[maheshmenon]

Hi guys, a small disclaimer. This is a long and possibly a tiring/boring post for some. There is a TL; DR at the end of this post but please do provide your views!

I am in the market for a hatchback or compact sedan for my dad. The budget was 10 Lakh with some give or take some for flexibility. The car has to be a proper automatic (AMT’s / IMT’s not welcome, please!). After some market research we zeroed in on Honda Jazz and Honda Amaze both in the CVT avatar. We found them to be VFM and being a Honda, what could go wrong?

Now the deal is this, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that the Amaze is cheaper than a Jazz. I mean it just doesn't make sense to me! I mean apart from the platform differences, everything looks identical. We test drove both cars back-to-back and I found that both cars have an “acceptable” build quality at the said price point, under city driving conditions both perform as expected and on the open road both are equally mediocre. On a small note, I did feel that the Jazz was better built (in terms of shut lines and interior quality) and the Jazz felt more peppier than that of the Amaze (especially on the open roads) but my dad strongly disagrees and puts it down to the “Placebo Effect” and the fact that I am biased towards the Jazz(I do admit the bias).

Before, we draw conclusions, I would like to state here that my dad is a car aficionado, in short, I have a nagging feeling that if he has to choose between his four-wheeler and me, that he would choose the former with no hesitation whatsoever . Heck, his Chevy Aveo still looks like its just rolled off the assembly line, every ding or even a decal that has come off is promptly fixed in a CASS (no FNG’s for him!), this even includes the battery on the remote. Not to mention that the car sticks to the regimen prescribed in the Owner’s Manual, irrespective of the car having even run shot of a thousand kilometers. I just attribute it to the rigidity that comes with old age and the fact that he’s been an engineer all his life following maintenance manuals to a tee.

Sorry for the rant and now coming back to the topic, the only difference between the Jazz ZX and the VX trim is the sunroof (not required) and the LED headlamps (preferred, but not a necessity). But when it is compared to the Amaze VX, I get the LED headlamps (yay!) and avoid the sunroof all at a cheaper rate than the Jazz VX. So basically, I get to keep my cake and eat it too and get a cherry on top in the form of a discount over the Jazz. So logically it has to be an Amaze right? I mean it’s a no-brainer. Here’s where my ever-suspicious brain had me thinking. Am I missing something? Why is there a price difference between the two?

Some of my observations were:

• Exterior Design wise, the Jazz looks much better than the Amaze. The Amaze looks like it’s been cut out using a cookie cutter.
• The MID looks better and more organized in the Amaze vis-à-vis the Jazz.
• The Interior Fit & Finish and the Driving Dynamics of the Jazz seemed better. This was contradicted by my dad, in whose opinion both were at par.
• The HVAC controls of the Amaze (control knobs) seems much more intuitive than the Jazz (touch control) and feels more powerful too.
• The Jazz seems to be a laggard in sales, so we may be able to get some additional discounts. OTH, its nearing the end of its lifecycle and I may be pulled out anytime now.

I would appreciate inputs from fellow members who have done a similar comparison and also owners on the differences in the models. Also, if anyone had figured out, why does the Jazz cost more?


TD; LR: Jazz and the Amaze VX - CVT for the most part seem to be on par. Cannot understand why the Jazz is more expensive than the Amaze. Your inputs will be well appreciated to help me select one!

[morphique]

I cannot give you an opinion comparing the current models, but I had a Jazz VX 2016 for 5+ years, and I can assure you that at least that model was much better in both - build and interiors quality - compared to City and Amaze both (the models that were available back then) in my opinion. Even when I sold it last year, there were absolutely no rattles, and all potential buyers did notice that.

[SoumenD]

Well I already had a brio, so could relate to Amaze instantly while car shopping. Didn’t even feel like an upgrade except for the additional boot. However as you mentioned, Jazz felt better built inside out for obvious reasons. I hear quite a few folks mentioning the same thing that how can a hatchback be costlier than sedan? But the key aspect which everyone seems to ignore is the platform. Amaze is based on brio platform which was specific for developing countries. Whereas Jazz was always the global platform. Honda city is the relative sedan when you do a hatch:sedan comparison.

Anyways to me Amaze or any such sub4m sedans never appealed in terms of looks. And Jazz was spacious with better interior quality. So it was sort of a no-brainer. Been 3 years and 13,000kms of fuss free ownership. And the GNCAP rating further sealed my belief that its a solidly buit car by Indian standards. Even amaze should be 4*(going by SA version rating), but the Indian version isn’t tested yet. Only issue with my 2019 Jazz is the stupid 6 months service interval which is now removed from 2020 BS6 model onwards.

