Honda’s very slick and successful passenger car, Civic has been spotted quite a few times spy testing. However as usual, the heavy camouflaged model wasn’t very much revealing but we got a very good idea about how the exteriors are going to turn out like. Well, broadly speaking these companies go through a lot of trouble in order to maintain the secrecy from general public regarding their upcoming cars. But the anticipation of the fans couldn’t be controlled as they somehow find ways to go through the heavy covers and gather some very detailed and sometimes less detailed information about the features and the specifications. It’s only after the official announcement when we get the detailed and accurate information about the car. But nothing can stop the cameras from taking pictures of the cars being in the process of spy testing. The latest revelation came about the new 2016 Honda Civic when a photographer got the car clicked during the spy testing and accidentally it was pretty much revealing the insides this time around while the last time only the exteriors were visible.

However in 2015 Honda did gave us a glimpse of the 10^th generation of the acclaimed Honda civic during the New York auto show. It certainly did a very nice job as it gave away some hints regarding the styling specs of both upcoming Coupe and Civic Sedan and quite possibly a brand new Civic lift back model also. Inspired from the European-spec version of Civic a new Civic hatchback will also be made available, quite possibly. This is also rumoured to be the basis for the very high performing Type R.

The new Civic Sedan, expected to start selling from fall this year, got clicked very recently when a photographer clicked the photo during a spy testing on a prototype model. The leaked Patent drawings and photos have already revealed quite a big chunk of the exterior features but this time around, we are in a very good position to observe the interiors as well. It seems like the standard layout of the cabin will remain unchanged and will be following the same design philosophy as the current model, but the two tier instrument cluster from the current model is removed and replaced by a more traditional and standard single tier instrument cluster. The central consoler will be having a few more buttons than earlier and the other change which is likely to be present is that the infotainment screen has now been transferred below the air vents while previously it was placed besides them.

This model which got spied will be laced with a regularly and continuously variable transmission but the six speed transmission manual gearbox will also be made available as the standard one. Powering the engine will be a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine which comes with a unique variable valve timing. The aforementioned Type R will be laced with a 2.0 litre VTEC turbocharged engine.

Looking as the design it is quite clear that the new Civic looks sportier than the previous one.

Image Source: Motorauthority

Honda Cars India has done it again. The Japanese car major is surging ahead with massive sales growth with one after other blockbuster products. Honda Cars India has outshone the Indian car major and UV leader, Mahindra & Mahindra in last month’s market performance to snatch away the 3^rd spot in the Indian car market.

While Indian car major, Mahindra & Mahindra maintained its third leading position in the Indian passenger vehicle for the first two months of this financial year (April & May), the company’s sales volumes slipped quite a bit in the last two months (June & July). On the other hand, Honda India gained momentum with its new models namely the Mobilio MPV and the newly launched Jazz premium hatchback to cross Mahindra in the monthly sales performance in the last two months.

Mahindra & Mahindra had an average monthly sale of more than 18,000 units in the months of April and May, while Honda India was busy re-organizing itself and expanding its production capacity to make space for the production of the new generation Jazz. As the company gained fresh capacity and additional sales volumes came in from the Jazz’s launch in July, Honda Cars India easily reached the sales volumes of 18,380 units in the month of June and 18,606 units in the month of July which left behind Mahindra in the race. In the mean time, Mahindra & Mahindra’s monthly sales volumes dropped to 15,880 units in June and to a further lower 14,556 units in the month of July.

While commenting on the monthly market performance and on the consumer response of Honda’s latest launch, the Sr. VP of marketing & sales at Honda Cars India, Mr. Jnaneswar Sen said that the company is extremely delighted to have received such great market response for all new 2015 Jazz premium hatchback. The company would like to thank the valued customers for their continuous support to all the Honda car models and is confident that Honda India will continue to do well in the coming times in the respective segments as well.

