Lol, I agree to your statement about the MID indicating steering position. However, I find elite i20 a much better bet than Jazz unless one badly wants the space and the magic seats. In my case, I'm no longer looking at the Jazz in any variant.
New Honda Jazz Officially Launched in India
- Thread Starter gaddambhargavareddy
- Start date
Here is what's going on in my mind.
Safety is very important to me and I am ok paying little extra money.So if there is any other car that has a ride quality of Honda CVT with better safety features I am ready to recycle my Jazz memory![[frustration]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Frustration.gif "Frustration [frustration]")
PS: I know there is VW but after reading couple forums.I rather opt one of the H brands
- I need an compact automatic petrol variant and I have a budget of 8.5 to 9lacs
- After knowing the cost.I am really in a dilemma whether to buy Jazz or wait for Elite i20 automatic(Do we have any news on that?)
- I am your average guy.I don't travel more than 50km per week.I work close to my home so using my car will be from point to A to point B with little city driving and few long weekend drives.
- I knew about cost cutting and the features it was providing.So I convinced myself to overlook them and even booked Jazz V CVT last week.Now I feel that bad taste when you see the heavy bill.
Safety is very important to me and I am ok paying little extra money.So if there is any other car that has a ride quality of Honda CVT with better safety features I am ready to recycle my Jazz memory
PS: I know there is VW but after reading couple forums.I rather opt one of the H brands
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Here is what's going on in my mind.
Safety is very important to me and I am ok paying little extra money.So if there is any other car that has a ride quality of Honda CVT with better safety features I am ready to recycle my Jazz memory
PS: I know there is VW but after reading couple forums.I rather opt one of the H brands
- I need an compact automatic petrol variant and I have a budget of 8.5 to 9lacs
- After knowing the cost.I am really in a dilemma whether to buy Jazz or wait for Elite i20 automatic(Do we have any news on that?)
- I am your average guy.I don't travel more than 50km per week.I work close to my home so using my car will be from point to A to point B with little city driving and few long weekend drives.
- I knew about cost cutting and the features it was providing.So I convinced myself to overlook them and even booked Jazz V CVT last week.Now I feel that bad taste when you see the heavy bill.
Safety is very important to me and I am ok paying little extra money.So if there is any other car that has a ride quality of Honda CVT with better safety features I am ready to recycle my Jazz memory
PS: I know there is VW but after reading couple forums.I rather opt one of the H brands
And i was just comparing the specs between s , sv and v model. The price difference is too big considering what honda is giving.
Anyways take a look at nissan micra XV cvt. It launched 2 days back , a new variant for cvt i guess. The top model xv cvt will cost you 6.90 lakhs and so many extra features than the honda s variant.
Take a td of micra cvt.
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Apart from Space, the Jazz is more practical, it is also more efficient and it also has a better petrol engine though it is laggy at low revs, it is also a better riding & handling then i20. It also has more responsive steering, these are the things which i20 certainly misses out. What the i20 has is fantastic looks, good after sales, equipment, diesel refinement & performance. Will you agree? If there is anything that the i20 does well other then these please mention.
If you're a true enthusiast, you should look at Performance & Dynamics rather then features. No one here or in the other forum is taking about other things about i20/Jazz. Its just features, features, features. The reactions I am seeing are quite un enthusiastic.
If you're a true enthusiast, you should look at Performance & Dynamics rather then features. No one here or in the other forum is taking about other things about i20/Jazz. Its just features, features, features. The reactions I am seeing are quite un enthusiastic.
Honda is neither for enthusiast or for good lookers. It has slowly lost its reputation over the years. For an enthusiastic driver who prefer good steering feedback, may look for either Punto or Figo.
Honda seems to have been mastered how to kill themselves in India. Has they been lowered atleast 30K in each variant, they should have earned good success or atleast, they should have given the premium for the money we are paying them. Suddenly, they opened doors for more sales for i20, Polo and Swift.
