Report - Honda India to launch new Jazz in March 2015

Honda Cars India will launch the new 2014 Honda Jazz in March next year, the company's President and CEO, Hiroshi Kanayama, told Autocar. The timeline is consistent with what Honda officials told Indian Autos Blog earlier on, that the new hatchback will launch by the end of this financial year, but not before January 2015.

The new Jazz made its Indian debut at the Auto Expo earlier this year. In markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand and Australia, the car went on sale over the course of the last month.

Based on the same platform as the new Honda City, the 2014 Jazz is expected to be heavily localized in India in order to achieve a competitive price, unlike the earlier model which was seen as an overpriced hatchback.

For India, the Jazz is expected to be offered with a petrol and a diesel engine. The petrol motor would be the Brio's 1.2-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC making 88 PS (86.76 bhp) and 109 Nm of torque. The diesel powerplant will be the 1.5-liter i-DTEC which makes 100 PS (98.59 bhp) and 200 Nm of torque on the Amaze, City and Mobilio. The petrol motor could receive the option of the 5-speed automatic gearbox in addition to the 5-speed manual.

Competitors: Maruti Swift, Hyundai Elite i20, VW Polo, Tata Bolt, Fiat Punto Evo

Expected Price: INR 5 - 7 lakhs, ex-Showroom

[Source - Autocar India]