The all-new Jazz was one of the most-awaited recent launches from Honda Cars India. Built on a completely new platform, the new Honda Jazz not only gets a longer wheelbase, but also more equipment than the previous model. Available in both petrol and diesel variants and with a price tag of Rs 5.80-9.71 lakh (on-road, Delhi), Honda showrooms say that the Jazz is seeing a good amount of buyer interest. We spoke to dealers across major cities, who claimed the car is drawing in prospective buyers with its generous cabin and boot space, comfortable driving position, overall practicality and the ‘reliable nature’ of the Honda badge.
However, the lack of a top trim in the automatic petrol variant has left customers asking for more. This is because the latter is not available in the top variant and so misses out on a DVD player, on-board navigation, a bigger 6.2-inch touchscreen display and 60:40 split folding rear seats.
Furthermore, the standard Jazz also misses out on features such as engine start/stop button and rear AC vents available on the top trims of the Jazz’s direct rival, the Hyundai Elite i20. The blank panel in place of the absent push-start button only ends up highlighting the missing bit. The comforting prospect in this equation is the ample storage area and plenty of cubbyholes that the Jazz offers coupled with rear Magic seats in the top-spec versions.
The petrol and diesel manual variants, on the other hand, seem to have been well received. Typically, most Honda buyers seek a petrol engine, and with the Jazz too, it isn’t a different story. In cities, it’s the petrol trims that are selling in majority, while on the outskirts, the diesel variants are seeing a fair bit of buyer interest. Previously, Honda’s i-DTEC diesel engine didn’t find favour among buyers as it was too noisy. On the Jazz diesel, Honda has improved NVH levels, which buyers are appreciating.