New Honda Jazz vs Hyundai i20 comparison

Diesel engines are all about great fuel economy and low running costs. The Jazz has always been about great practicality and versatility. I think you see what we’re getting at. A diesel engine is a nice fit on the sensible Jazz. Problem for the Jazz is that all of its competition can be had with diesel engines too. Competition that includes the likes of the immensely popular Hyundai i20 we have with us today. Our Car of the Year 2015, the i20 is the most complete of the large hatchbacks in India and is the car against which buyers will probably judge the Jazz most often. So here it is, the first showdown between the all-new Jazz and the segment-leading i20.

Diesel duel

You probably know the version of the i20 with us. It’s the one with ‘CRDi’ in its name, a price ranging from Rs 6.4-8.05 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and 1.4-litre common-rail diesel engine that makes 89bhp at 4000rpm and 22.4kgm from 1500-2750rpm under the hood. As for the Honda, prices for the Jazz diesel start at Rs 6.5 lakh and top off at Rs 8.59 lakh. The Jazz's diesel engine doesn't warrant too long an introduction because it’s the very same one you’d also find on the Amaze, City and Mobilio.. It’s a 1.5-litre common-rail engine which, like the i20’s motor, uses twin cams to work its 16 valves. Peak power is 10bhp up on the i20 with 98.6bhp produced at 3600rpm though peak torque is 2kgm less – 20.4kgm at 1750rpm. However, both cars are similar in their use of efficiency-enhancing six-speed gearboxes.

As the Jazz diesel is the unproven entity, we’ll grant it its hearing first. Well, there is a lot we can hear actually. Honda’s i-DTEC engine is amongst the loudest around and in this application too, makes its presence known with its harsh, industrial noise. For what it’s worth, the engine noise seems marginally better damped than in the City thanks to more extensive use of sound-deadening material. But I still think Honda should consider offering noise-cancelling headphones on all models equipped with this engine, at least as an optional accessory!

The Jazz’s engine does redeem itself as we get moving. Good driveability is the highlight here with the engine offering its best at a very accessible 1500-2500rpm. Correspondingly, we can get by in traffic without the need to work the gearbox all that much. Gearshifts are positive and the clutch, though a touch springy in action, is easy enough to operate. Highway cruising ability is good too but the diesel Jazz offers little to excite. The engine isn’t particularly punchy nor is it quick-revving. In fact, I find it best to shift up early because there’s little gained by holding out till the 4000rpm rev limiter.

At the first car swap, the i20’s engine immediately makes an impression for its quietness at idle. Things don’t change much on the move either with just a subdued clatter keeping us company at low speeds. The i20’s easily got the more refined engine but it’s also evidently not as tractable as the Jazz’s motor. Where the Honda engine gives you sufficient go at 1200rpm, the Hyundai’s motor keeps you waiting till about 1800rpm. It’s the reason I find myself working the i20’s gearbox more than I did in the Jazz earlier. It’s not a big issue really, because the gearbox is smooth and the clutch nicely weighted. It’s on the open stretches that the i20 feels more at ease. The engine feels livelier than the Jazz in the mid-range and also revs quicker to its higher, 4900rpm limiter. It’s not as punchy as the Volkswagen Polo’s 1.5 engine but performance levels are more than adequate. We did manage to hook up both cars to our testing gear and the figures reveal that they are really close on performance. The i20’s 0-100kph time of 12.85 seconds makes it a shade slower than the Jazz (12.33 seconds). The Jazz is faster through the gears as well but again, not by much.

The ride stuff

We’ve got a good feel of both cars by now so differences in other aspects of the driving experience have also become noticeable. It’s a close contest in ride quality. The i20 seems to round off the bumps at lower city speeds better than the Jazz manages to, but on the faster stretches, it’s the Honda with the more composed ride. The relatively soft-sprung i20 has just that little bit more of up-down motion on long wave undulations. At speed, it’s also the Jazz’s steering that feels more reassuring. It’s not outstanding by any means, but it does offer more connection to the front wheels than the i20’s unit does. Pushing hard around familiar bends on the i20 leaves each of us second-guessing on exactly how much input to give – not fun in the least. Sure, the i20’s steering is light and easy to twirl at lower speeds, but then so is the Jazz’s. An important difference between the two is that the steering on top-spec i20s adjust for rake and reach while those on the Jazz adjust for rake alone. As a result, you don’t have the same range of adjustment to find the perfect driving position in the Jazz. Important because the high-set dash and thick A-pillars limit visibility to some extent. The Jazz does have the better front seats though; the i20’s are a touch too soft.

In time 

With the driving impressions done with, we get down to scrutinising the Jazz and i20’s cabin in greater detail. It’s in the details that the i20 impresses. Panel fit is good across the cabin, there’s greater consistency in finish everywhere and even the grain on the plastics helps make things look premium. The Jazz’s cabin doesn’t have the same upmarket feel. The plastics do look like they’ll stand the test of time but you don’t have to look too hard to find some average surfaces. While at it, I must say that the glossy finish on the centre console is also a fingerprint magnet.

