Honda has released details on the European specification Jazz that will make its first European show appearance in Paris this October with sales following in early November. The European version of the Fit (see details here) will be offered with two new 4-cylinder petrol units, a 90 PS 1.2-litre and a 100 PS 1.4-litre i-VTEC. Offering 90 PS compared to the 78 PS of its predecessor at a slightly higher 6,000 rpm and torque up from 110 to 114 Nm, the entry-level 1.2-litre engine that’s matted to a 5-speed manual gearbox offers a combined fuel economy of 5.1 l/100km (46.1 MPG US), down from 5.5 l/100km, while CO2 emissions are also improved, reduced from 129 to 120 g/km. -Continued
Compared to the 1.4-liter i-DSI unit in the outgoing Jazz that produced 83 PS and 119 Nm of torque, the new 1.4-litre i-VTEC engine develops 100 PS and 127 Nm of torque. As well as a 5-speed manual gearbox, the 1.4-litre engine can be teamed up with Honda's new 6-speed automated manual i-SHIFT transmission that replaces the previous CVT (continuously variable transmission).
Despite the power increase and the fact that the new Jazz is slightly larger than its predecessor, Honda says that combined fuel economy is now 5.3 l/100km (44.3 MPG US) for the 5-speed manual model (down from 5.8 l/100km) and an even better 5.1 l/100km when equipped with the i-SHIFT semi-automated manual transmission (5.9 l/100km for the previous 1.4-litre CVT). Accordingly, CO2 output drops to 124 and 120 g/km, respectively (down from 137 and 139 g/km).