Nevertheless, Mahindra & Mahindra still enjoys a delicate lead of 3732 units over Honda Cars India when cumulative sales are concerned in this ongoing fiscal. Moreover, while Honda has gained sales momentum with the launch of its new Mobilio and Jazz, Mahindra is bracing up for a huge comeback with the launch of the new upcoming TUV 3OO (codenamed as the U301) compact SUV and the upcoming codenamed micro SUV S101 in the next few months’ time. Thus, the Indian car major is also preparing for a great sales boost to fight better.

Mahindra’s president and chief executive of Automotive, Pravin Shah said while the Indian car industry is currently witnessing muted growth, Mahindra believes that new exciting products will turn the tide. Moreover, with the arrival of a good monsoon till now this year as well as fuel price reduction, the company is expecting overall industry growth.

The brand image of the Honda Motor Company Limited has suffered a huge blow due to the issue of the faulty ARC Automotive inflators and the Fit vehicle in Japan. Though Honda is not the only automobile manufacturer to face the consequences of the international recall, it is definitely, the most affected.

Honda is aiming to prove its efficiency in the global market with its current lineup. Honda is determined to make no more mistakes. The Company has already called back the 2016 Pilot models for a minor seatbelt problem as it does not want any more post sale complaints. The brand is planning to make up for the regulatory fines and recall costs in the very first batch sale of its upcoming models.

The Company is now putting technology upgrades and performance alterations ahead of sales targets as it is already lagging behind in the sales department and the only way it can be pulled back in line is by multiplying the number of satisfied customers.

A profit warning was issued by the Company in January this year. The report indicated chances of a 5 percent dip in the annual profits of the manufacturer by the end of the year. What really bothers the manufacturer is the loss of momentum in the U.S. market as major shares are invested in the U.S. bound projects. The focus is on aggressive growth through extreme performance. The Company is aiming at an amplified production capacity across the world.

The year 2015 has not been great for Honda. Apart from the Takata-ARC airbags issue, the sales in the U.S. were lower than estimated and the economic situation in Japan affected the profits of the Company greatly.

The profit has dropped by a solid 9 percent compared to the last fiscal year. The mass recall for airbag faults and the poor sales in the States account for a 17.2 percent fall in the net proceeds of the company. The fall of the value of the yen has resulted in a 3 percent drop in the annual revenues of the Japanese automobile manufacturer. A 13.1 percent drop has been recorded in the effective revenue due to increased expenses for ensuring better quality parts.

On the brighter side, Honda has achieved a milestone in the Guinness World Record for ‘lowest fuel consumption’ as the Honda Civic Tourer wagon recorded a 35kmpl fuel efficiency across all 24 connecting countries of the European Union.

The Japanese manufacturer is attempting to use the drop of the value of the currency to its advantage by shipping more automobiles into the U.S. while the prices are down. This is the reason behind the Company’s attempts in expanding its production base in the States. With the successful execution of all these plans and a sale of 4.75 million units in the coming year, Honda Motor Company estimates a very low profit of 0.4 percent in the coming fiscal year, 2016. The aim of the Company is to recover the losses and reach its previous profit records at a slow but steady pace.

The Honda Jazz started off a little wishy-washy on the drive in 2002 while the Volkswagen Polo, though started off unimpressively, attained a highly satisfying driving experience from the 2010 fifth generation version. It is time to find out whether the third generation Honda Jazz can compete the new Volkswagen Polo.

The new Honda Jazz will come with a redesigned, sparkling chassis while the new VW Polo will get an upgrade in the engine. After thee facelift, both the models are almost at par with each other in every area of concern, so let’s find out which contender wins the battle.

Price

The new Jazz is priced at a $16,990 base price while the Polo starts at $18,790. The Honda Jazz will replace its 1.3L engine with a 1.5L one and the 5 speed automatic transmission will be replaced with continuous variable transmission. The Polo will sport a 7 speed DSG.

Basic transformations

The soft dashboard, damped glovebox door and tactile buttons and spine-friendly seats of the VW Polo gives the car a more comfortable feel. However, the Jazz still remains the better looking car overall with more boot space than the Polo. The boot space of the Jazz is 25 percent more than the 280L of the Polo. Also, the folding ‘magic seats’ further add to the 350L boot space of the Jazz.  The folding rear seats of the Polo doesn’t match up to that of the Jazz.