However, the colour screen (touchscreen on top variants) on the centre console lends the dash a very new-age look. The Jazz’s dashboard is also quite interesting. Its asymmetrical form is similar to the City’s but looks better thanks to its use of fewer varied elements. Still, it’s the i20 dash’s more cohesive look that gets my vote. It’s neatly laid out and, like the Jazz, positions the well integrated audio system high up for easy access. You’ll be happy to note that starting July, i20s will also be available with a touchscreen for the infotainment system. It’s something we have missed on the i20 all this while and it appears the incoming of the Jazz prompted Hyundai to get it sooner rather than later.    

Talking features, in top-spec form, both cars come with Bluetooth, aux and USB-ready audio systems and steering-mounted audio and telephone controls. Automatic climate control is also offered on both though the Jazz uses a touchscreen interface (ala the City) for its system. It’s a high-tech feature but also one that calls for you to take your eyes off the road every time you want to change a setting. Those of us familiar with the old Jazz do prefer its chunky air-con knobs to the new set-up. What’s also a bit off-putting is the blank panel in place of the absent push-start button. Why highlight what’s not there? The i20 does get this feature and is also the only one here to come with a rear air-con vent. 

Getting into the rear seat is easy in both cars, but it’s the Jazz that easily walks away with the prize for the more spacious cabin. It offers more than the i20 on rear leg, shoulder and headroom and has the larger windows too. There’s almost an excess of space in here, but there are places where the Jazz comes up short too. Rear-seat thigh support isn’t great and middle passengers aren’t well catered to either.

That said, there’s generally less width in the i20’s cabin and the design of the seat itself makes it best suited to two. The rear backrest also seems too reclined in the Hyundai and, unlike on top-spec Jazz’s, can’t be adjusted for angle. The Jazz’s incredibly well thought-out feature to join the front and rear seats to form a recliner is also something you won’t find on the i20. Is it all bad in the i20? Not in the least because overall the rear seat is actually comfier (thanks to the longer base) and legroom and headroom are more than sufficient. Let’s not forget the fact that till the new Jazz came along, the i20 was the most spacious hatchback you could buy.

Hyundai salespersons will also have to rework their pitch because the i20 is also no longer the premium hatchback with the most accommodating boot. That’s a distinction the Jazz holds. Its boot area is better-shaped and the loading lip is far lower, which makes it easy to load luggage into. Both cars (in fully loaded form) give you split rear seats that fold forward to free up more space. However, a clever mechanism enables the Jazz’s seats to tuck all the way down to create an absolutely flat loading floor. And with the Jazz’s fuel tank positioned under the front seats, the portion under the rear seats is also available to store soft bags and the like. The Jazz’s rear seat base also lifts to further let you make the most of this space.

Style file

Should someone ask you how Honda’s managed to make a hatchback of this size so spacious, all you need to do is have them see the Jazz alongside one of its more traditional, two-box shape competitors. The Jazz’s unique extreme cab forward design and MPV-like silhouette is bound to give them the answer. Other bits that will hold their eye include the Jazz’s angular headlights, the layered grille, sharp shoulder line and 3D-effect tail-lamps. Unfortunately, so will the weedy 175/65 R15 tyres.

Where the Jazz stands out for its distinctive shape, the i20 draws attention to itself for its smart proportions and mature styling. The flat bonnet, hexagonal grille and wide headlights at the front and the blackened C-pillar and slim tail-lights at the rear make the i20 rather eye-catching. It may have the more conventional form, but this is not a car that’s going to go out of fashion any time soon. But let’s not put too much emphasis on the subjective aspect of looks. To each his own.

 Decision

Not too far into the process of comparing points do we realise that the competition has been even closer than expected. To recap, the Jazz has the more tractable engine, neater driving dynamics and the more spacious cabin. There’s also the promise of better fuel economy with an ARAI-tested figure of a class-leading 27kpl versus the i20’s 22.54kpl. On the other hand, the i20 has the (relatively) more exciting engine, more premium cabin and better overall refinement. Told you it was close. To get a clearer picture, we see each car against the other’s main strengths.

And that’s when things start shaping up better for the i20. Yes, it’s down on space and versatility to the Jazz but it’s still good enough on both counts. Of course, that’s assuming you don’t have the Great Khali to transport everyday or routinely use your car as a cargo van. The i20 is also not as good to drive as the Jazz, but here too, it doesn’t trail by much. Where the i20 noses ahead of the Jazz is in the feel-good factor, and that’s really the clincher here. Whether it’s for the general high levels of refinement or the tastefully done (and well-executed) cabin, the i20 gives you the feeling of being in an expensive car. Mind you, variant-for-variant, the i20 is actually the more affordable car here. The Jazz, for all its virtues, simply doesn’t feel as special. And this is why the i20 is still our top pick if you’re in the market for a premium diesel hatchback.