Honda Jazz 2016 News

SUVs and utes are hot, sedans are not — that's the message from the latest monthly vehicle sales figures.

Technology gets cheaper as it becomes more common. Flat-screen TVs are a prime example -- once only found in a corner of high-end electronics stores, these days they are to be found in the supermarket trolley among the fish fingers and soap powder packets. Petrol/electric hybrid vehicles are going the same way thanks to efficiencies and economies of scale in the industry. Honda introduced the first hybrid vehicle, the Insight, to Australia in 2001 when it sold for almost $50,000. Now the cheapest example of the genre has just hit the Australian market and it comes from the same company. At $22,990, plus on-roads, the Honda Jazz Hybrid in price trumps its closest rival, the Toyota Prius c, by a grand. TECHNOLOGY The powertrain of the new Jazz is shared by the latest Insight – a 1.3-litre petrol engine and electric motor combined with a continuously variable transmission – with which the maker claims fuel consumption of 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions of 107 g/km on the combined urban/highway cycle. The 1.3-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine puts out 65 kW of power at 5800 rpm and 121Nm of torque at 4500 rpm, while Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist system, comprising an electric motor, starter and generator, delivers 10 kW at 1500 rpm and 78 Nm of torque at 1000 rpm. Over the past decade, the IMA battery pack and control unit have evolved and become more compact and lightweight, ensuring the car’s practicality is not sacrificed in the hybrid. The battery has an eight-year unlimited kilometre warranty and can be recycled through a Honda dealership. The petrol engine does its bit to save fuel too. During deceleration, for example, when the cylinders are under no load, combustion is completely cut out, enabling the IMA to increase energy recovery to charge the battery. This Variable Cylinder Management is also used to shut all four cylinders when only a little torque is required – during low-speed cruising for example. In this mode the Jazz Hybrid is powered by the electric motor only, with the pistons running idle; no fuel is used and no CO2 emitted. A Multi-Information Display informs the driver how the car is being powered – by the engine, electric motor or both. After working on the car’s management system the team was able to cut the differences to 12 per cent. The cabin has similarities with the conventional Jazz. The dashboard incorporates a version of the Honda Eco Assist function, which uses ambient lighting of the speedometer to tell drivers how their driving style is impacting on fuel economy – blue for bad; green for good. DESIGN On the outside there’s little to tell the hybrid from the conventional Jazz. Differences include Hybrid headlights with a chrome-blue surround, clear rear LED tail lights, chrome-blue front grille and a chrome tailgate garnish. The Hybrid also has its own palette of colours – Alabaster Silver, Fresh Lime Green, Rallye Red, Taffeta White and Polished Metal. Honda Jazz features include what the company modestly calls ‘Magic Seats’. These can be configured in 18 ways allowing room for up 722 litres of gear to be carted. The Hybrid can take up to five on firm, quality material upholstered seats, with space in the cargo area for 223 litres (two suit cases) of luggage. Head room and leg room are good to generous all round. Other standard equipment includes 15-inch alloy wheels; Bluetooth and USB connectivity; and Vehicle Stability Assist stability and traction control, six airbags and Honda’s ACE body structure. ECONOMY On a run of more than 100 kilometres in Sydney suburban and country driving during the media launch the Jazz Hybrid recorded around six litres of petrol per hundred kilometres. That is 33 per cent over the numbers measured in a laboratory. During development of the Jazz engineers found there were significant differences in the fuel economy achieved between drivers – at an average of 30 km/h, up to 21 per cent. So the driver can make a huge difference to the efficiency of the car. An Eco Assist function helps the driver aim for the ultimate economy from the car in various situations and gives drivers continuous feedback on how their brake and accelerator work is affecting fuel consumption and impact on the environment. A stop/start engine function also plays its part. In the Econ mode, which in the Jazz, is brought into action by pressing an Econ switch, power output is limited (except during hard acceleration); driver acceleration action is smoothed along with the CVT shift pattern; regenerative brake energy is increased; air-conditioning recirculates more often; fan power is reduced more frequently; and during idle stop the air-con cuts out. Buyers are expected to be made up of mainly tech savvy, environmentally conscious females wanting practicality and versatility in a vehicle. Built in Thailand, the Jazz Hybrid is covered by a three-year 100,000 kilometre warranty, other than the aforementioned extended warranty on the special battery.  