Please note my views are from 2019 March/April. I have no idea what changes have been done to both the cars post that.

[AYP]

A thread for your main query already exists and many members including me have given there inputs in the thread and most are of the opinion that the premium for a premium hatch is justified over a compact sedan-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...atchbacks.html (Why are compact sedans cheaper than premium hatchbacks?)

Quoting my post from the thread-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4803495 (Why are compact sedans cheaper than premium hatchbacks?)

Originally Posted by AYP

I am not at all surprised with the difference in the price of these cars. A few reasons I can think of-

1. The premium hatchbacks are built on a superior platform, often global ones compared to the platform on which the compact sedans are based, which are generally built for developing markets.

2. From what I hear, it is not expensive to make a sedan compared to an equivalent hatch as the hatch lid needs additional reinforcement compared to a boot lid of a sedan. Indian manufacturers milk our sedan mindset when it comes to let's say City vs Jazz, but perhaps this difference shows when it comes to compact sedans vs premium hatchbacks.

3. A repetition of point 1, but the compact sedans are generally based on hatches from a segment below and in the case of Tigor, 2 segments below. Ameo was an exception with it being based on a premium hatchback.

4. Premium sedans are much closer to the C-2 segment sedans in terms of built, interior quality and features. Examples are the Polo-Vento and the Jazz-City. While the i20-Verna and the Baleno-Ciaz aren't as similar to each other as the previous examples, but still, at least the i20 is much closer in quality to the Verna as compared to the Aura.

I don't think peppiness or added boot space should necessarily make the compact sedans more expensive than the premium hatchbacks. A sedan is more practical by the nature of its design irrespective of the platform underneath and might be more peppy due to its lower kerb weight. If a compact sedan has been launched later than the premium hatch, then it may be more peppy due to better engine tuning or some other modifications but even then, it doesn't change the fact that that the premium hatchback was engineered in a better way with a superior platform underneath.

As far as the Jazz vs current gen Amaze is concerned, the Amaze is a bit more modern but with the Jazz, you are practically getting yourself a 4th gen City(without the boot) which we all know if a segment above the Amaze. You get a better build and a more premium looking interiors in the Jazz. Amaze IMO should be preferred only if someone specifically wants a sedan and/or isn't too happy with the relative lack of sales of the Jazz w.r.t. the Amaze(IMO, it shouldn't be a problem).

With the recent GNCAP rating of 4 stars for the Indian Jazz, the choice is quite clear IMO.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ars-gncap.html (Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, Honda City (4th-Gen) and Honda Jazz all get 4 stars in GNCAP)

[Samegoodkid]

Originally Posted by maheshmenon

TD; LR: Jazz and the Amaze VX - CVT for the most part seem to be on par. Cannot understand why the Jazz is more expensive than the Amaze. Your inputs will be well appreciated to help me select one!

I would hands down suggest a Jazz over Amaze. With Jazz , what you get is a global car with oodles of space inside. I, too had checked out Amaze (although previous version) when I was in the market, but was not really convinced of the build quality.

[ron178]

I think it has a lot to do with the variant lineup. The Jazz no longer has an E and S trim level, and the Amaze no longer has a V. If you compare the Amaze VX with the Jazz VX the Jazz is only slightly expensive and for that you'd probably get better screwed-together interiors though you'd also be getting an older car of a previous generation. The lack of base variants for the Jazz probably stems from Honda positioning the Amaze for Tier 2 and 3 cities (that's what they said during the 2021 facelift's launch).

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Even amaze should be 4*(going by SA version rating), but the Indian version isn’t tested yet.

I'll repeat (and excuse me here because I have lost count of the number of times I've said it) that the Indian version gets the missing passenger seatbelt reminder that capped the one exported to Africa at four stars and not five. That also raises the question: why haven't Honda sponsored a test? Normally I'd be suspicious, especially because it's a high-volume model, but it's Honda India and this is not the first time they've shot themselves in the foot.

[Latheesh]

Difference between Made for India vs Global product. They just localised Jazz and removed features in India. Amaze was designed for India (means some cost cutting in places we do not see).

[sunikkat]

Amaze and Jazz are more or less like Hyundai Aura and i20. While Amaze and Aura are based on smaller hatchbacks Brio and i10 respectively, Jazz and i20 falls under premium hatchback.
There is significant difference in build quality between Jazz and Amaze. In the recent crash test Jazz fared even better than 4th Gen city. I would be surprised if Amaze perform that well.