Features

The Honda Jazz will come with a 7 inches color touchscreen and a back camera. The connectivity features include Bluetooth mobile connectivity and audio streaming. Android users will have fewer advantages with the car features than iPhone users. The HondaLink Navigation system can be downloaded for enhanced navigation.

New Volkswagen Polo

The base trim of the Polo has no camera or satellite navigation option, only the Comfortline variant will boast these features. Volkswagen has however replaced the poor Bluetooth features with a 5 inches color touchscreen, USB port and SD reader along with a standard Bluetooth device. Unlike the Jazz, the Polo has no steering wheel buttons, therefore, requiring the driver to stretch over to reach for the infotainment utilities.

Performance

The new 1.5L 4 cylinder Jazz VTi has a few changes but the torque and power remain unchanged. The 1.2L 4 cylinder engine of the Polo offers a lower power of 66kW compared to the 88kW of the Jazz. However, the torque is higher at 160Nm compared to the 145Nm of the Jazz.

The fuel efficient start-stop system, sophisticated drivetrain, and the noiseless engine of the Polo outdo the drive experience of the Jazz. The responsive DSG system renders a quicker response to acceleration and brakes for the Polo. The 66kW power does not help the performance though.

The Honda CVT has a slower response while the high power engine makes up for the lag. The Honda Jazz offers 1700rpm compared to the 2100rpm of the Polo at 100kmph. The Jazz the more fuel efficient than the Polo, offering 23 percent higher mileage.

Verdict

The Honda Jazz is better as a utility vehicle with a high mileage, huge boot space and fully equipped technology. The VW Polo offers luxurious cabin comfort and better driving dynamics. Both the cars appeal to different target groups.

Compelling more big names to come up with their new hatchbacks, Indian Territory is known widely for its love for the budget and the fuel efficient hatchbacks. Being in comparatively early stage, auto giants are eyeing Indian hatchback segment, seeing it as a very ripe market to enter. Along with the fuel efficiency, Indian consumers are extensively demanding about good features and the comfortability quotient in their cars. This lead a lot of companies to work hard to meet Indian car requirements in order to compete with others efficiently and have themselves a good market share. The current big names dominating the Indian premium hatchback segments are Honda Jazz, Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo and Maruti Suzuki Swift. Each one of them with their renewed features, affordable price are competing hard to impress generally unpredictable Indian consumers. We thought that it would be really interesting to observe these hatchbacks and pit them against each to conclude which one meets the Indian demands the best. Below are the observations we made.

Engine- Hyundai i20’s petrol 1.2 litre engine churns out a maximum of 81 bhp of power along with 5 manual gears transmission with 114 Nm of torque while the 1.4 diesel motor provides 88 bhp power with 219 Nm torque and comes with 6-speed manual.

Polo, diesel engine-1.5 litre is good for 90bhp and 230 Nm of peak torque. On the other hand the 1.2 litre petrol one churns out a maximum power of 75 bhp power with 110 Nm torque. Petrol variant comes with a 5 speed gear transmission while the diesel engine works with 7-speed automatic transmission.

Jazz’s 1.2 litre petrol engine gives 89 bhp and 115 Nm while 1.5 litre diesels works well for 99 bhp and about 200 Nm of peak torque. They provide 5 speed and a six speed manual transmission, respectively.

Coming to Maruti Suzuki swift, the 1.2 litre engine (petrol) gives out 83 bhp and 114 Nm with the 1.3 litre diesel one churning out a maximum power of 74 bhp with 190 torque. Petrol variant has a 5 speed manual transmission with the diesel one having 6.

Design – when it comes to the design what gives i20 an edge over others is the Hyundai’s very famous fluidic structure 2.0 philosophy that gives away a very unique and stylish look from the outside. While, others are decent as well but Hyundai is much ahead of them in this regard.

If the exterior of Hyundai is better it fails while comparing the interiors with Polo. Polo uses high quality materials giving it a stylish yet elegant edge over the others.

