Last month, spy photographers caught the
next-generation Honda Jazz running road trials, and though clad to the hilt
with the usual camouflage wrap, there was plenty to suggest that the styling of
the fourth-gen will have a softer, less aggressive focus compared to the
current third-gen model.
Now, the new Jazz has been visualised by rendering
wizard Theophilus Chin, based on that gleaned from the latest spyshot set. The
headlights – which feature square projectors – are taller, and the grille is a
more conventional-looking design, giving the new car a more rounded outlook
reminiscent of that presented by the first two generations.
At the side, the door mirrors have been slightly
relocated, and the side surfacing has been simplified, with a traditional
high-set shoulder-line in place of the current model’s prominent shoulder
creases. Elsewhere, the tail lights drop the vertical presentation and are now
horizontal two-piece items to help widen the look of the car.
There should be very little deviation in the petrol
and hybrid powertrains for the new Jazz, which is expected to make its debut at
this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, but changes to the driveline are in store. The
automaker says it is planning to deploy its two-motor Intelligent Multi-Mode
Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system across its entire lineup of vehicles.
This will include a more compact i-MMD system for
small vehicles, which is reportedly set to debut along with the new Jazz in
Tokyo. The system will replace the once-problematic Intelligent Dual Clutch
Drive (i-DCD) currently seen in the Jazz Hybrid, which utilises a seven-speed
dual-clutch transmission.
