There’s no denying the immense popularity of the Honda Jazz. Having sold in numbers hovering around the 650 mark per annum when in CBU form, Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd (HMSB) introduced the locally-assembled Jazz exactly one year ago in July 2013. Since then more than 6,770 units of the CKD Jazz were snapped up in less than a year. First launched globally in 2001, over 4.87 million units of the Jazz have been sold worldwide to-date. That’s the staggering popularity of this compact.
Some time back, Autofreaks was the first to break the news about the new 3rd generation Honda Jazz that had (then) just been launched in Thailand, with prices starting at an amazing 550,000THB, equivalent to about RM55,000. We’ve since learned that the model being sold at that price in Thailand is as basic as they come. It’s an introductory model actually, and not a fair basis for comparison to the ones that will be sold here. Do note that I mentioned ‘ones’ in that last sentence; yes, there will be three variants to choose from when the new Jazz makes its debut here soon. Let’s have a look at the nitty gritty before we delve further as to why this might be the compact car you’ve been waiting for.
All three local variants however, S, E and V, will be powered by a proven 1.5-litre SOHC, i-VTEC 16-valve petrol engine (no hybrid variant…yet) that produces 120Ps and 145Nm of torque. Power is fed to the front wheels via a CVT transmission. Over on the inside, there’s a 7-inch touch-screen display for audio, touch panel auto air conditioning and 9 cup-holders. No, that’s not a typo, there really are nine cup-holders in this car. The new Jazz also scores well in terms of active and passive safety with 6-airbags, ABS, vehicle stability assist, emergency start stop signal and hill-start assist. So that’s about as much as I can bring myself to mention about the technicalities of this car, if you need more, go read a brochure or some other car-site that’s just copied and pasted the official press release.
HMSB were kind enough to invite AF to the official sneak preview / media drive of the new Honda Jazz in Hua Hin, Thailand last week, for a first-hand feel of their latest baby, which is due to make its maiden appearance in Malaysia this month. First off, it has to be said that if ever Honda’s “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum” design philosophy could be felt, it would be with the new Jazz. Externally, and while looks may be subjective, the new Jazz looks a lot sportier than its predecessor by a country mile. It somewhat utilizes the current Honda design theme, and while it may be easy to label it a smaller Odyssey, the Jazz has a style all its own. It actually looks very good in white, and while there will likely be a plethora of colours to choose from, unfortunately, that ‘mustard’ shade will not be available here.
Now the Jazz may be pegged as a compact car, in fact, it does look rather diminutive from the outside (3,955mm length, 1,524mm height, 1,694mm width) however, and you’ll think I’m exaggerating but I’m not, it’s quite remarkable just how big the Jazz is on the inside. Passengers behind me – usually the worst seat in the house – had more than ample legroom, and thanks to the multi-adjustable driver’s seat, getting either an elevated SUV-ish or low-slung sporty driving position was very easy. As expected, driver ergonomics in the new Jazz is top notch. Those familiar with the new Honda City will recognize the multi-function touch-screen display in the dashboard, which also houses a reverse camera.
The drive would encompass mostly highway, and anyone who’s ever driven in Thailand will be able to attest that posted speed limits are merely a suggestion. The highway around Hua Hin is dead straight, and most of the lorries and busses are piloted by ex-F1 drivers; I’m not even going to mention the speed-demons in pick-up trucks actually, because I’m still recovering from the trauma of being hustled aside by gargantuan trucks going faster than anyone ever thought possible.
That said I’d be remiss to not mention that the new Jazz handled this highway like it was born and bred for it. I also should mention that I’m not a fan of CVT gearboxes, in fact I despise them. But I have to admit, credit has to be given to the tweaking that Honda engineers have done on the one equipped in the new Jazz. It’s still a CVT, but there’s also a Sport mode, and that completely alters the mannerisms of this transmission.
Cruising along sedately, the revs barely register as the Jazz saunters along; its NVH is top notch, with nary a hint of external noise permeating the cabin, except for tyre noise (I’m convinced the tyres were over-inflated, but without a pressure gauge I couldn’t check). The NVH levels of the Jazz are so good they belong in a much higher category of car. There’s a pull-quote right there.
However, drop the gearstick to ‘S’, hammer the accelerator, and it’s quite amazing just how peppy this 1.5-litre i-VTEC becomes, as the speedometer needle strides past 140km/h and onward to a top speed that really has no place in a car this size, from a naturally-aspirated engine of this capacity. It’s only at times like that when you even notice there’s an engine under the short bonnet up front, since most of the time it’s whisper quiet. An ‘ECO’ mode can also be activated with the touch of a button, for added fuel-efficiency.
In terms of ride comfort, I wasn’t getting any complaints from the rear passengers either, who seemed quite comfortable thanks to the rear seats that can be reclined slightly, which incidentally have a 60:40 split for added cargo room. During my time in the rear though, I did notice there was a slight lack of rear-suspension travel, but that could be attributed to the full-load of passengers the little car was carrying. That said, the suspension does an admirable job soaking up bumps and irregularities in the road, some of which were as severe as the roads here.
So the burning question remains; should you buy this car? I have no idea, really. And that’s my actual reply to those who’ve asked. All I can confirm during my time with it is that the new Jazz performs all that it promises to do brilliantly. It doesn’t over-promise, but neither does it under-deliver. Everything that it was created to do, it does really well. Its performance figures won’t make the headlines for sure, but that’s not what the Jazz is all about. It’s the kind of car you buy if you want something super easy to drive and maneuver around town, something easy to park and that won’t burn a hole in your wallet/purse at the gas station.
It’s about fuss-free motoring and personal mobility for those seeking something more than competent at doing what it’s supposed to do, and doing it in style and the kind of composure that’s not usually found in cars in this category. That’s what you’ll get with the new Honda Jazz. Three generations on, it looks set to blaze new trails if the response and interest it’s been getting is anything to go by, and rightly so. But you’ll have to drive it for yourself to figure that out; after all, 4.87 million owners can’t all be wrong could they?
Specifications: Honda Jazz 1.5L
Engine: In-line 4-cyl, SOHC, i-VTEC, 16-valve, 1,497cc
Transmission: CVT w/Sport mode
Max Power: 120Ps @ 6,600rpm
Max Torque: 145Nm @ 4,500rpm
Price: TBC (three variants S, E & V)
M’sia Launch date: Mid-July 2014
