Honda is a highly trusted brand in the Indian market because of its high fuel efficiency, attractive looks and performance on road. Honda is known for its iconic sedan, the Honda City although it has introduced cars in almost all segments now- hatchback, MPV and SUV. The hatchbacks available from the house of Honda are the Honda Jazz and the Brio. Both cars are quite popular among buyers because of the assurance of Honda that they bring to the table.
The Honda Jazz was introduced in the country in the second edition in the year 2009. It has a petrol engine which was 1.2L in capacity and ofi-VTEC type. The car did quite well the first year of its launch. However, rising price of petrol slowed down the sales of this car and then Honda had to reduce the price of the car for tackling rapid dieselisation. The Jazz was discontinued to make room for the compact sedan, Honda Amaze, which has been made available in both petrol and diesel versions.
The Jazz was always an appreciated car because of the space available within the cabin and the large boot space which was ideal for weekends away. The Jazz showed the refinement that Honda is so famous for. If you have wanted to buy the Jazz but were unable to for the steep price, then a pleasant surprise awaits you in the form of the Honda Jazz with diesel engine. The sixth edition of the vehicle shall be launched in India and its position would be just below the Honda Amaze.
The latest Honda Jazz has been put through a makeover and it now has an aggressive designing language. It has a completely remodelled facia which is along the design patterns of other Honda vehicles although the grille design is completely new. The bumpers and sides have a chiselled appearance while boldly defined creases wrap the car. The D pillar is wedge shaped which has been carried from the older editions of the Jazz whereas the tail part has a more compact and focussed design.
The latest Honda Jazz shall be a little longer compared to the previous editions to make it more comfortable and spacious. The length of the new car is expected to be around 3.96m which is almost 60mm more than the older edition. The boost space is also being bumped up to the leading 390L one and the wheelbase shall also be expanded to 2.58m. The handling and ride of the car should better with the revision in suspension along with a steering which shall be re-calibrated.
The engine powering the Indian edition of the Jazz is supposed to be the same as the one powering the Honda Amaze and it will be available in 2 different fuel options- the 1.5L diesel engine and the 1.2L petrol one. The engine that is fitted currently in the car produces a torque of 109Nm and 86PS in the petrol engine while the diesel engine produces power of 100PS and torque of 200Nm. Honda may detune this model’s diesel engine to be at the 90PS rating for extracting higher fuel efficiency and remain at part with competitors. The vehicle may also have the 5 speed automatic transmission gear box that is currently installed in the Brio and Amaze’s petrol version.
The Honda Jazz has been placed below the Honda Amaze as it is a hatchback and Honda Jazz price would begin from Rs 4.7 lakhs for the petrol version while the Honda Jazz price for the diesel engine would be around Rs 6.5 lakhs for the diesel model. The Honda Jazz price positioning would certainly make it a worthwhile competitor for the Volkswagen Polo and the Hyundai i20. The maintenance and ownership costs of the car would also be more economical compared to the European models which would make it a high value for money purchase.
If you need a car urgently, the Honda Jazz is not a bad option at all. For a budget of Rs 4 lakhs or so, you can buy a used Honda Jazz which is a good enough proposition as the car has been made available again and you can get spare parts quite easily in case there are some repair works that need to be undertaken. The used cars market abounds in Honda Jazz models and you can get them in a variety of colours. The used Honda Jazz price is around Rs 4.5 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs, for a car which is around 3 years or so old. You can find models which have covered less than 20,000kms which ensures fuel efficient performance of the car without any damage to the engine.
You can enquire at the certified used Honda car dealerships for this model. Buying a car from a certified used car dealership is a good idea because you get a warranty of one year or 20,000kms (whichever is earlier) and also two free servicing. You can also try looking up the car in the online market as many individual sellers advertise to sell their cars directly without having to go through a dealer. You can read up the specifications of the car such as the type of ownership, whether it was a first-hand vehicle, the numbers of kilometres driven and the year of make. You can also find out whether the vehicle was a manual or automatic GT one.
Before you buy the Honda Jazz, you should inspect it thoroughly for dents, scratches and other damages to the car. Check the engine to see if any part was newly fitted in the car. Test drive the car it on a stretch which is both within city limits and outside it. Observe whether the car starts up instantly or takes time to warm up. Alternate between different gears and speeds to see how the vehicle performs. Make sure the bottom of the car does not touch the surface of the road or speed breakers as it would indicate damage in the suspension. Finally, go over the papers to check their authenticity before making a deposit.