The exports of Jazz having great quality, but they are giving Shi* to Indians. Is that becoz they feel Indians are not worthy or they are paying too much taxes to Indian Govt?
Honda seems to have been mastered how to kill themselves in India. Has they been lowered atleast 30K in each variant, they should have earned good success or atleast, they should have given the premium for the money we are paying them. Suddenly, they opened doors for more sales for i20, Polo and Swift.
The exports of Jazz having great quality, but they are giving Shi* to Indians. Is that becoz they feel Indians are not worthy or they are paying too much taxes to Indian Govt?
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Coming to Jazz's driveabilty in the 1.2 P guise. it does requires frequent downshifts - this was the same in the earlier Jazz and Honda seem to be too lazy to rectify this carrying the same gear ratios as the earlier Gen, I guess.
This becomes tricky while overtaking, you need to frequently down shift a few gears and it is an irritant especially on highways.
What Jazz will score is only having an AT offering and that is seen in reports indicating the skew in bookings.
Jazz when stabilized will hover around 1500 -2000 units in monthly sales and will lag behind the Polo in this segment.
This becomes tricky while overtaking, you need to frequently down shift a few gears and it is an irritant especially on highways.
What Jazz will score is only having an AT offering and that is seen in reports indicating the skew in bookings.
Jazz when stabilized will hover around 1500 -2000 units in monthly sales and will lag behind the Polo in this segment.
I booked Jazz V CVT and it is costing around 9.75 on road as it is company lease bit higher cost. I currently own New Ford Fiesta automatic DCT and i10 automatic. My i10 served the purpose well for last 6 years and predictable with its response. I want to replace i10with reasonably safe car. Hence booked Jazz CVT. I am not very happy dual clutch automatic transmissions. After having not so good experience with how DCT responds in bumper to bumper traffic and slopes with bumper to bumper traffic, I decided to shift to 6-speed auto / CVT's in the near future. Similar behaviors observed with VW Polo GT, Vento TSI and Vento Diesel DSG. All the DSG/DCT boxes struggle to get enough power to move smoothly in the above scenarios. The very reason I moved to automatics is to manage the car without hassles in the above mentioned scenarios. VW, Honda and Ford are researching to see if they can club torque converter with DSG boxes. Until that becomes reality not looking at DSG/DCT transmissions. Like everyone I am also disappointed that Honda priced at least 30-40K higher than they should have. Based on my observations two options to replace my existing fleet are Jazz CVT and Creta 6-speed auto (If they launch in top end model). Like everyone I was so excited about the arrival of modern gear boxes but after experiencing it for my style of driving (max speed on any road is 85-90 in any vehicle) I prefer peace of my mind and predictability is important for me as opposed to fuzzy logic/learning module driven modern automatics.
I also feel Jazz is structurally better than i20 as we have seen most of Hyundai cars below Elantra are manufactured differently for India with comprised structural integrity and safety (i10 zero star rating is prime example). I could be wrong. Despite steep price I am going ahead with Jazz V CVT.
Even if I upgrade to next segment I will choose 8-speed/9-speed Steptronic auto transmission (one that BMW uses. just amazing test drive I had with this transmission) as opposed to dual clutch auto boxes.
I also feel Jazz is structurally better than i20 as we have seen most of Hyundai cars below Elantra are manufactured differently for India with comprised structural integrity and safety (i10 zero star rating is prime example). I could be wrong. Despite steep price I am going ahead with Jazz V CVT.
Even if I upgrade to next segment I will choose 8-speed/9-speed Steptronic auto transmission (one that BMW uses. just amazing test drive I had with this transmission) as opposed to dual clutch auto boxes.
Again see at this pov. What extra does jazz offers at that premium price ? Ok let's just forget about the features for now.
You say it has space , i agree.
But the reviews said following points.
1. The seats except in vx are bad. No thigh support and even a member said the length was not sufficient for him.
So there goes comfort. What's the use of extra space if it's not comfortable.
