Indian Autos blog

A short while back, Honda announced a discount of up to 1.7 lacs on the Jazz. High price was the only factor that stopped customers from buying it and once the price fell, cars began vanishing from every Honda showroom in the country. It is being rumored that the heavy discount was more of a stock clearance sale and the refreshed Jazz will follow soon.

The new Honda Jazz is a minor facelift. People who’ve recently bought the Jazz have nothing to worry about as this is a cosmetically updated product.

The new Jazz comes with redesigned bumpers said to reduce air drag, new grille and headlights, rear lights with modified lenses and a choice of 2 new exterior colors – Deep Sapphire Blue and Ionized Bronze.

Inside, the new Jazz sports a darker color scheme, new seat fabrics (leather upholstery is optional), chromed trim pieces and orange dash lighting. Suspension was also worked on by engineers.

As Honda sold the current 1.2L engine at a high price we do not expect a 1.5L or an automatic transmission though many people who have bought the car have complained of it being underpowered. The same 1.2L i-VTEC engine will perform duties on the Jazz facelift.

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Motorbeam is reporting with images that Honda is testing the 1.5-liter variant of the Jazz in Pune. To not make it obvious for those in the know,the X variant is the donor car. This 1.5-liter VTEC engine comes from the City producing 118PS power at 6,600RPM and 146Nm of torque at 4,800RPM. As a result, the acceleration improves, with 0-100kph coming up in 9 seconds and the top speed going  [ Read More ]

Honda new advertisement campaign in Australia aims to bring out the big hatch credentials in the Honda Jazz. Four hilarious TV commercials have been made with four different groups of people to help understand the roominess of the Jazz.

The ads talk about people from different walks of life explaining how the Jazz’s high degree of functionality can help store their everyday things. The Jazz appears like the most practical hatchback for almost anyone in Australia.

The marketing campaign also encourages Australians to vote what they can stuff inside the Jazz’s cabin and the most popular nomination wins a Jazz!

If Honda were to create a similar campaign in India, it would be about “how to sell the Jazz.” The leading answer should be “offer a massive discount.”

Did we just help Honda India save a few lakh rupees on advertising?

Just kidding!

If you want to see the other three videos, head over to Popsop.

Honda Siel India has finally decided to wake up and do something about the dwindling sales of the Jazz, reports Burn Your Fuel. The Honda Jazz has been a successful car worldwide and the space and practicality of the car were highly acclaimed. But in India, it sold miserably.

The Honda Jazz was highly anticipated in India and Honda was extremely confident about the Jazz mainly because of the image it enjoyed here. Though Honda was held at high pedestal (it is even now), the pricing of the Jazz was simply too much for the typical Indian consumer to digest.

Honda paid the price for not doing enough market research and being too complacent. Honda, the website reports, is now planning to re-position the ailing Jazz into the A2 segment (Swift, Figo, Punto and Polo) by adding more features and possibly effecting a price cut.

The new version of the car would get revised interiors, a new ‘Rally Red’ color, alloy wheels, front grille, USB connectivity and a tailgate spoiler.

Though there hasn’t been any price-cuts announced till now, but we expect Honda to reduce the prices of the Jazz by Diwali.

There is also widespread speculation that Honda is re-engineering (making major modifications) to the Jazz to bring down its sticker price. If Honda can develop a cost-effective Jazz, the car could take the market by storm.

The U.K version shown here has alloy wheels and fog lamps

Buoyed by the success of the hatchback in Britain, Honda has started producing Jazz in Swindon, UK. This means, there is no more ‘Made in Japan’ Honda Jazz for UK and European customers.

Till this point, all European nations sold cars built in Japan. With rapidly falling sales in India, Europe could consider sourcing Jazz from the Indian stockyard.

Honda plans to build around 20,000 Honda Jazz units by March 2010 at the Swindon plant and also the plant will be responsible for the production of the top spec CR-V and Civic.

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Study – Thumbs down for the overpriced, underpowered Jazz

Yes, that is right. After all the drama and countless inquiries, sales of the Honda Jazz resembles the opening of a pepsi cola bottle. Experts believe that despite its costly platform, roomy interiors and Honda badge slapped inside and out, it is unable to give competition to other cheaper alternatives, ie- can’t hold a candle to Hyundai, Maruti, Tata etc.

According to officials, there were almost 50,000 inquiries for the Honda Jazz but only 4,000 of them were converted into sales. The Indian customer has intelligently moved to the City as it offers a boot, a more powerful engine and costs slightly more.

So was the Honda Jazz brought in to be a mere bait? If the ill-treated Jazz had feelings, it would cry.

The other important point to notice is the saloon vs the hatchback phenomena – people see more value in Honda City and don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks for it.

The actual figures are like in June above 2,000 units were sold, 1,037 in July, 1,029 in August and just 504 units in September.

So 100 in October?

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This scaled down version of the Honda Jazz looks crumpled. No, it has got nothing to do with the sheet metal quality.

Look closely – the model is actually made using paper, paint, glue and scissors!

Design by Liem Kou Phing from Indonesia, the website says its is his first paper model design. Imagine how realistic his 100th attempt will be!

The Honda Jazz Origamy edition is truly the most creative and cutest thing ever featured on IAB. It is a shame that there are no high resolution images or clearer pictures of this little creation, but if someone knows how to make it and have decent snaps, you’re work will certainly be featured on our front page.

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The Honda Jazz is not only helping it get valuable feedback from hatch buyers which it feels would be essential when designing the global compact car, but also resulting in boost of Honda City sales!

OK, we find this one a hard pill to swallow.

The Jazz is also helping the company gather key market inputs for the global small compact car scheduled to be launched during 2011-12.

Honda Official -

“Our market research tell us that there are a considerable number of customers who come in to have a good look at the Jazz and end up buying the City”

Does this mean a person who is bent on purchasing a Honda vehicle find the Jazz less VFM or worthy than the City?

Honda continues to support the Jazz’ ‘tall’ pricing, shall we call it? – the official remarks with its premium feel and high level of features, it is “unlike run-of-the-mill small cars” in India.

The Jazz is a sub-4 meter hatchback and has a 1.2-liter engine which is spec-enough to avail benefits extended to small cars in the country. The car is pitched at the country’s younger generation and women who are on the lookout for a car.

The Jazz shares 60% of its parts with the City. In fact, one Honda’s staff charged with customer relations tells us Honda does not term or market this car as a hatchback or a close relative to the City. All the family matters end at the production line and in the showroom, the situation both cars in resemble an exam hall atmosphere.

Initial market feedback indicated the age profile of the Jazz user is five years younger to the typical City user – hinting Honda has succeeded in addressing a younger audience with this car.

True, but how many youngsters today in India, a country that looks for value, features and comforts more than anything else, afford a 7-lakh product? Honda says these people will be offered the more cheaper global small car scheduled for 2011-12.

Here’s a quick fact – Almost 45 per cent of Jazz buyers are existing Honda customers! cars, that is. This is a very encouraging sign which Honda believes is going to play a major role when introducing the small car. The brand is addictive, and the small car is going to recall all these people again in the future, it says.