Honda Readies Jazz 1.5 for India

The Indian market is undoubtedly becoming more like a priority for global carmakers, so there should be no surprise when companies across the world announce plans to expand their local lineups. Take Honda for example. The Japanese manufacturer is reportedly aiming to bring more vehicles in this fast growing market and the next in line seems to be the Jazz series.

Only that, if the Jazz indeed makes it to India, the vehicle would only receive a 1.5-liter VTEC liter engine optimized for the local market. A report by Indian Autos Blog citing MotorBeam sources shows that the engine to be fitted on the Jazz is likely to output 118 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 146 Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm, while the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint will take around 9 seconds.

The interesting fact is that Honda previously denied the possibility to launch the Jazz in India, hinting that installing a larger engine to the local model would also boost costs which didn't make sense at that time.

"The 1.5-liter Honda Jazz makes no sense for India. The enthusiasts may like such a vehicle. If we increase the displacement, the product cost as well as the excise duties will go up. The A/T model overseas is coupled to bigger engines, like the 1.3 or 1.5-liter engine. The Indian model, quite possibly the only one, comes with a 1.2-liter engine and the volumes are low," a Honda official told the aforementioned source back in 2010.

The Jazz 1.5 on the other hand have been spotted on India's streets and, as far as some company officials are concerned, it could debut in the country in the course of this year.