2. Lethargic petrol - i didn't know that jazz had sluggish feel to drive. You do agree that 90% of the people drives 70-80% of the time in city roads in traffic.
What's the use of downshifting like crazy ,there's no power.
Again goes the comfort.
Ps : i loved the diesel 1.5 and how the gears react when i took a td of amaze. Absolutely amazing. No need to downshift to 1st or even 2nd when you hit speeds as low as 15kmph.
3. Neutral handling characterstics. I read many reviews and they said handling is ok if not the best. Ok so jazz scores 21 here but the i20 is not far behind with 19. It's not that bad.
Just compare with interior thing. I20 scores 21 and jazz scores 19 and many members would say interiors are at par so i guess same should be said for handling.
4. High maintenance. Again posting this based on a previous report that jazz petrol was costlier to maintain than a polo diesel.
5. Not much features - goes the comfort.
And jazz doesn't have an enthusiastic feel to drive which you said.
They have done the same thing they did with the mobilio. The new launch will attract some buyers and afterwards sales will decline.
I really liked the magic seats but like you yourself said it's overpriced for what it offers.
So jazz has space , neutral handling characteristic, lethargic petrol , noisy diesel engine but with good driveablity , high price , less features , high maintenance and you yourself told us about the things about the i20. Just compare all the things and jazz is nowhere near i20.
You say it has space , i agree.
But the reviews said following points.
1. The seats except in vx are bad. No thigh support and even a member said the length was not sufficient for him.
So there goes comfort. What's the use of extra space if it's not comfortable.
2. Lethargic petrol - i didn't know that jazz had sluggish feel to drive. You do agree that 90% of the people drives 70-80% of the time in city roads in traffic.
What's the use of downshifting like crazy ,there's no power.
Again goes the comfort.
Ps : i loved the diesel 1.5 and how the gears react when i took a td of amaze. Absolutely amazing. No need to downshift to 1st or even 2nd when you hit speeds as low as 15kmph.
3. Neutral handling characterstics. I read many reviews and they said handling is ok if not the best. Ok so jazz scores 21 here but the i20 is not far behind with 19. It's not that bad.
Just compare with interior thing. I20 scores 21 and jazz scores 19 and many members would say interiors are at par so i guess same should be said for handling.
4. High maintenance. Again posting this based on a previous report that jazz petrol was costlier to maintain than a polo diesel.
5. Not much features - goes the comfort.
And jazz doesn't have an enthusiastic feel to drive which you said.
They have done the same thing they did with the mobilio. The new launch will attract some buyers and afterwards sales will decline.
I really liked the magic seats but like you yourself said it's overpriced for what it offers.
So jazz has space , neutral handling characteristic, lethargic petrol , noisy diesel engine but with good driveablity , high price , less features , high maintenance and you yourself told us about the things about the i20. Just compare all the things and jazz is nowhere near i20.
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@allhyundaicars,
I do respect you're opinion, but some points I'll not agree and will not debate them. So its done & dusted. Even if i20 is a better car overall compared to Jazz & vice versa, I do not get anything from it and neither will I feel anything about these. Even if Jazz turns out to be failure & if the i20 sales increase/decrease, i have nothing to do with it. People who like these cars can buy them, but only who know each of them thoroughly will choose the better product.
Peace.
I do respect you're opinion, but some points I'll not agree and will not debate them. So its done & dusted. Even if i20 is a better car overall compared to Jazz & vice versa, I do not get anything from it and neither will I feel anything about these. Even if Jazz turns out to be failure & if the i20 sales increase/decrease, i have nothing to do with it. People who like these cars can buy them, but only who know each of them thoroughly will choose the better product.
Peace.
If everyone has to decide based on their liking then what's the point of this forum. It exist to tell the negative or positive aspects that a person is not able to see. Anyways you tend to ignore the debate , no offence but there's no point in replying to you.
