IAB Report - India-bound Honda Jazz launched in China

The 2015 Honda Fit, or the Honda Jazz as it is called in India, was launched in China at the ongoing Beijing Auto Show. The car is priced starting from 73,800 yuan (INR 7.17 lakhs) and is manufactured in China by the Guangzhou-Honda joint venture.

Th Chinese vehicle gets the more powerful 1.5-liter petrol engine, as opposed to the 1.2-liter engine it will be seen with in India. The bigger engine makes 130 hp at 6,600 rpm and produces a peak torque of 155 Nm at 4,600 rpm, mated either to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT.

To review, the Jazz features MacPherson Struts at the front and a torsion-beam suspension setup at the rear. Power assisted disc brakes provide stopping power at the front and the rear features standard issue drum brakes.

The overall length compared to the previous generation Fit is reduced by 36 mm, leaving the new Fit at a length of 3,955 mm. The width, however, is up by 8 mm to 1,702 mm. The height remains unchanged at 1,524 mm. The all-important wheelbase has gone up considerably, to 2,530 mm compared to the 2,500 mm in the previous generation hatchback.

In China, the Fit competes with the Toyota Yaris L, Ford Fiesta hatchback and the Volkswagen Polo.