to drive as economically as possible. It’s as practical as we’ve come to expect from a Honda, and it exceeds expectations in some areas with a dual glovebox, an enormous boot (for a hatchback, that is) and no less than ten cup holders! The rear seats are versatile and split and fold in a number of ways, making it one of the most practical cars on our roads today.
    The Jazz has a reworked version of the 1.2-litre engine that does duty under the hood of the European Jazz. It incorporates a bundle of technology like the i-VTEC system and it also deactivates one of the two inlet valves at low revs to boost low-end torque. It generates 90bhp and gets the job done, but for a car this size, we wish there was a slightly bigger engine given that the car has the capacity to haul a lot of things with the versatility offered by the ‘magic seats’. It typically has absolutely no vibrations or harshness, but has a very un-Honda like sporty sound at relatively low revs, as low as 3000rpm. Honda hasn’t skimped on safety, again leading from the front in this aspect by equipping the Jazz’s brakes with ABS with EBD and installing airbags as standard across the range.
    The Jazz is a large hatch by our standards, and competes in spirit with cars like the Ford Fusion, but will compete with the likes of the Fabia on pricing with a base model price of Rs 7 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. It will follow in the City’s footsteps in offering certain accessories like alloy wheels at the dealer level for a little addition on that price. Will the Jazz be the latest in a long line of success stories for Honda? Time will tell.

Practicality, dashboard design, ABS and airbags standard

Alloy wheels only a dealer option, pricey

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Comments on this first drive (Latest 10 are shown)

Pankaj Prasad
on 13 Jun, 2009 at 01:15 PM

To clarify on pricing... Jazz is priced Rs.7.43 to 7.49 lac (3 versions) while City is Rs.8.25 & 8.79 (2 versions); ex-showroom, Mumbai.

The difference between the two is of 82K, i.e. between the top-end model of Jazz & base model of City.  If you compare the pricing of base model of Jazz with that of high-end model of City, the difference is of course as high as Rs.1.36 lac.
Ashish Naik
on 13 Jun, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Price difference is almost Rs 150000/ between Jazz & City.
Pankaj Prasad
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 10:47 PM

Kvsk Prasad
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 06:28 PM

Frankly, as the launch was happening and the little pieces of info comming forth one by one, it just kept the interest dipping -

Firstly, it was the engine - As speculated (by me) it was 1.2 liter mill.

then, it was the price

then it was specs at the price that it doesn't have alloys, parcel tray etc as a standard fitment

then it is the news on the OEM HU and that it cannot be taken off to fit another 2 DIN system (without a facia)

The only plus I see is that within the city limits, thanks to the puny engine, it is going to give good mileage - But as I was stating in another thread, if you have an engine of a hero Honda 100CC bike fitted onto a Pulsar, the result will not be to anyone's liking !!

I think it is enough to take anyone far too away from it - Even a die die die die die hard Honda fan will opt for a city over this. If you are not a honda fan of such extreme, you will anyway look otherwise.

Regards,
K Prasad
Satish Master
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 06:09 PM

Thanks Charles for your Honest opinion...

I did think on the same lines.....SO now we have to wait & watch how people react to this pricing & product...
Jay
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 05:45 PM

In this price you can not only think, very well buy a Fiat Lenia or even ford Fiesta.

I have seen the car. like everyone said, it is nice and good. But according to me, the rear seat confort is not better than i20 or vista. And feature package wise i20 is much better on techno-commercial basis. 2 lakhs cheaper.

After driving honda cars for longs years, i love honda.. but not at this price.

no offence meant; i feel only three group of people will buy this car;

1 - Real honda fans..(well i am one, but this price 8 Lakhs on raod for a hacth (WITH JUST AVERAGE SPECS) is not justified for this package)

2 - People already know it is not VFm, but have lot of disposable income (free money) and want to show off. (well show off what, the guy see you in this car might alsoo think you are a fool to pay 8 lakhs for a hatch with just average build)

3 - and finally people, who really does not know how to choose a VFM car. 

These were my views. Any way history has prooven that, there are may Indians still buy anything for show off. So Honda must and sure will get lot os sales numbers for this one too. Its better to sell 10 and make 100 rupee profit than selling 100 too get 100 rupee profit.Laughing
Charles
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 05:45 PM

@Satish: In the price bracket, there's the Verna diesel, which is a stonking performer if you like straight-line speed. Hyundai has a good service network and keep their customers happy. There's also the Fiesta 1.6S to consider, which I'd pick up in a flash because my heart rules my head when it comes to cars.

Even when you consider it with only your head and not your heart, it matters to most Indians if they've got a boot or not. At the price that Honda is quoting for the Jazz, despite the low cost of ownership, the enormous practicality, the really high quality and despite the bloody good resale value this car will surely have, I'm afraid it does not make sense to me.
Puneet Sharma
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 04:34 PM

Hi Guys

Took the jazz test drive today. Here is my take:

First impression....Movement you enter the car....there is not a slightest feeling that its a hatchback.

Extremly impressive interior....compact with rear Magic seats which get fold from both the sides. Good plastic quality...better than the new City. Speedometer is on the city platform.Provide airbags...ABS ...EBD as standard in Jazz. That means no compromise on safety. If you shell arround 35K more the dealer is providing the company provided accessories like...Fog lamps, spoiler and alloys to provide the sporty look.

Now lets come to the heart.

Engine is i-Vtec...very stabled...provide 90 BHP with ease...it lacks a little in power as compared to the car size. Very smooth ...I can,t feel any noise of the engine a all.

I can't compare this car with any available in the market...not even to 120 or fabia or ritz. Jazz has a huge edge overthem.

This car has a new segment all together,,,,only draw back is the price...7.55L on road in delhi. In this price you can only think of a sedan.

 
Tushar Sharma
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 04:18 PM

Well I test drive City i-VTEC and realized the diiference between an engine with variable valve speed and other without variable valve speed(Accent).Surely i-VTEC engine are more fun and comfortable to drive.

No doubt Honda has always remained as an upper edge in providing the customers something new and delightful.....but price is a crucial factor.

Jazz is quite expensive as compared to it's alternatives...
Bhavin Shah
on 11 Jun, 2009 at 02:28 PM

Though I have not test driven the car, I think, it is exhorbitantly priced. Ok you get refinement and quality feel all over, but 8.00L is too high for the size of the car and engine. Better wait for GP.

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