[Nohonking]

Good day folks,

Well, its already refueled and no matter how hot the weather is, the very sight of the gauge touching "F" tempts me to drive more, as though to live. But, hey! its already been 1 year and 6 months of ownership with my Jazz V MT, and I must take a pit-stop to flip open the report cards as I go talking my car.



The basis of these report cards:

Odo speak: 13,000+ km
The big spins(major road trips): Mountainous 1,080 km in Uttarakhand and 2,518 km across UP & Bihar.
Roads it has swallowed: From those unavoidable peak hour traffic snarls to state-of-the-art expressways to BRO(border roads organization) roads to "Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojna" roads to flood washed & all stone!
Services done: 4
Lemons & the lemonades made(bugs fixed & warranty claims): 3

And here you go!








And what does Honda say?
Image courtesy: Inaugural ceremony, July 8th 2015, HCIL, Greater Noida


So why this difference and how did I arrive at these star ratings? Read on!


Index of Contents:

1. It was the time to buy a B2 horseless carriage
2. Love at first sight: The story of Jazz
3. Ownership experience: The good, bad & the ugly
4. Jazz - An excellent opportunity Honda didn't leverage fully
5. Jazzed up my Jazz.
6. 9 years with Honda: Experience
7. Annexure: Small yet significant.

[Nohonking]

It was the time to buy a new premium horseless carriage

H2, 2014 - Who am I?

An IT professional in his early 30s
Single = free bird fooling about!
Earning balanced to live well, as though serve well
Loves driving, hates racing
A sedate and a sensible driver
Respects everyone on the road, especially pedestrians
A hard core petrol guy(burning oils isn't me)
Love maintaining than replacing
Looking for a no-nonsense horseless carriage
Maximum permissible Vitamin M: INR 9,99,999/- table price(YES! An additional Re/- has all the power to flip the game)
Finance: Never ever!

Already owning a Honda City and close to heart & priceless '87 Maruti Suzuki 800, I was looking for a practical B2 hatch. And the options I did consider:

1. VW Polo
2. New fluidic Elite i20 (just launched and a center of attraction)
3. Nissan Micra
4. Skoda Fabia
5. Toyota Etios Liva
6. Ford Figo

As an exception, checked out Honda Mobilio for the attraction of those 7 seats which would accommodate my sister's family too during that once in a couple of years visit from the US, and the fact that nothing is like "all moving together"!

The thought process was clear with no confusion. The car must(with a compromise - should) have:

- A 4-cylinder configuration (for a 3 pot isn't refined/has a tendency to vibrate at idle)
- No less than 1.2L engine (for anything lesser is somewhere a compromise)
- A minimum 165mm of ground clearance, if not more (for the only drawback I feel in my Honda City - 160 mm ground clearance and always fearing while negotiating those unavoidable speed-breakers or potholed roads)
- Beige interiors (for both our existing cars were obsessed with greys)
- Must be spacious and comfortable for all the occupants (a feel good factor for all)
- Enough boot space to swallow my golf bag (and luggage for those cross country drives)
- Alloy wheels (for none of our cars ever had)
- ABS (for none of our cars did have)
- Dual SRS airbags (for safety & again, none of our cars did have)
- Steering mounted audio controls (for none of our cars did have)
- Driver's armrest (for none of our cars did have. Honda City does have an armrest at the rear bench, but honestly I do not remember if my dad ever pivoted it down)
- Push button start/stop (for it was something new & in vogue at that time)
- Turn indicators on ORVMs (for none of our cars did have as an OEM. I had got aftermarket ORVM LED covers fitted on my Honda City)
- Wing spoiler (for added aerodynamics & superior looks)

Honestly, my heart was with VW Polo ever since it debuted in India. I had heard a lot about the pathetic VW aftersales service and the fact that it housed a 0.4L x 3 pot, but still was willing to compromise. Took a test drive to realize that it was a typical driver's(only) car, no under-belly touches over those speed(a.k.a. car) breakers, the 3-pot engine did deliver to my satisfaction, good(not great) boot space, heat absorbing glasses(highline variant) but was let down by the crumpled rear bench(with limited leg room, my mom and dad weren't comfortable behind = not good for long trips with family). Moreover, as expected, the engine felt unrefined, noisy and would significantly feel a load the moment a/c was switched on. Another point worth mentioning is, as we walked in, it felt as though the staff at VW dealership weren't really interested to entertain us. I had to look here & there and literally wait for someone to attend me. Were they taking us for granted or overconfident about the products they were selling?