Hatchbacks are perhaps the vehicle that most Indians have to settle for because of space constraints. Most city roads are congested and parking spaces are limited which is why more numbers of people have to settle for these hatchbacks. Car makers too have understood the needs of the people and cities of India which is why they are producing more numbers of hatchbacks. If you are thinking of buying a car but have a limited budget of Rs 3 lakhs, then you should opt for a hatchback because you would get better maintained cars and latest models for your budget. From Maruti Alto 800 to Hyundai i10, you can get a wide range of cars within this budget. However, one car that you should definitely opt for within a budget of Rs 3 lakhs is the Fiat Palio.
Fiat is a renowned brand which has been producing cars for the Indian market for quite some time. Who can forget the iconic Fiat Padmini that is still used as a taxi in some areas of Mumbai? Fiat was one of the most iconic companies back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. However, in the face of competition from Japanese and South Korean car makers, this brand fell a little behind. In recent times, the company is trying to make a comeback with models such as Fiat Linea and the Fiat Punto. The Fiat Palio was launched by the company in 2005 and it was continued till 2011. The car was one of the best diesel cars available in the market and its engine was quite powerful.
The Fiat Palio was available in two variants- the NV and the Stile. The NV was made available between 2005 and 2007 while the Stile was sold between 2007 and 2011. The NV was launched with an engine of 1242cc and it produced a maximum torque of 72PS at 6000rpm while the maximum torque produced was 102Nm at 3250rpm. The wheel base of the car is around 2383mm which makes the seating very comfortable in the car. The head space and leg space available in the car is ideal for all people, irrespective of their height. The ground clearance of 170mm is high enough for allowing easy entry and exit into the car. The top speed of the vehicle is around 152 kmph while the car could go from 0 to 100kmph within 16.9 seconds. The next model that was launched of the Palio was the Stile. The engine was slightly heavier set at 1248cc which produced a maximum torque of 184Nm available at 2000rpm while the maximum power was around 75PS available at 4000rpm. The availability of the maximum torque at a lower revolution per minute indicates that the car can perform very well at stop-and-go traffic as well. Both the cars were available with diesel engines which ensured that they were highly fuel efficient and were inexpensive to operate as price of diesel in India is lesser than that of diesel.
Even though you cannot get the latest models of the Fiat Palio in the market, you can still get cars which are less than 5 years old and have travelled fewer than 40,000kms. Usually the Fiat Palio is available under Rs 2 lakhs although for certain trims and specs such as age and kilometres travelled, you may have to pay a little more. The car is a good bargain because of its space efficiency and high performance on road. Moreover, you can buy the car under Rs 2 lakhs and then spend some money to get the car repaired and in top order. Therefore, you can get a good deal without spending your entire budget.
To buy a Fiat Palio, you can go online and look up the models available in your city. On car selling websites, complete details regarding a particular car such as its year of make, fuel variant, kilometres covered, gear operation and type of ownership (first owner or second owner) are specified. You can further narrow down the results by including your own list of wants such as your budget, colour of the car, fuel variant, year of make etc. Contact information of sellers is usually included in the listing and you can get in touch with them accordingly.
Buying cars online has become a common trend as almost one out of two people consult the internet before buying a used car, even if they do not buy one. Car selling websites vouch that the traffic that arrives from smart phones is around 30 percent of the total traffic, which is up from 10 percent in the past couple of years. Before calling a seller, you can also consult the price calculator for old cars on the website. Simply enter the specs of the car and the website will show you the true price of it.
You may also read up the reviews available for the car online before deciding to buy it. User and expert reviews are both available along with live chat options that you may consult. The cost of maintenance and the nearby Fiat garages have also been listed by the website.
When you go to check the car out, make sure you take a mechanic with you as he would be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with the vehicle and how you should get it fixed. He would also be able to provide you with an estimate for getting the car repaired. If the cost of repair and the total price payable exceed Rs 2.3 lakhs or so, it would be better you forgo that car. You should also test drive the car to assess its driveability. Make sure you choose a path which is partially on the highway and the city so that you know what it feels like to drive the car in both scenarios. Listen closely for sounds made by the brakes and engines along with vibration.
The Fiat Palio is a great vehicle to purchase and you won’t be disappointed with its quality.
