Jazz -Select Edition- 1200 Km , 1 month review

 

Exterior Lets face it, the exteriors may not appeal to everyone (people have called it a mini Innova, and even likened it to a frog!), so I would not dwell too much on this. Though, I feel that it is one of the better looking cars around beaten only by the Polo. Lots of glass in fact makes the interiors a part of the looks.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Spectacular! The quality of plastics is at par with any B-segment car. 10 bottle holders are enough for a party inside, and believe me the cabin space will not be a hindrance. 2 bottle holders are strategically positioned in front of AC vents (it works!). Two glove boxes come in handy The magic seats are a godsend for the next time you go scenery shopping. Also, there is a nifty document holder under the rear seats, though I never used it myself. The rear seat is comfortable, and can easily fit 3 plump people. Also the thigh support is good. (If you are looking for better rear seats, you’d probably have to look at Swift).

Bottomless pit in the back of your car rivals any sedan (almost!), and is a major plus. The dash board is huge, and purely cosmetic. There is some space near the gearbox for loose change, your iPod, and etceteras. There is nothing extraordinary about the AC (if you like it real cool really fast, you must consider Micra), though, they should have provided climate control for the price. Audio controls on the steering wheel are pretty standard, and work well, an AUX in is useful, and 4 speakers are much better than most other cars.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox A feisty 90PS engine looks good in books. Jazz does feel underpowered in pothole ridden roads if you have your AC on, though that is true for most hatchbacks. Polo 1.6 is the car to go for if you want quality engine power. The acceleration is far from linear, and it feels alive only above 2000rmp. Also, the gearbox is pretty ordinary. It has given me a 17.1 kmpl on the highway, and a 16.2 overall (I do not use premium petrol).

 

Ride Quality & Handling This is where Jazz compensates for all its shortfalls. ABS and EBD work like a dream. The car stays super poised in speedy turns (tested extensively), and is probably the most silent car in its class (Micra gets slaughtered here). The steering wheel feels just perfectly weighted. The small snout makes the handling and parking better. The car stays pretty steady at 120, which is the max I have done on it. I had apprehensions about ground clearance, but Jazz has come out with flying colors on this aspect.

 

Final Words It sure is an expensive hatchback. You could go for i20 Asta (petrol) and get more comfort gear, or a VW Polo (1.6 Highline) and get a massive improvement on engine power, both for significantly lesser. But where Jazz takes the cake is handling, with cabin space, and interiors as the icingand the zillion safety features add to your confidence. To me Jazz rivals most sedans, and is worth the money you spend on it.

 

Areas of improvement You cannot expect star studded performance form a 1200cc engine, but it will be interesting to see the 1.5litre engine Jazz comes with in Europe (Honda Fit). For the price one would expect automatic climate control too.

 

comfort, interiors, handling, huge bootmay seem underpowered, pricey