New supermini will be the first in the maker’s European line-up to be offered only as a hybrid
The next-generation Honda Jazz, which has been spied testing for the first time, will be offered only in hybrid from its launch next year.
Set for an unveiling at the Tokyo motor show in October, the top-selling Honda model in the UK is expected to be the first in the brand’s line-up to only offer a hybrid powertrain. This follows Honda’s announcement that all of its models in Europe will become hybrids by 2025.
Currently, the only model it offers as a hybrid is the CR-V, which indirectly replaced a diesel variant of the compact SUV. Petrol variants are also sold. Honda UK has seen great success with the CR-V Hybrid, which accounts for 60% of the model’s sales.
Following the launch of the hybrid Jazz in 2020, the next electrified model will be the Civic in 2021.
The Jazz is likely to use a powertrain similar in conception to the CR-V Hybrid, which pairs two electric motors with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a CVT transmission. However, given its smaller dimensions, the supermini will have a smaller combustion engine and less power.
The new Jazz must remain familiar enough to appeal to its loyal owners, of which there are many, typically older buyers, while also bringing in new people to Honda’s entry-level model.
These shots, which show the Peugeot 208 rival testing in disguise, hint at a minor evolution for the fourth-generation Jazz. The space-maximising upright profile and tall glasshouse remains, but with more curved lines and redesigned lights, bumpers and bonnet.
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Source: Autocar
