It is now almost certain that the new Honda Jazz will make its entry into the Indian auto market in March 2015.
The folks at the Autocar India who claimed to have gotten the confirmation from Hiroshi Kanayama, President and CEO, Honda Car India reported that the much anticipated new Jazz will not be making its India debut this year as expected earlier and will only be reaching Indian shores next year in March.
Apparently, the company has also confirmed that the new Jazz will be priced competitively in India. Jazz, a premium hatchback, which made its India entry in 2009 failed due to its high pricing and the company finally withdrew the model from the domestic market in early 2013.
Talking about the new Jazz, the online rumour mill has spat out a few details about the upcoming vehicle in India. From what we know so far, the car is likely to accommodate features like a power steering with mounted audio controls, front and rear power windows, electrically adjustable rear view mirrors, a climate control unit and much more.
As far as the engine is concerned, the India-bound version of the Jazz is likely to be offered in both petrol and diesel engine variants. Its petrol version is speculated to pack the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that powers Amaze and Brio, which can generate a power of 87bhp, with a torque of 110Nm at 4800rpm. The diesel Jazz is likely to pack a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel motor, which can pump 100PS of power and 200Nm torque.
When launched, the car will be squared off against Maruti Suzuki Swift, Nissan Micra, Volkswagen Polo and Hyundai i20 in the country.
Meanwhile, the Japanese car maker's recently launched Mobilio received more than 10,000 bookings within a week of its entry into the Indian market. Launched on 23 July in India, the new Honda MPV is priced between ₹6.49 lakhs and ₹10.86 lakhs (ex-Showroom, New Delhi).
Under the hood, Mobilio packs 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine and 1.5 L i-VTEC petrol engine. The diesel engine delivers 100 PS @ 3,600 rpm, maximum torque of 200 Nm @ 1,750 rpm and the petrol model promises to churn out a maximum power of 119 PS @ 6,600 rpm, maximum torque of 145 Nm @ 4,600 rpm.