[naru80]

I recently checked out both Jazz and Amaze.

I was surprised to see Honda sales staff themselves steering potential buyers away from the Jazz towards the Amaze. It could be their incentives, but the fact is Jazz is an older generation product which evinces little interest (in showrooms, not in team-bhp).

I would suggest go for the Amaze S CVT which is pretty good value at just over 9 lakh, and enjoy a holiday with dad with the money saved.

Or, if he's into gizmos, go for the i20.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Jazz has a lot of parts shared with the Honda City. Whereas the Amaze has part sharing with the Brio/Mobilio/BR-V. In the recent crash testing, the Jazz scored better than the City. Frankly, one look at both the cars and the premium Jazz has is justified.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

In the recent crash testing, the Jazz scored better than the Amaze.

No, the Jazz scored better than the 4th-gen City. The Amaze hasn't been tested for the Indian market but all the evidence we have is a result for a car exported to Africa (where Honda barely has any presence, hence the assumption that it's the same car), and there it scored better than the Indian Jazz for adult protection, good enough for five stars if not for a missing passenger seatbelt reminder on the African car (in India double seatbelt reminders are mandated by law). It does make sense because the Amaze was launched much after Global NCAP started testing for India, the City slightly before, and the Jazz slightly after (though neither got their current standard safety spec until 2016 after Honda made changes when they learned the Mobilio had zeroed at Global NCAP).

[maheshmenon]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Well I already had a brio, so could relate to Amaze instantly while car shopping. Didn’t even feel like an upgrade except for the additional boot. However as you mentioned, Jazz felt better built inside out for obvious reasons. I hear quite a few folks mentioning the same thing that how can a hatchback be costlier than sedan? But the key aspect which everyone seems to ignore is the platform. Amaze is based on brio platform which was specific for developing countries. Whereas Jazz was always the global platform. Honda city is the relative sedan when you do a hatch:sedan comparison.

Exactly my POV, I frankly couldn't put my finger on the points to prove that the Jazz was built better, but it certainly does feel so . The interior quality was at par (at least on the display models). My dad attributes it to the difference in dash colours. I certainly prefer an all black setup.
The test drive car for the Jazz was in much better shape than the Amaze. The Amaze did throw up some rattles but not the Jazz. But to be fair, the Amaze had clocked a lot of Kilometers as compared to the Jazz. Maybe the owners of the Amaze can chip in here?
The sales person did admit that the Jazz has a very mediocre sales chart, all eaten up by the Baleno it seems. That gets me thinking, will the change to the AMT in the facelift Baleno be a godsend for the Jazz?

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Only issue with my 2019 Jazz is the stupid 6 months service interval which is now removed from 2020 BS6 model onwards.

This I was not aware, thanks for bringing this up. The 6 month interval was not only increasing the maintenance cost but was also quite a pain.

Originally Posted by AYP

A thread for your main query already exists and many members including me have given there inputs in the thread and most are of the opinion that the premium for a premium hatch is justified over a compact sedan

As far as the Jazz vs current gen Amaze is concerned, the Amaze is a bit more modern but with the Jazz, you are practically getting yourself a 4th gen City(without the boot) which we all know if a segment above the Amaze. You get a better build and a more premium looking interiors in the Jazz. Amaze IMO should be preferred only if someone specifically wants a sedan and/or isn't too happy with the relative lack of sales of the Jazz w.r.t. the Amaze(IMO, it shouldn't be a problem).

Thanks for sharing the thread details, I was searching specifically for the Jazz and Amaze hence I did miss it. But you have put forth some excellent points.
But in no terms was I expecting the Amaze to be a costlier proposition. I was expecting them to at least be at par. the reinforcements for the boot as well as the mechanisms for its operation for the Jazz should be offset by the extra sheetmetal & stamping processes for the Amaze's boot?

Originally Posted by naru80

I recently checked out both Jazz and Amaze.

I was surprised to see Honda sales staff themselves steering potential buyers away from the Jazz towards the Amaze. It could be their incentives, but the fact is Jazz is an older generation product which evinces little interest (in showrooms, not in team-bhp).

Exactly, since the Amaze is a faster moving product, dealerships have stocked them. The colours and variants were more readily available for the Amaze vis-à-vis the Jazz. But at least I didn't feel any hesitation or bias from the SA side. Not sure of the differences incentives for the cars but I didn't help but wonder if the SA had resigned to the fate that the guy interested in the Jazz would end up finalizing the deal in a Nexa or a Hyundai dealership!