Went to check Elite i20. Looking at it, quality interiors, detailed engineering and its features, felt nice. But what? The Hyundai dealer didn't have a petrol variant to test drive and rather insisted me to test drive an oil burner, trying to take me for a ride with a plea that both have the same features . Anyways, no car to experience a drive = lost opportunity of sale.

Nissan Micra was one car I was impressed for its comfortable(and stable) drive along with the features it did offer in the fully loaded top end trim. I wasn't expecting such a good drive quality and its maneuverability over the speed breakers from this cute looking hatch designed around ovals. However, the power steering wasn't confidence inspiring(its behavior felt alike at parking speeds as though 90kmph). Again, the 3 pot engine was far from being refined and rather transmitted the vibrations into chassis at idle. To add further, turned on the a/c and significantly felt that extra load of revs on the motor. Well, what I still remember and appreciate is how polite, courteous and customer focused were the sales executives at the Nissan dealership. I honestly told them that being a 3-cylinder engine and the boot space far from meeting my needs, I won't be buying, yet they insisted me for a test drive to draw an opinion. Knowing the customer won't buy, still they behaved very friendly, happy to explain and optimistic during my entire duration of stay there. Something I must recommend for all other dealerships staff to learn from. I even got to see Datsun Go and Go+ for how VFM proposition these two had to offer.

Next on the list was Skoda Fabia. Went to check out but the dealership had closed the previous week, with no clue about the new address. The security guard outside was clueless either. Didn't check at any other dealership.

Moving to Etios Liva, it was a thumbs down for its interiors. Having read a lot during my MBA, Toyota concepts of TQM (Total Quality Management), lean production and JIT(Just In Time) or kanban, I always have had a special place in my heart for Toyota, but no way a car with poorly designed cockpit was acceptable. After all, this is what will always be going to stay in front of my eyes. Not test driven.

Finally, I was to check the Ford Figo, but honestly its very look didn't appeal and turned me off. Not test driven either.

So, where did my horses reach? which horseless carriage was I to zero-in on? Read on...

[Nohonking]

Honda Jazz: Love at first sight

First sight! Yes, this was March, 2008 when we were there to make the final payment towards our dream Honda City ZX. This was an era when:

- Honda = Only C1 premium and C2/D1 premium+ segment to offer on their menu
- Honda = The flagship City, Civic, Accord and C-RV
- Honda = No hatchback / No VFM(Brio platform) or mass-market segment
- Honda = High brand value / high on trust / undoubted quality / not a volume player or tending to be either

In a nutshell, unlike today, Honda's market strategy and product positioning was very well outlined. Wish this could to be a case today as well and Honda regains its diminishing glamour.

As we stepped inside the Honda showroom for paper work, all the three of us(myself, mom & dad) stopped by at the sparkling red cute looking hatch parked there. The car wasn't spotted there during our recent previous visits. All three of us were stunned embracing its beauty and reading the badge stating "Jazz".

Out of curiosity, we asked about its pricing and were told that the car hasn't been launched yet. This prototype vehicle is meant only to gather the customer feedback. But looking at its features, this should be priced 5.5+ Lacs. That heard, we proceeded to make the payment for our premium sedan. While that said, it was the love at first sight.

It was only after a good 1 year in March 2009, that this second generation Honda Jazz made its debut in India with Honda hoisting the flag of premium B2 hatch segment. And then, it was a different story for Honda to learn the lessons to finally discontinuing it somewhere in October 2013.

Coming to early 2015, while I was still undecided, there came a news that Honda is soon planning to relaunch Jazz. Couldn't there be a better news for us at that time? I dug further to gather that July 8th is the D-Day. Still a couple of months, I agreed to wait(impatiently ofcourse) making attempts collecting pictures and other information from the international variants already out there.

