The India-bound 2017 Honda Jazz (2017 Honda Fit)’s
launch in China is closing in. The facelifted model was recently spied
completely undisguised in the country, courtesy autohome.com.cn.
The Chinese-spec facelifted Honda Jazz borrows cues
from U.S.-spec version, which also sells as a Honda Fit. Exterior changes are
subtle in the new model. At the front, the new upper grille is positioned
higher up, and the bumper and air dam grille are restyled. The profile looks
the same as that of the outgoing model. At the rear, Honda has reworked on the
bumper. The new Jazz range will include a Sport variant featuring red bumper
highlights, black wheels, side skirts, exposed chrome exhaust pipe,
bumper-integrated rear diffuser and “SPORT” logo on the tailgate.
The 2017 Honda Jazz is 4,096 mm long, 1,695 mm wide
and 1,525 mm tall. The Sport variant, at 4,100 mm, is 4 mm longer. As per the
local publication, the small hatchback will continue with the L15B3 1.5-litre
engine post facelift. This naturally aspirated four-cylinder mill produces 131 PS and 155 Nm of torque. Like now, a 5-speed manual transmission or a
continuously variable transmission should channel drive to the wheels.
The facelifted Honda Jazz will not reach India this
year. India received the third-gen model about two years after the
international launch. Introduced in 2015, the Jazz here is still quite new, and
Honda probably doesn’t want the attention from the WR-V shifting to the
facelifted Jazz for the moment.