I own a Honda Brio which comes with same engine as Jazz. But the gear ratios are a lot shorter in Brio which makes it more responsive in traffic & at low speeds, and its light weight also helps. The Jazz though has taller ratios and is considerably heavier(114 kgs) then Brio. This does make it to feel lethargic under 2000 rpms, but as soon the engine starts, it is already at 1000rpm and when you drive of it hovers between 1k to 2k rpm. You'll not notice the rpms being under 2000rpm, you'll be higher once you're in 2nd gear and the 1st gear is sufficient to move the car. But once past 2000rpm, this engine is a rocket and you wont feel the lack of power, you can rev it upto 6500rpm.
This makes this engine sufficiently powerful for highways. The Kappa engine on Grand i10 is gem, but the same thing cannot be said for the i20. This is what I meant better performance of petrol engine of Jazz.
Regarding lack of some features, I have always maintained that Honda will not load thier cars as much as Hyundai. In fact not just Jazz, the Polo is also under equipped compared to i20. So in features the i20 is ahead, I have said this in my previous posts as well.
In terms of handling, the Jazz is no Polo thats understandable but it does better i20 and I am surprised that Honda have corrected the suspension because the Old Jazz had trashy suspension.
About maintenance, my Brio is a lot cheaper in terms of service costs. My 1st paid service was Rs.22xx. I shall leave that maintenance costs part to owners, let they comment on that.
Regarding prices, I think Petrol Jazz is on par with i20 petrol but the Diesel looks overpriced. Here the difference between i20 Diesel Asta and Jazz Diesel VX is 90k.
This makes this engine sufficiently powerful for highways. The Kappa engine on Grand i10 is gem, but the same thing cannot be said for the i20. This is what I meant better performance of petrol engine of Jazz.
Regarding lack of some features, I have always maintained that Honda will not load thier cars as much as Hyundai. In fact not just Jazz, the Polo is also under equipped compared to i20. So in features the i20 is ahead, I have said this in my previous posts as well.
In terms of handling, the Jazz is no Polo thats understandable but it does better i20 and I am surprised that Honda have corrected the suspension because the Old Jazz had trashy suspension.
About maintenance, my Brio is a lot cheaper in terms of service costs. My 1st paid service was Rs.22xx. I shall leave that maintenance costs part to owners, let they comment on that.
Regarding prices, I think Petrol Jazz is on par with i20 petrol but the Diesel looks overpriced. Here the difference between i20 Diesel Asta and Jazz Diesel VX is 90k.
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Dear Nishant,
I agree with all aspects that you mentioned regarding the Jazz. I was really looking forward to it and shelved my car purchase plans for over a year. For me, the drive is just as important as some features, which are part of my requirements. Of course, my needs may differ from yours -- I was only stating that. In my case, I was initially looking at the AT variant but as time passed, I realize that I can still live the clutch in order to enjoy the control and connect with the car a manual transmission brings. So now, I am looking at cars with a more powerful engine and a lighter clutch than the Wagon R's:) Suggestions are welcome.
If I chose the Jazz, I felt I was losing out on some aspects that my family finds more important. I may be enthusiast at heart but I also need rear seat comfort (where my family will be in most cases).
My enthusiast heart craves for the 1.5l petrol while creature comforts are for the family.
In the end, our priorities determine our choices.
I agree with all aspects that you mentioned regarding the Jazz. I was really looking forward to it and shelved my car purchase plans for over a year. For me, the drive is just as important as some features, which are part of my requirements. Of course, my needs may differ from yours -- I was only stating that. In my case, I was initially looking at the AT variant but as time passed, I realize that I can still live the clutch in order to enjoy the control and connect with the car a manual transmission brings. So now, I am looking at cars with a more powerful engine and a lighter clutch than the Wagon R's:) Suggestions are welcome.
If I chose the Jazz, I felt I was losing out on some aspects that my family finds more important. I may be enthusiast at heart but I also need rear seat comfort (where my family will be in most cases).
My enthusiast heart craves for the 1.5l petrol while creature comforts are for the family.