Features- All the models in competition are mostly similar when it comes to the features. They all come with cruise control, wheel laced with additional controls, ABS, ALS, an efficient multimedia system with display among others. Giving it a slight edge over the others, Jazz comes with a touchscreen LCD.

Price- Petrol of i20 ranges in between INR 5.50 lakh- 6.94 lakh with diesel variant, 6.42 lakh-8.05 lakh.

Polo is priced between 5.33 lakh- 6.41 lakh and 6.68 lakh-7.82 lakh for petrol and diesel variants, respectively.

Jazz, 5.31 lakh-7.85 for petrol and 6.49 lakh-8.59 for diesel.

Swift starts from 4.72 lakh to 6.17 lakh for the petrol and for the diesel it will cost you somewhere between 5.80 lakh-7.28 lakh depending on the model.

We all remember the bad phase Honda faced with its Jazz. But now it seems Honda has learnt its lesson and bringing the all-new Jazz which has been tailored to the Indian needs. Honda India is getting ready to re-launch the car in July and its prospects look quite promising. The number of competitors for 2015 Jazz has definitely gone up compared to couple of years when they discontinued the model. The Jazz will withstand equally with its exceptional features, and competitive enough to win the race.

Post the initial teaser’s, Honda Jazz has been gathering a lot of attention from the public with positive mindsets. To satisfy the curiosity we bring down the list of the facts about the all new Jazz.

Jazz is to offer the best fuel efficiency among the hatchback with its 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel.  Like Honda’s other two cars of City and Amaze, Jazz i-DTEC diesel will make 100 PS and will be able to deliver 200 Nm of max torque. Currently the City and Amaze delivers more than Maruti Suzuki Swift’s average of 25.2 kmpl. Thus the expectations are that the Jazz will be able to deliver more than Maruti Suzuki Swift which is its biggest rival. Moreover the car will be equipped with five-speed manual transmission making it a perfect car in this range.

In petrol variant, the car will be equipped with 1.2-liter i-VTEC motor which has proved its capability in Brio. The engine is capable of generating 88 PS and 109 Nm of torque. Furthermore, the engine will be mated with two kinds of transmissions – 5-speed manual and CVT automatic. This is the first time such a feature is being offered in India. Moreover the car will come with steering mounted paddle shifter to drive with ease.

Honda has improved the car, but they have also kept the best features of the last time. ‘Magic Seats’ feature of the previous version was a huge hit among users because it offered the option of carrying luggage and other small things with the seat. The new Honda Jazz will retain these special seats.

The car will have dashboard similar to that of Honda City with its black and silver color theme. The look might be the same, but the instrumentation and features look a bit different. The dashboard has the same multi-function steering wheel and the paddle shifters from Honda City but unlike Honda City, the pictures do not show the cruise control buttons or Engine automatic start button. The all-new Jazz is also equipped with multifunctional Navigation touch-screen system, which was missing, in the previous version.

The Jazz is the first car with all these interesting features. Moreover, Jazz has launched its first diesel variant in India. With all these exceptional features, the car looks competitive to take on the competition. Now we just need to wait for July to see its actual performance after the official price gets released.

Honda has a big launch for next month, Mobilio MPV; it is an Asian specific car. It launched in Indonesia a few months ago and is a big hit there; the car was showcased in grand style at 2014 Indian Auto Expo. So much of excitement is centred on the car, a MPV launch is definitely thrilling, and with Mobilio it explodes to no end. It is a special launch; the car will be promoted by an exclusive well known person Kapil Sharma India’s successful stand-up comedian. He will promote the vehicle via television commercial.

honda mobilio front

The commercial lasts for 2 minutes 30 seconds; Kapil Sharma is a salesman who tries to get customers attention with his intense wit. He is an experienced comedian and sends the message across using his own unique style. His demeanour suits Mobilio, a car built with the intension to offer great enjoyment and bliss to Indian families.

Images of Mobilio look stunning, it radiates to the core, and it is a seven seat vehicle offered in diesel and petrol variants. The diesel car gets its energy from a robust iDTEC 1.5 liter engine and the petrol vehicle moves on iVTEC 1.5 litre engine. The two engines are also used on Honda’s best time sellers new City and Amaze. The car will cost Rs 7 to 9 lakhs.

