The B+ hatchback segment is one of the most competitive ones in the Indian market, courtesy some really capable products like Maruti Swift, Hyundai i20, Volkswagen Polo etc. Soon, we'll have the new-gen Honda Jazz making a comeback in the segment, which I think will be a game changer for the Japanese automajor in India. The Jazz will not just help Honda increase its market share, it might also affect the sales of the Swift and the i20, which are currently the top two sellers of the segment.
Below are five things that may go in new Honda Jazz's favour.
Design
The Jazz in its new avatar looks sportier, bolder and sleeker than the phased out model, thanks to Honda's 'Exciting H Design' philosophy. With Civic-like horizontally stretched headlamps, sleeker grille and new bumper with large air-vents, the front fascia of the car looks completely new. The previous generation model looks more like a Mini MPV from the side, while in its new avatar, it looks like a proper hatchback. At the rear, you will see new tail-lamps with metal inserts and new bumpers, though it resembles the previous generation Jazz a little.
Practicality
The last generation car was always appreciated for its interior quality, space and design, and the new one scores even better in all these departments. The seats look familiar, but with the extended wheelbase, the knee-room, legroom and overall spaciousness has increased. Moreover, the car continues to offer the best-in-class boot space. So, even if there are five tall people in the car, there is still plenty of space left for luggage.
Power
While the petrol variant of the new-gen Jazz will continue to derive its power from the 1.2-litre i-VTEC unit, capable of producing 87bhp, the diesel model will get the same 1.5-litre i-DTEC found in the Amaze and City. The diesel engined Jazz will be the main highlight since it will have the most powerful engine in its segment, producing 99bhp and 200Nm. With such impressive figures, the new Jazz will be mightier than the Swift and i20. Speaking of might, only the Polo GT TDI from Volkswagen develops more horsepower than the Jazz, thanks to its 1.6-litre turbocharged motor, but it's quite an expensive model - inching close to a retail number of 9 lakhs!
Mileage
This is one department where the Jazz will not just outsmart its rivals, but pretty much every car sold in India. There are two exceptions though, the Amaze and City, which feature a similar engine as the Jazz. The Jazz's diesel version is likely to return 26kmpl of mileage, much better than that of the Maruti Swift and Hyundai i20, that promise 22.9kmpl and 21.27kmpl, respectively.
Brand Equity
Brand Honda has a huge following in India considering that most people have never had a bad ownership experience with the company. However, this doesn't mean that its rivals lack somewhere; it is just that Honda's cars are considered to be more than just average cars, a belief that works in the company's favour. For example, the new-gen Honda City, which dethroned the Hyundai Verna as the segment leader in a very short span of time.
Also Read: Honda's Sub-Compact SUV Effort - The Vision XS-1?
