Japanese car maker Honda is set to launch the much-awaited Jazz hatchback in the Indian car market in June, 2015. There have been a lot of speculations regarding the launch of Honda’s once discontinued hatchback’s re-launch in India. Now a report by Autocar is suggesting that Honda is likely to offer both automatic and manual transmission options in the Jazz. The Japanese car maker will launch Jazz in both petrol and diesel versions, which will be powered by 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre engines, respectively. While the diesel variant will come with a manual gearbox, petrol version is likely to get CVT and manual transmission options. Notably, the CVT unit that will be fitted in the petrol version of Jazz will be the same as the one in new generation Honda City.
Experts believe that though the CVT gearbox will offer more mileage for the new Honda Jazz, it will certainly affect the car’s performance and driveability. The reaction time of the CVT gearbox slows down at lower speeds. Reportedly, Honda has tried to do away with this problem by adding a converter in the gearbox that sends torque to the vehicle, which improves its responsiveness.
The Jazz has been a top seller for Japanese car maker throughout most international markets but could not do perform as well in India. Rated highly for its packaging and cabin space, this premium hatchback is likely to improve upon its previous performance in the subcontinent. Experts feel that the addition of a diesel variant will certainly boost its chances of performing well. Also, Honda has a much better connection with the mass customer segment at present than it had a few years back.