Originally Posted by naru80

I would suggest go for the Amaze S CVT which is pretty good value at just over 9 lakh, and enjoy a holiday with dad with the money saved.

The Amaze S misses out among others the Rear Defogger and Reverse Cam. My dad (and me) are not incline to add after market accessories especially if the same is available factory fitted.

Originally Posted by naru80

Or, if he's into gizmos, go for the i20.

The Hyundai dealership was brimming with people and the experience there was pretty average at best. They didn't have an IVT for a test drive as well as the waiting periods as per the SA was "significant". I didn't bother to ask him the timeframe at that point since I was put off by the whole exercise and he also didn't bother to tell me. That being said, the star of the show in the showroom was the Creta, any other model and they just don't seem to have interest.

Originally Posted by ron178

No, the Jazz scored better than the 4th-gen City. The Amaze hasn't been tested for the Indian market but all the evidence we have is a for a car exported to Africa (where Honda barely has any presence, hence the assumption that it's the same car), and there it scored better than the Indian Jazz for adult protection, good enough for five stars if not for a missing passenger seatbelt reminder on the African car (in India double seatbelt reminders are mandated by law). It does make sense because the Amaze was launched much after Global NCAP started testing for India, the City slightly before, and the Jazz slightly after (though neither got their current standard safety spec until 2016 after Honda made

Originally Posted by AYP

With the recent GNCAP rating of 4 stars for the Indian Jazz, the choice is quite clear IMO.

The car will be driven in the city in the majority of the time. My dad, who is a septuagenarian, is also a pretty sedate and calm driver. So although NCAP is important, but its not a deal breaker for me per say. I would like to give Honda the benefit of doubt especially since the SA Amaze scored well and we do get the passenger Seat Belt Warning

Originally Posted by Samegoodkid

With Jazz , what you get is a global car with oodles of space inside. I, too had checked out Amaze (although previous version) when I was in the market, but was not really convinced of the build quality.

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Difference between Made for India vs Global product. They just localised Jazz and removed features in India. Amaze was designed for India (means some cost cutting in places we do not see).

Originally Posted by AYP

As far as the Jazz vs current gen Amaze is concerned, the Amaze is a bit more modern but with the Jazz, you are practically getting yourself a 4th gen City(without the boot) which we all know if a segment above the Amaze. You get a better build and a more premium looking interiors in the Jazz. Amaze IMO should be preferred only if someone specifically wants a sedan and/or isn't too happy with the relative lack of sales of the Jazz w.r.t. the Amaze(IMO, it shouldn't be a problem).

Exactly my point. I was just wondering if the Amaze is over priced by about 50k just to position it as a "Premium" offering against say an i20 or the Polo (erstwhile). The point being that since the Transmission and the engines are identical, this leaves a very small margin to cut costs.

That said the SA was very open to negotiations once the car was "finalised". So hopefully a Jazz VX at the price of an Amaze VX is possible ? or maybe I'm just being too optimistic

[Raghu M]

Can't give a specific justification but the Jazz appeals a lot more than the Amaze. The Amaze is just ugly looking while the Jazz looks much better. The interiors and the space would be much better in the Jazz. You also get the advantage of a hatch over sedan.

[AJ56]

As someone who has owned the 1st gen Amaze from 2013 onwards I’ll say if interior quality is important to you, don’t even look at Amaze, 2nd gen is slightly better than the original but not by much, Jazz is better than 2nd gen but still feels mediocre at best. Look at VW for the best plastic and paint quality in the budget.

Another very important point, Amaze and Jazz (and Brio) all use the Honda L44B 1.2L engine that is woefully underpowered, to the point of needing to be floored just get a move on in the city, highways it’s even worse, as below 5000 rpm it’s dead. Make sure your dad is fine with the low power output and consequent heavy throttle input needed constantly every time one wants to accelerate. Test drive extensively before putting your money down. Cheers.

[praveenkkr]

I've driven the Jazz for 5 years; sold it a couple of weeks back. When we were buying the Jazz, my family did not even want to test drive the Amaze after looking at the exterior and interiors. So, the decision was easy for me.

I want to bring one fact to your consideration.

Jazz is an amazing car and I did not face a single issue or even a minor niggle during my ownership, except one: ground clearance. With 5 people on board, it takes quite a skill to negotiate humps on the road. It was impossible to pass through a few notorious humps without scraping, which my Ritz could easily sail through.