Honda has been spotted road testing the next-generation Jazz on various occasions now and the car is expected to make a global debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this year. And before its official reveal, a picture of the car has been circulating on the internet revealing the hatchback’s front. It is also being speculated that the Jazz will come in a Type-R variant in the international markets, suggested through the red Honda emblem on the grille as well as the Type-R decal on the license plate.
According to the spied photograph, the Honda Jazz gets completely new styling and body profile. It gets black alloy wheels, LED headlamps with projectors, upswept LED daytime running lamps with black inserts, honeycomb mesh grille, a large air dam and new bumper design. The driver and passenger windows get the signature Honda quarter glass and the ORVMs are expected to have LED turn indicators. The car is also expected to get horizontally positioned tail lights in LED and a new refreshed bumper design.
While no clear picture is available on the interiors, our earlier report suggests that the car is likely to get a new floating design touchscreen infotainment system, a fully digital cockpit-styled instrument console and an automatic climate control air-conditioning controls different from the current Jazz.
In the engine department, the information is still scarce and the new Jazz Type-R is likely to come with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol motor with a 220 PS output and will be the most powerful Jazz built. Additionally, 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engines are also expected to be on offer. It is also rumoured to get a hybrid engine with a 1.5-litre capacity and 153 HP of power output, also seen on the Honda Insight. Honda in India as of now also has the super fuel efficient 1.5L i-DTEC engine which produces 100 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque matched to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The new Honda Jazz will compete with the Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza and the upcoming Tata Altroz.