The company that once sold the most expensive hybrid car in Australia – the bug-shaped Honda Insight that cost $48,990 when it went on sale in 1999 – has cut the cost of the technology by more than half in a little more than a decade.The price of a hybrid car has snuck closer to the $20,000 mark, with the new Honda Jazz hybrid undercutting the baby Toyota Prius C by $1000 with a RRP of $22,990.But don’t break open the bubbly just yet: it will still take at least 12 years to pay off the $7000 price difference between a Honda Jazz Hybrid and the most fuel-efficient petrol-only Jazz model.Based on the national distance average of 15,000km a year, the Honda Jazz Hybrid would use 375 litres less fuel than the standard Jazz annually, equating to a fuel bill saving of $562.50 a year based on the price of premium unleaded at $1.50 per litre. (See the table below).The arrival of the Honda Jazz hybrid is also likely to reignite debate about whether it is in fact a hybrid. It is 13 per cent thirstier than the Toyota Prius C hatch (Honda: 4.5L/100km versus Toyota 3.9L/100km).Unlike Toyota’s pioneering hybrid technology released in 1997, the Honda hybrid system is unable to move the car from rest on its electric power alone. Instead, the Honda’s smaller electric motor gives the petrol engine a boost once the car is already at cruising speed.Moving from a standstill is when cars use the most fuel. But the hybrid system in the Jazz is largely unchanged from the one Honda released in 1999, albeit adapted to newer models with redesigned battery packs.The new Honda Jazz hybrid arrives in showrooms next week, but it is unlikely to make any impact on the massive sales lead held by fellow Japanese car maker Toyota.Toyota has sold more than 4 million hybrid cars globally since 1997, and 1 million of those were sold last year alone. It took Honda 13 years to eclipse the 1 million mark, which it achieved in September last year.THE METHOD IN THE HYBRID MADNESS:Honda Jazz HybridPrice: from $22,990Engine: 1.3-litre petrol engine, 10kW electric hybrid motor assists at cruising speedsPower: 72kW/167NmConsumption: 4.5L/100kmFuel used annually: 675 litresAnnual fuel bill: $1012.50Honda Jazz petrolPrice: $15,990Engine: 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol enginePower: 73kW/127NmConsumption: 7.0L/100kmFuel used annually: 1050 litresAnnual fuel bill: $1575Price gap in annual fuel bill: $562.50Years to recover the $7000 price premium of the Jazz Hybrid compared with the cheapest model: 12.4 years Fuel use is based on the consumption figures on each car’s fuel rating label and the national average distance travelled of 15,000km a year. Fuel cost is based on $1.50 per litre, even though it will likely climb in excess of that over the next 12 years.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

The Jazz Hybrid, on sale here in early 2013 and priced around $25,000, is the fourth hybrid petrol-electric car from Honda, joining the Civic Hybrid, Insight and the CR-Z coupe.Like the CR-Z and Insight, the Jazz Hybrid uses Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system which couples its petrol engine with an electric motor.It does not need an external power source to be recharged. The battery that powers the electric motor recharges automatically from the energy from braking.Honda claims the Jazz Hybrid has an average fuel consumption of 4.5 litres/100kms and a CO2 emission of 107grams per kilometre. It can travel up to 850km on a single tank of fuel.Honda has also confirmed its new CR-V SUV will be at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney on October 18 and go on sale in November.The CR-V will be available with a choice of front-wheel and all-wheel drive and in petrol and diesel.

Honda will unveil a plug-in version of the Jazz at next month's Tokyo motor show. The Jazz is already available in world markets as a petrol and hybrid version. The plug-in Jazz will be closely modelled on last year's Detroit Auto Show design study. It has a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor. Honda says the car will reach a top speed of 145km/h and a driving range of up to 160km. The battery can be recharged in less than six hours when using a 240-volt outlet.

Honda's stand in Paris features the hybrid Jazz, the latest - and smallest in both size and price - to be added to their growing hybrid stable. Joining the Civic, Insight and CR-Z, the super-mini Jazz hybrid shares their sIMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system, with an electric motor mated to a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine, Under the bonnet, a 98kW/123Nm 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine is joined by a 10kW/78Nm electric motor, with the drive going to the front wheels via a continuously-variable transmission (CVT). It has stop-start technology that temporarily cuts the engine when you halt, with variable cylinder management, which can shut down all the valves to reduce pumping losses when you're driving on the electric motor only. The fuel economy for the Jazz hybrid is estimated at about 3.3L/100km, with CO2 emissions coming in around 85g/km.  The Prius, by comparison, has an official economy figure of 3.9L/100km with emissions of 89g/km. But the big difference for hybrid buyers is likely to be the price. The Jazz goes on sale in Europe early next year and is expected to come in at just $2000 more than the standard Jazz and about $4000 less than the Insight. With a very rough calculation in our market, that would put it at about $21,000 if it came with the $18,000 base model Jazz spec, but with a ceiling of about $25,000 if it was closer to the $21,000 top spec petrol-only Jazz. "It has a good chance of coming here," Honda Australia spokesman Mark Higgins says.  "It's certainly a model we have under consideration and it would be a good addition to the expansion of our hybrid range, which starts with Insight this year and CR-Z next year. "It's too early to talk pricing at this stage, but it would be a small premium for hybrid but obviously there would be long-term savings with that car as well. "Affordable hybrid is what Honda is all about. And if the Jazz hybrid hits our shores it makes the technology available to even more people."

