Honda made a wrong note with his Jazz – The World

Le Monde | 03/09/2015 at 12:50 • Updated 03/09/2015 at 2:39 p.m. | By Alain Constant

The third generation model combines the disappointments.

H istoriquement fond of small multi-purpose vehicles, the French car market has unfortunately not given the Honda Jazz the place it deserves. Appeared in 2001 and 2008, the first two generations of this model adopted a friendly minispace silhouette, small on the outside but big inside, and benefited from mechanical reliability of the Japanese manufacturer’s reputation.

A key, 5.5 million models sold, including 781,000 in Europe. In France, only 33 400 were released Jazz, including 29,000 for the second generation (50% in hybrid version). What for ? Probably because the French market offers very many city models displayed at less elitist rates than those charged at Honda.

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Place, now in the third generation of the Jazz. At first glance, like the following also is disappointment prevails. The pretty well balanced silhouette of the previous generation gives way to an ordinary vehicle to unnecessarily tortured forms. A longer sentence but not exceeding four meters, the newcomer, always handy in the city than previous Jazz, however, advance some arguments that did not have its predecessors.

An improved ride comfort thanks a unique chassis and a little less stiff suspensions; a much more satisfactory soundproofing; an interior finish least cheap; many active and passive safety elements, a new softer gasoline engine and low fuel consumption; not forgetting two new transmissions: a six-speed manual rather pleasant, and an automatic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), a little less painful than the last, but can not totally erase the Traditional effect “roping howling” of this type of transmission as soon as you press a little on the accelerator

Big disappointment:. only available on the European market with the new 1.3 petrol engine liter 102 horsepower, the new Jazz did not even offer hybrid declination. When asked about this lack for the least surprising, some officials of Honda France also have difficulty understanding such a strategic choice, apparently dictated by questions of profitability, especially as the third generation hybrid Jazz has existed for a few months in Japan proves to be very fun to drive!

In our view, the absence of a hybrid model that lends itself perfectly to this type of engine, an area where Honda has built a nice reputation, is clearly regrettable.