Honda Jazz Hybrid i-DCD
Honda Malaysia has teased the Honda Jazz Hybrid at
the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC).
Under the bonnet sits the company’s Sport
Hybrid Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive (i-DCD) system, mating a 110 PS/134 Nm 1.5
litre i-VTEC Atkinson-cycle engine to a 29.5 PS/160 Nm electric motor, a
seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a lithium-ion battery.
Unlike the previous car, which utilises the
Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, the new model’s electric motor can not
only assist the petrol engine under acceleration, but can also power the car
all on its own. The system automatically switches between EV Drive, Hybrid
Drive and Engine Drive depending on driving conditions, and off-the-line starts
are done in EV mode.
A new electric servo braking system increases
regeneration efficiency to the lithium-ion battery, while a fully-electric
compressor reduces engine load. These contribute towards a significant 35%
improvement in fuel efficiency to 36.4 km per litre on the Japanese JC08 cycle
– a record for non-plug-in hybrid vehicles in Japan until the introduction of
the 40.8 km/l Toyota Prius this year.
The car seen here appears identical to the regular
Jazz, losing out on the full-height, continuous-strip LED tail lights found on
the Fit Hybrid in Japan. However, a peek through the heavily-tinted windows
show that it does come with a stubby drive selector on the centre console,
rather than the traditional CVT gearlever.
Looking around the cars engine bay and boot, we
spotted warning labels written in both Thai and Bahasa Indonesia. This suggests
that the car is not a Japanese-spec model simply brought over to gauge demand,
but an ASEAN-specific model designed to be sold in the region.
Source : Paultan