In the end, our priorities determine our choices.
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Honda showrooms have V or VX variants as test vehicles and in display.I was keen to buy the automatic Sversion and did drive both the manual and Cvt V version with paddle shifters. On instant pickup in sports S mode or even Drive D mode the engine revs. are considerable and the rubber band effect is prominent.This can be slightly compensated by the paddle shifters.But In D mode the paddle shift manually adjusted gear ratio remains only for 10 seconds and then the auto box takes over setting its default gear ratio.I had booked the S version CVT much before the lauch. But driving the CVT without using the peddal shifters is really annoying to drive with the engine revs. not adjusting to the default gear ratios. Also I did see the S version CVT in the stockyard and the instrument panel given in S version is down to basic.Just manual gauges and also the cental console with 3 inch screen is basic matt black low quality plastic.I felt as if it was the basic E version or a taxi quota car and not S Cvt version for which the onroad price stated in ahmedabad is 8.25 lac. I still don't understand honda's strategy of launching such a basic vehicle at such a premium price in the name of auto Cvt, that also w/o paddle shifters.
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Hello everyone,
This is my first post and its a pleasure to share my experiences and views & to assimilate your knowledge and to become a part of this admired community.
Today evening I test drove Honda jazz at peninsular Honda, Trivandrum.The display vehicle was VXMT one. But the TD vehicle was VMT orchid white color. Black interior of VX looked really better and the seats were more supportive. But the beige ones in the V trim are not that bad, as some reviews are claiming to be.
The first thing comes to mind once we open the door is SPACE. Space Space and Lot of Space. I felt like sitting inside a full sized Sedan.The engine was super-silent. I double checked whether the engine was ON. Steering was light; lighter than my Spark's. The steering started weighing up once I crossed 60-70 kmph. Driving was super smooth. Coming from spark, I didn't feel any sluggishness. Gear shifts were slick and clutch was smooth. Suspension, ride and handling were excellent. Interior finish and quality is very good. Doors were heavy and will educe confidence.
Even though I had booked the vehicle even before official launch, I was a bit disappointed once the price arrived. It was arond 30K over my expectation. But after the TD, I decided to go on with the purchase, as my wife and son were took an adamant stand that we should buy this car only. I was also impressed by the over all quality and practicality it offers(though at a premium). I am planning to wrap up the remaining formalities (Loan etc) by the end of next week.
This is my first post and its a pleasure to share my experiences and views & to assimilate your knowledge and to become a part of this admired community.
Today evening I test drove Honda jazz at peninsular Honda, Trivandrum.The display vehicle was VXMT one. But the TD vehicle was VMT orchid white color. Black interior of VX looked really better and the seats were more supportive. But the beige ones in the V trim are not that bad, as some reviews are claiming to be.
The first thing comes to mind once we open the door is SPACE. Space Space and Lot of Space. I felt like sitting inside a full sized Sedan.The engine was super-silent. I double checked whether the engine was ON. Steering was light; lighter than my Spark's. The steering started weighing up once I crossed 60-70 kmph. Driving was super smooth. Coming from spark, I didn't feel any sluggishness. Gear shifts were slick and clutch was smooth. Suspension, ride and handling were excellent. Interior finish and quality is very good. Doors were heavy and will educe confidence.
Even though I had booked the vehicle even before official launch, I was a bit disappointed once the price arrived. It was arond 30K over my expectation. But after the TD, I decided to go on with the purchase, as my wife and son were took an adamant stand that we should buy this car only. I was also impressed by the over all quality and practicality it offers(though at a premium). I am planning to wrap up the remaining formalities (Loan etc) by the end of next week.
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Finally, dragged myself to the Honda showroom to check out the Jazz. Whitefield Honda, Whitefield Road, Bangalore was the showroom. Did not do a test drive as the diesel variants were not available. The Sales guys expect it to reach in 10 days or so. Not really looking for the 1.2 i-VTEC as I am already tired with the 1.2 of our Dzire. Anyways, I spent almost an hour in the showroom checking out the cars and analyzing various aspects multiple times along with the general pulse of the public checking out the Jazz.
