Honda Jazz Hatchback’s India Launch Gets a New Timeframe

Honda will not launch the Jazz B+ Segment hatchback before June 2015, and here’s why. Production constraints at Honda’s Tapukara factory in Rajasthan, the manufacturing facility from where the export-spec Jazz rolls out, is said to be a major stumbling block, causing a delay in the car’s India launch. The cause of the production constraints is the high demand for the likes of the City and Amaze sedans, with certain variants of both cars having waiting times between 2-5 month. The new timeline for the premium Honda hatchback’s launch, which is pegged at June-July, is at odds with the previous announcement from the Japanese automaker, which indicated a March 2015 launch.

Notably, Honda has already begun manufacturing the 3rd generation Jazz in India, and the cars built currently are headed for South Africa, a right hand drive market. While the Jazz hatchbacks exported to South Africa are petrol-only affairs, the India-spec version will see a key change with the addition of a 1.5 liter i-DTEC turbo diesel motor. The 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel motor will be crucial to the 3rd generation Jazz’s success in India, whose previous generation model was a dud seller. The car is also expected to gain a CVT automatic option on its petrol variants, a premium feature for smooth motoring in urban settings.

The 2015 Jazz will be pitted against premium B+ segment hatchbacks such as the best selling Hyundai i20 Elite and the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. This positioning of the Honda car also indicates a starting price tag close to the 5 lakh rupee mark, despite a thrust on heavy localization. The base variant of the Jazz will feature the 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol motor (87 Bhp-109 Nm), with the higher powered 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol engine (117 Bhp-145 Nm) likely to accompany the top-end variants. The big volumes puller is likely to be the 1.5 liter diesel motor (98.6 Bhp-200 Nm), an all-aluminium unit whose claim to fame is the high fuel efficiency it manages, with low turbo lag enhancing driveability.

Via AutocarIndia