New-gen Honda Jazz teased in hybrid guise ahead of Tokyo debut

- Next-gen Honda Jazz will only be offered with a hybrid powertrain in Europe

- Will break cover on 23 October at Tokyo Motor Show

Honda has dropped the first official teaser of the upcoming next-generation Jazz ahead of its official reveal at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show next week. The Japanese carmaker has confirmed that the new-gen Jazz will only be offered with a petrol-hybrid powertrain in the European markets.

According to reports, the fourth-gen Jazz will borrow its hybrid powertrain from the CR-V hybrid. This i-MMD hybrid uses a pair of two electric motors mated with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a CVT transmission. However, given that the Jazz is much smaller than the SUV, it might make use of either a 1.0-litre or a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a reduced power output than the CR-V.

We spotted the Jazz undergoing testing a few months back. And we can safely say that the Japanese hatchback appears to have grown further in size while adopting a new design language. Honda purists will be happy to note that the carmaker has retained the quarter window on the A-pillar. Meanwhile, the headlights on the new Jazz will be squared off with a new projector and reflector unit akin to the new Urban Vision Concept.

As can be seen in the silhouette teaser, the windscreen is highly raked lending the new Jazz a mini-MPV stance. Apart from that, the updated fascia won’t be in line with Honda’s winged design philosophy and there will be a new set of16-inch alloy wheels as well. At the rear, there will be high-placed LED tail lights but according to reports, the Jazz might adopt a new taillight design which will run across the tailgate.

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 mean 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. 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.

In India, the new-gen Jazz is expected to arrive only after it goes on sale in the international markets sometime next year. The powertrain for our market will remain unchanged and there will be a host of new-age features as well. More details of the ASEAN-spec Honda Jazz will be revealed at a later date.