Probably because this was a Sunday, there were many guys and families checking out the car - As Honda targeted, these were families were the guys were between 25 and 35 with a small family with wife and 1 or 2 kids. Except for a family checking out the Mobilio, all others were there to check the Jazz. I saw how people nowadays come to the showrooms after reading all reviews and have a clear understanding on what to look for, what questions to ask, what is missing and what is not. For example: A lady asking why there was no engine bay protection for the petrol engine as the floor was clearly visible from under the bonnet. Many of them were also concerned about the absence of magic seats in the V variant. Some families expressed displeasure of the elevated middle seat in the rear bench of VX variant. The guy was telling his friend "May be Honda wants only four people to sit in their top end car and enjoy the comforts". Mostly the reaction was positive - I could see the awe when they saw the boot and also the amount of space on the rear. I actually saw at least two families putting in their money on the booking when I was present in the showroom. But then, will it be a success like i20 or City?? Hell NO!!!
Here are my impressions -
Exteriors
Front
Interiors
Front
Rear
Boot
I did not ask for any SA's help to take me through the features on the car. I am very sure, we know pretty much everything they are going to tell us (if not more). I did not want to hear anything from the misinformed over enthusiastic SA as I will inevitably end up in an argument with him trying to correct him.
I had only 4 questions to them to them and their answers in Italics.
And the inevitable happened - I would not let him go and conversation followed.
Conclusion
Honda has missed a Golden opportunity here. They should have priced VX variant at the range they are offering V now, or at least have offered magic seats in the V variant at the current price. I am sure that would have given a very very tough fight to i20. Now, buyer has to make a compromise even while opting for top 2 variants -
To me SV and V variant seems the most VFM especially to those who do not consider Magic seats as an absolute necessity. SV misses on ACC and some cosmetic features but still is VFM for what it offers.
Probably because this was a Sunday, there were many guys and families checking out the car - As Honda targeted, these were families were the guys were between 25 and 35 with a small family with wife and 1 or 2 kids. Except for a family checking out the Mobilio, all others were there to check the Jazz. I saw how people nowadays come to the showrooms after reading all reviews and have a clear understanding on what to look for, what questions to ask, what is missing and what is not. For example: A lady asking why there was no engine bay protection for the petrol engine as the floor was clearly visible from under the bonnet. Many of them were also concerned about the absence of magic seats in the V variant. Some families expressed displeasure of the elevated middle seat in the rear bench of VX variant. The guy was telling his friend "May be Honda wants only four people to sit in their top end car and enjoy the comforts". Mostly the reaction was positive - I could see the awe when they saw the boot and also the amount of space on the rear. I actually saw at least two families putting in their money on the booking when I was present in the showroom. But then, will it be a success like i20 or City?? Hell NO!!!
Here are my impressions -
Exteriors
Front
- The car looks awesome in flesh. Looks pretty big and has its own character. No doubts on the road-presence and should be pretty unique too - considering it won't sell as much as the i20 or Swift.
- Exterior panels and gaps were pretty consistent. Even though the gaps were not very tight, they were very consistent.
- Paint quality and finish looked very good to me. The Orange shade looked stunning. I am sure it is not metallic, but is it pearl finish?? Honda dealers have only mentioned Taffeta White is the only non-metallic shade. I wanted to check out the Urban Titanium but it was not present in the showroom. The Silver one also looked good.
- Sheet metal quality was decent enough and except the roof, no other metal portion flexed when I pressed using my thumb.
- The glossy black grille with chrome lip looked very good and MUCH better and classy compared to the chrome ones in the City and Mobilio.
- The honeycomb panel between the fog lamps on the bumper to allow air-flow flexed very easily.
- Headlamp cluster looks very classy and modern - integrates very well with the grille.