It also intends to have a battery-electric commuter car and a plug-in hybrid in the USA in 2012, although there is no news yet on Australian sales plans for the cars.  Honda is committed to lithium-ion batteries for its next-generation hybrids and is also keen to see a growing line-up of hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars, says chief executive Takanobu Ito. He outlines the company's plans during his annual mid-year address in Tokyo and says all of Honda's planning is now a reaction to ‘the global shift towards smaller vehicles and greener machines’.  But Ito does not rule out conventional petrol power for halo cars at the brand, giving a renewed commitment to the V6-powered Legend flagship and also hinting on a smaller replacement for the S2000 sports car. "As we are in the midst of a difficult business environment, nothing is more important than going back to Honda’s basic principle, that is, to see things from the customer’s view point, and continue offering products that please our customers," Ito says. He says Honda has set three targets for the next decade: advancing environmental technologies, strengthening the brand's manufacturing system and building a stronger presence in emerging nations.  For Australia, the approach is likely to mean more high-tech Hondas but also a continued value push with cars built in Thailand. Ito is committing Honda to widespread development work as the company recovers from the global financial crisis, through to a smaller diesel engine for Europe, new petrol engines and transmissions, as well as a plug-in hybrid system suitable for mid-to-large vehicles - perhaps even SUVs and pickups - to meet future emission standards in the USA. "In the long-term, fuel-cell electric vehicles will provide the ultimate mobility. And Honda will continue working on the technological advancement of the FCX Clarity as well as our hydrogen refueling systems," Ito says.

In its new-found freedom, the country is also discovering customising and, with it, performance enhancements.  In a two-pronged approach to China's exploding car sales, Perth-based Sprintex Superchargers has completed five trial Honda Jazz models that it hopes will lead to a lucrative business. The cars have been supplied to the China-based Honda joint-venture manufacturer of the Jazz and are intended as precursors to either OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or after-market kits.  Sprintex business development manager Jay Upton says the supercharger boosts performance of the 1.5-litre Jazz engine but - more importantly - will deliver reduced emissions for a similar performance of bigger engines. He says the Jazz superchargers will initially be for export mainly to China, however the system will be offered in US and in Australia. No price has been fixed but expect about $3500.  "Whilst we did not really expect the local market to be excited by a hotter version of a Honda Jazz, we have been a little surprised by the interest from our home market," he says.  "It's not the car that I would pick to hide a supercharger."  Mr Upton says China is an attractive sale proposition.  "The China market produces more than 70,000 Fits (Jazz) a year and our partners there are projecting annual sales of more than 1000 systems for the car in China alone," he says. "We are expecting China to become our largest market and small cars to be the majority of that market.  More than 70 per cent of cars produced in China are 1.5 litre or less, hence the market for performance aids for smaller engines. The move to superchargers also follows similar product development in forced-induction and downsizing engines. China's biggest car maker, Geely, has three small-bore engines in 1.3 and 1.5-litre guises that go on sale in China next year with Eaton superchargers. Nissan will have a new Micra in Europe with an optional 1.2-litre three-cylinder supercharged engine that claims 40 per cent more power and about 20 per cent lower emissions than its 1.4-litre normally-aspirated sister. Mr Upton says the Honda Jazz trial unit in Australia - the other mules are in Asia - is a current model 1.5-litre V-Tec VTi model.  "The car uses the smallest current Sprintex unit, the S5-150, to increase power by about 40 per cent to 100kW, up from the standard 72kW," he says. "These are our measured figures, on our dyno, not Honda's stated outcome."  The alloy-bodied supercharger is the same base unit that is available as an aftermarket product for the Harley-Davidson Evo models and the Ducati Hypermotard. "In fact, the 150 - the figure means 150 litres a second of air produced - suits engines from 800cc to about 1800cc," says Mr Upton.  "The biggest we make suits engines up to about 4.5 litres, such as the bigger 4WDs. We have kits for those and are making additional kits for the new 4-litre V6 Toyota engine that's fitted to the Prado and Hilux. "We have a strong business supplying aftermarket kits to 4WDs and we see the move towards the smaller engines, such as the Jazz, as being our future. We have no intention of making units for the 5-litre or 6-litre muscle-car engines. "Our focus is on designing superchargers to make small engines maximise performance while minimising emissions and fuel use."  Sprintex also has supercharger kits for the Mitsubishi Magna/380 which are sold through Mitsubishi's TMR division.