One of the biggest debuts last year has
got to be the new Honda Jazz, and as is customary, Mugen got first dibs on
tuning the B-segment hatchback. Many have lamented the softer, more organic
design of the fourth-generation model, but the Saitama outfit’s show car,
displayed at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon, adds some aggression back into the
mix.
The company showed two looks for the Jazz
using a really cool half-and-half application. The red side, called Dash, is
the sportier one and gets a carbon fibre surround for the slim grille, along
with a large front spoiler that reaches halfway up the bumper, complete with a
gloss black splitter. You’ll also find side skirts, a tea tray-like tailgate
spoiler and a sizeable rear diffuser, finished off with a big tailpipe.
Also from Mugen are the 17-inch
multi-spoke alloy wheels, door visors and door mirrors and rear tailgate
garnish made out of carbon fibre, and while the front fenders appear to sport
arrow-shaped vents, they are really just stickers – just like the stripes on
the doors and tailgate. Inside, there are Mugen-branded side sill plates,
starter button, door trim and camouflage floor mats.
On the white side, dubbed Skip, the car is
fitted with simpler lips on the front and rear bumpers and side sills, though
it still shares the wheels and tailgate spoiler with its more exuberant
sibling. The grille appliqué is also smaller here, with a side-mounted (rather
than centred) Mugen badge. This badge can also be found on the front fenders on
both sides.
Mugen hasn’t detailed any sort of
mechanical changes to the Jazz. In Japan, where the car is called the Fit, it
will be motivated by a new dual-motor Intelligent Multi Mode Drive (i-MMD)
hybrid powertrain – a smaller version of the system in the Accord Hybrid – to
replace the outgoing Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive (i-DCD). Both the car and
the Mugen components shown here will go on sale next month.