- The jets for the Wiper fluid is not the rectangular unit as in the City. It has 2 round units with 3 nozzles each. Like RavenAvi mentioned, the quality of the plastic looks below average. Under sunshine, it will become dull very soon.
- I actually prefer the round fog lamps to the differently shaped ones in some other cars. To be it goes well with the design of this car
- Side profile looks good. The tires did not look as under-sized as it appears in the picture, but R16 would have given it stunning looks. However, the thickness is less - should at least have been 185. Alloys also looks better than it looked in pictures.
- The doors were decently heavy and closed with a reassuring sound - might not come close to the Europeans, but is pretty much on par with i20. The wing mirrors on the door looks good.
- Doors open REALLY WIDE and getting in an out is super easy for anyone of any age.
- Character lines borrowed from the City looks good and breaks the monotony on the side. Also gives a more sporty feel.
- The rear looks very different and the Volvo like vertical reflectors are very well to my liking. The LED tail lamps also looks classy.
- The chrome on the hatch looks big and a glossy black one would have been better and consistent with the overall design.
- Rear Spoiler on the VX looks very sporty and gels with the overall sporty personality of the Jazz. The LED HMSL on it looks much better integrated compared to the ones on other variants.
- Rear bumper just for namesake. I would prefer at least a couple of centimeters more. I guess Honda should have given the car a length of 3999 mm and given the extra couple of centimeters to the rear bumper.
- Only VX gets mud-guards by default and even they are not body-colored. City gets body-colored units.
- The boot opening lever is old-fashioned. Not sure what comes in the Swift / i20.
Interiors
Front
- Design philosophy is very similar to that of City's. The HU and ACC units are slightly tilted towards the driver which is more apparent while seated in the co-driver seat.
- The presence of dummy round panel where the Push button for Start should have been there is an eye-sore but should it be a deal breaker? I am not sure.
- The HU in the VX variant looks decently integrated and to me - it does not look as bad as some reviews point out (including ours). To my eyes, both the HUs look equally good (or bad). The display unit is pretty big but I did not get a chance to check the touch effectiveness or the UI.
- The unit on V looks better integrated probably because the buttons come out of the piano-black console rather than from the audio unit itself unlike the one in VX, where the unit has with all buttons on the itself and the whole thing placed in the piano black panel.
- Quality of plastics is good enough to me and is not as bad as many reviews claim them to be. May not be in the levels of Polo but pretty much on par with i20's. The beige color and the grains used in i20 might give it a more premium look and feel but quality wise, I don't think they are too different. Both of them are hard but will last long enough and age well.
- In fact, I found the hand rest on doors to be better that those in i20. Felt more comfortable and easy on hands.
- Glove box is just sufficient and wires dangling in it is a strict NO to me. Pathetic work from Honda on this. SA said, since the AVN unit is huge, Honda was not able to integrate the wires to where it is in V variant, which sounds too absurd to me.
- When I asked if I can opt for the VX and get the HU in V variant, he clarified that the unit in V cannot be retrofitted in VX and even if done, it will be a huge task as the present panel housing the charging port in VX does not have provision for Aux and USB. So, that panel along with the piano black panel will have to be changed.
- All switches, controls, stalks are very similar to City's and feel good enough to use. Might not be as good as the i20's, but definitely not bad.
- Steering wheel looks very good and feels premium to hold.
- The dials look very classy and unique as it is slightly different from the one on City.
- The phone controls on the steering and paddle shifters has a nice click on operating and has good quality and feel to use.
- The siver detailing on the AC vents and doors breaks the monotony and lends a classy and premium look.
- The quality of black fabric on the VX was much better than the beige in V. To me, the front seats felt pretty much the same to sit on. There was good support and was very comfortable. The contrast stitching on the seat is not white though, it is grey.
- The button for Central lock is removed, but locking the driver side door using the lock-button centrally locks all doors.
