New 2013 Honda Jazz review, test drive

Inside, the cabin has a familiar layout however, the instrument cluster is all-new. The front seats are comfortable, supportive and items such as the cup holder and other commonly accessed bits are ergonomically well placed. The car we drove is the Japanese specification Fit (the Jazz is known as the Fit in Japan) and it featured a large multi-media screen based interface and digital climate control, though these may not make it to India. We noticed that Honda has dulled down the quality on some of the interior bits but you have to remember that this cost-cutting stems from the fact that Honda is aiming to price this car a lot more competitively than its predecessor. Just like the previous Jazz, the rear bench is very spacious. Knee room is quite generous, leaving even six footers with nothing to complain about.  Also, the meaty seat squab has more than adequate thigh support too, easily rivalling that of some larger saloons. However, while the almost flat floor is designed to accommodate a third passenger, the slight bump in the middle section of the bench may be a bit uncomfortable over longer durations. Pop open the boot and just like the older Jazz, you’ll be impressed by how spacious it is.

The car we’ve briefly driven here is the Japanese specification 1.5-litre hybrid variant with a CVT gearbox and this variant may not make it to India. Instead, we will get the 87bhp 1.2-litre petrol motor and the 1.5-litre 98bhp diesel motor as seen on the Amaze. As for the car we drove, it felt extremely refined and had a very strong bottom end that resulted from the help provided by the electric motor at lower revs. We hope Honda introduces this motor in India atleast as a limited run. Continued..