The build pattern of Mobilio is derived from Amaze; the front looks attractive contributed by the artistically styled headlights fitted with potent halogen bulbs. The headlights surround a smiley shaped radiator grille splashed with chrome on which is a creatively styled company logo. The car looks pretty urbane from the front contributed by arty fog lights and slender dam. The most loaded vehicle has rear wiper with washer and defogger. The large tail gate is filled with chrome insertions.

The interiors look superbly grand with vibrant beige and black theme, the professionally designed dashboard flaunts a radiating black shade and is further accentuated with metallic inserts. There is a world class touch screen infotainment system, robust air con unit, three spoke steering, sun visor, large glove box, rear view mirror, bottle holder, room lamps, vanity mirror, accessory power socket and ticket holder.

Honda has strategized its launches effectively with two great hits Amaze and all new City. The two cars have enabled the company to make impressive gains in May 2014. Honda has yielded significant profits for the past year most of which is contributed by Amaze. It does come as a welcome surprise especially at a period when the auto market is going through a rough patch.

Amaze and City have the qualities of a desirable car with regard to glossy exteriors, roomy interiors, potent engines and best-in-class mileages. The fuel economy value of Amaze is 25.8 kmpl and City offers 26kmpl. The diesel Mobilio generates 25kmpl. The same success story can be expected with Mobilio in a much bigger fashion.

For those who can’t wait for the car the launch date is just a few days away.

Japanese car major, Honda Motors has gained a lot of appreciation with its all new 2014 Jazz premium hatchback. The company has gone ahead launching the all new Jazz in several international car markets, the latest being the markets such as Indonesia, Philippines and New Zealand. After the huge success of the Mobilio MPV in the car market of Indonesia, the Honda 2014 Jazz has been also launched to grace the Indonesian auto industry.

2014 Honda Jazz RS

The new generation model of the Honda Jazz has been launch in Indonesia in just 3 trim model levels, namely – Type A, Type S and Type RS. The top end RS variant of the Jazz hatchback comes fully packed with all the bells and whistles that Honda offers in the specially design sporty looking RS variants. The new Jazz premium hatchback is the more up-market, enhanced and more spacious version of the highly reliable Jazz car which has been liked by the global car buyers for several years.

The all new 2014 Honda Jazz hatchback has been powered by the powerful 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol mill that does duty under the hood of the all new Honda City. The petrol engine is capable of churning out a max power of 120 PS and the peak torque of 145 Nm. The new Jazz has been launched in only its petrol version in Indonesia, as it is a petrol centric market. All the variants of the all new 2014 Jazz in Indonesia have a front wheels drive system and offer a 5 speed manual transmission gearbox as standard. The new Jazz’s higher two variants, namely the S and RS variants also get an additional transmission option of a CVT automatic gearbox, while the base Type A model trim only gets the standard 5 speed manual gearbox.

The all new 2014 Honda Jazz also comes with great safety measures and offers dual front airbags as standard irrespective of the model trim of the car. The range topping RS variant of the all new Jazz comes along with a sportier body kit for a more jazzed up look. The new Jazz is a bigger and better car in every aspect and offers more interior space as well. The all new Jazz also comes packed with many world-class features including keyless entry, pushbutton engine start/stop, leather wrapped steering wheel and gearlever, cruise control and 16-inch alloy wheels among many others.

The all new 2014 Honda Jazz premium hatchback has been launched in Indonesia with a price range of 199 million IDR to 248 million IDR (approximately Rs. 9.96 lakhs to Rs. 12.31 lakhs).

Honda Cars India is presently planning the launch of the all new Jazz in India. The car is expected to go on sale within this financial year, most probably towards the end of this year or early next year. For the Indian car market, Honda would power the new Jazz with the 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-liter diesel engines for superb mileage.

