New-gen Honda Jazz leaked ahead of Tokyo debut

- The new Honda Jazz (Honda Fit) will be revealed at Tokyo Motor Show

- Will be sold with hybrid powertrain only in the European markets

Honda will pull the covers off the new-generation Jazz hatchback at the upcoming 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. We have already seen the prototype of the supermini a few months back. Now, just a few days ahead of its official reveal, an image of the new Jazz (or the Fit as it will be called in few markets) has surfaced online. 

As we saw in the test prototype, the new Jazz will have a new design language with larger headlamps and a unique grille unlike the one seen on other Hondas. The hatchback will grow in dimensions and will retain the characteristic quarter-window on the A-pillar. The plug-in hybrid model seen in the picture has a simple-looking bumper and steel wheels with a wheel cover indicating that this might be a lower-spec trim.

There are no details of the cabin available at the moment, but we expect a thoroughly revised layout with the new Jazz. Moreover, bigger dimensions imply that the cabin will be even more spacious. It will be further helpful in integrating an electrified powertrain to a larger battery pack, thanks to the wider chassis. 

The fourth-gen Jazz will be offered only in the hybrid guise in the European markets. It will borrow its powertrain from the CR-V hybrid which uses the i-MMD system with a pair of two electric motors mated with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a CVT transmission. However, the Jazz might be powered either by a 1.0-litre or a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Apart from the hybrid powertrain, the conventional engine line-up could see a debut of the 1.0-litre three-pot turbo-petrol option as well. The powertrain for our market will remain unchanged and there will be a host of new-age features as well.

Meanwhile, in India, the new-gen Honda Jazz is expected to arrive only after it goes on sale in the international markets sometime next year. More details of the ASEAN-spec Honda Jazz will be revealed at a later date.