- Gear level looks very basic and lacks the premium look and feel. I could see the metal rod of the gear lever and looked pathetic. In my Dzire, I could feel the rod under the art-leather cover.
- The cup holders plastics looked durable but shiny, probably a lesser grade of plastic.
- The gray color on the VX roof looked better than the beige on the lower models
- The sun visors looks to be of good quality and the mirror on passenger side gets a lid.
Rear
- Under-thigh support on the VX is slightly better than the ones in lower variants. Also the lower variants appeared to have a slightly lower seating. However, it is not as bad as mentioned many reviews. The difference will be noticeable for someone like me (height 6' 3"). Any Indian of average height will probably not even notice the difference (unless told).
- I had tried the i20 last week and the under-thigh support was only slightly better - probably around a centimeter. I am sure Mod Vidyut was sitting pretty relaxed on the seats and not upright - because I felt to have better thigh support than what is pictured there.
- Middle portion of the VX is totally unwelcome for an adult, I mean only 3/4th of his bottom will be touching the seat
Good enough to seat children. Lower variants have a much better middle seat. - Leg-room was plenty and I could comfortably sit behind by driving position (seat pushed all the way back and low with slight recline) with a couple of inches still left between my knees and seat.
Boot
- Boot was humongous and good enough for any family for a weekend outing. Also good enough for an airport trip and could move a house folding the rear seat flat - well, almost flat.
- The boot floor, above the R14 steel spare wheel is just name-sake. Very thin and light - not sure if it will last long.
- The tires on the display car were Goodyears and MRF, but the spare in both cars were MRF. Looks like they procured R14 tires from MRF only and R15 from Michelin, Bridgestone, MRF and Goodyear.
I did not ask for any SA's help to take me through the features on the car. I am very sure, we know pretty much everything they are going to tell us (if not more). I did not want to hear anything from the misinformed over enthusiastic SA as I will inevitably end up in an argument with him trying to correct him.
I had only 4 questions to them to them and their answers in Italics.
- Can magic seats be procured as an accessory or option in V trim? - Honda is not providing that option now, but might provide in the future based on customer feedback.
- Can the HU in V be moved to VX with all features as in V? - No, it will not be possible.
- Any alternative to the dangling cables in the glove box in VX variants? - No, you will have to live with it.
- City SV had customer complaints in audio call quality, especially when AC is ON, as the mic was placed on the HU itself and below the AC vents. City V and VX did not have the problem as the mic was on the roof. Now, Jazz SV and V has the same design with mic on the roof, but VX gets it on the HU, do you think this design will cause issues? - No, we did not get any complaints in City SV. Also, there is no mic on the roof - the mic is on the Audio system itself and there will be no issue.
And the inevitable happened - I would not let him go and conversation followed.
- I took him to the V CVT model and showed him the mic on the roof and then to the VX MT and showed the mic on the HU - No, the one on top is not mic. Since this is automatic, it is a feature in automatic. The mic on both models are on the HU itself. Actually the mic on the VX is also not where you showed me - the mic is integrated and you cannot see it from outside It is not a external mouth-piece mic
- Unfortunately they did not have a V manual on display. I told him, the CVT vs Manual is on the gearbox and what is this unit on the roof between the map-lights doing? - I understand what you say, but it is a feature exclusive for automatic and is not a mic. Mic is in the HU itself and you will not be able to see it from outside
Conclusion
Honda has missed a Golden opportunity here. They should have priced VX variant at the range they are offering V now, or at least have offered magic seats in the V variant at the current price. I am sure that would have given a very very tough fight to i20. Now, buyer has to make a compromise even while opting for top 2 variants -
- V - No magic seats but costs almost as much as the i20 Asta even though significantly lesser than the VX.
- VX - Mas magic seats, but costs significantly more than i20 Asta and also compromises on some features available in the V variant.
To me SV and V variant seems the most VFM especially to those who do not consider Magic seats as an absolute necessity. SV misses on ACC and some cosmetic features but still is VFM for what it offers.
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