Honda is one of the largest manufacturers in India thanks to the sales of the Amaze sedan and then the addition of a diesel engine to the Honda City. While these models have been doing well, there are some other models that weren’t as successful in the market. The Honda CR-V and Honda Accord weren’t able to sell in good numbers and it was the same story with their premium hatchback Honda Jazz. The Honda Jazz is coming out soon in a new avatar and with a diesel engine option. The Honda Accord was also discontinued a while back and it is being reported that the ninth generation Accord will be launched here as well.

2013 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord will reach showrooms in 2015 and will add even more features to the luxury sedan. The eighth generation wasn’t able to sell much and the V6 variant hardly sold any units. It will compete with other luxury sedans like the Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb. This segment is dominated by the Skoda Superb and considering what it offers, it is a hard to beat car. Honda would have a slight edge with their wide sales and service network though. They are also known to have an edge over others in terms of reliability.

In international market, it is offered as a sedan, coupe, hybrid and plug in hybrid but we won’t see all of them. Like earlier we will get the sedan and maybe the hybrid. The previous generation Accord was powered by a 2.4 litre petrol engine which generated a peak power of 185 bhp and featured Honda’s Earth Dreams technology emphasising on efficiency. There was also another engine on offer but very few people went for it. It was the 3.5 litre V6 model for the enthusiasts. It generated a peak power of 278 bhp and peak torque of 342 Nm but was just as thirsty as the numbers suggest.

It is also being said that it might get a diesel option when it is launched in India. Though we aren’t very sure about it as people have started to move away from diesel engines due to the increasing fuel prices. It is hard to suggest anything for now. This ninth generation Accord looks very much similar to the eighth generation car except for a few improvements. The headlamps look wider and sharper and the grille on front has been redesigned to go with the sharper profile.

Honda Civic has been a successful model in the Indian market and it continued selling strong even years after its launch. But they have decided not to launch the new model because apparently the people at Honda don’t see a future for the car in India. It was a decent performer with looks that were futuristic for the time when it came out first. Honda is also going to launch a new MPV called the Mobilio. This new MPV is based on the Brio platform and will be powered by the engines from Honda City.

Honda is expanding its line-up in India and to do so, they are coming up with competitive products. The Mobilio MPV will be launched very soon and it seems to be quite an impressive one. It is based on the Brio platform and is powered by the engines borrowed from Honda City. Honda Vezel is another impressive vehicle that might make it to the Indian shores sometime next year. It is an attractive compact urban SUV based on the Honda Jazz platform. It was showcased first at the 2013 Detroit motor show. It will be Honda’s entry in the competitive crossover segment.

The Honda Vezel, as we already said is based on the Honda Jazz and shares various design elements with the Jazz and City. It is 4.3 meters long which is almost the same as the Honda City. It follows Honda’s familiar H design scheme. With all the elements in place, it looks much like a scaled down CR-V which isn’t a bad thing at all. It gets LED headlamps and an impressive grille. The grille gets a thick chrome panel like the present City. The headlamps extend deep into the bonnet and into the sides.

There are some nice lines rising along the length of the car. The glass on rear slopes down along the roof into the boot. The rear door handles are hidden in the glass section. The wheels are large and to give it a mighty presence, it has got flared wheel arches. The boot section looks nice with the large tail lamps that extend into the boot lid. The rear windscreen is small and comes with a tiny spoiler above it. Even though it has got small dimensions, it has got quite an impressive presence due to the design.

The impressive design is seen on the inside as well. It comes with dark interiors which would remind you of the costlier CR-V. The dashboard design is simple and it gets an impressive center console. The console features a touch screen infotainment system, steering mounted controls and touch screen climate control. You get push button start on this car along with keyless entry. You get other equipment like rear parking sensors and safety features like ABS and EBD. The Indian version is likely to come with beige interiors similar to the other top of the line variants in our market.

The engine options are what you find on the Honda City. The petrol engine is the popular 1.5 l i-VTEC engine with a peak power of 116 bhp. It will also get the diesel option that we see on the Honda City diesel. It has a capacity of 1.5 l and generates a peak power of 98 bhp. These engines will come mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. This new car will be priced north of 8 lakh when it comes to India and will compete against the Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and Nissan Terrano. Expect it to come out in 2015.