Came July 8th, we checked in at a nearby Honda dealership at about 11:30 am to only hear that the official launch is at 1 pm. What more, they didn't bother or make any effort to stop us or let wait = losing a prospective customer. So, we decided to leave and go around some malls and then eventually stepped in to our same old Honda dealership. Here, the things were quite different, for there was a projector setup with live webcast of the Jazz launching ceremony, a sitting arrangement for about 50 people with refreshments. Like us, many other Jazz lovers were waiting eagerly for the launch. Fortunately, my dad(being a senior citizen) was given an honor to unveil the beauty. A Jazz cake was cut as well. Soon after about 30 minutes, variant-wise sticker prices were revealed. Passed an other hour, a red license plate test drive Jazz had arrived straight from the RTO and I was given a small test drive. It was the VX variant. Below were my observations:

- Composed ride quality. I could relate it being at par with my City.
- It didn't scrap over a single speed breaker that I did negotiate.
- Not surprised with ~zero NVH levels.
- Good & confidence inspiring handling. Stable overall, with a little body roll.
- Good OEM ICE quality.
- Light clutch and effortless gear shifts.
- Somewhat flimsy seat belts(degraded over the ones in my City) & without height adjust feature.
- Didn't honk, so missed to hear that feeble horn.

I chose the V trim

After the unveil, the first thing I checked was the ground clearance specification in the brochure. It ticked to a 165mm. Next, I was to make a tough choice between the V and the VX.

The deal breaker:

VX: Magic seats + black interiors + sporty tailgate spoiler
V: No magic seats + premium beige interiors + add-on accessory spoiler

While, none of them featured a driver's armrest, daytime running lights(DRLs), push button start/stop and heat absorbing/UV cut windscreens/window panes(Why missed? The VX variant of Honda Amaze, which has been positioned below Jazz features a heat absorbing front windscreen). Honestly, these were the features I was expecting atleast in the apex trim and would have been happy to shell out an extra.

Black interiors weren't acceptable, and there ought to be a beige theme this time. So the V variant was zeroed in and booking was made via a cheque payment of 21,000/- to receive a welcome booklet for the vehicle planned to be bought during Navratras.

Back home that evening, logged on to Team-BHP.com and the official review was already out there to further let me touch deeper into the roots. Thanks to Suhaas307 & Vid6639 for having compiled an excellent review, that also induced a sense of assurance to me that I was going the "right" way towards the ownership to be experienced in the days to come.

[Nohonking]

Ownership experience: The good, bad & the ugly

Well, having gone for the V trim was rather a prudent decision. Why? Summary of features V vs. VX:



That said, I strongly feel that unless one is looking for the flexibility offered by Magic seats, or for the fact that beige is prone to soiling, there isn't a reason that one should go for VX.

The frontal dynamics:
Well, speaking of Jazz and the very first thing which hovers is the visual effect the huge front windscreen has, whose flow is carry forwarded by a much shorter hood featuring aesthetic creases, thus making it a superior aerodynamic cage. While the earlier(2nd) generation looked cute, this one projects a smart & sharp looks. The front bumper offers an "X" shape profile smartly housing the fog lamps(and DRLs), well complemented with a glossy black solid grille seamlessly taken over by the head lamps and a decent chrome lining flowing down, all looks stunning, yet matured.

But, the OEM equipment didn't feature day time running lights(DRLs), rather left a dummy slot to keep me reminding(rather irking) time and again which eventually became irresistible. After a lot of research, I managed to source an international OEM replacement DRLs for my Jazz. It added to boldness over sharpness. Also, worth noticing is the black flexi lip spoiler running(across) underneath the air dam to assist in underbody air flow dynamics and reduce drag.



Coefficient of drag: 0.285 (source)

The figure is a good 13.5% better than its predecessor(2nd gen Honda Jazz 2009-13) which has a measured coefficient of drag: 0.33 (source)
against the industry benchmark of 0.35 for a modern car.
Meaning, from design perspective in order to reduce the aerodynamic drag, Honda engineering has done an excellent job with Jazz and further improved it in 3rd gen. Some well-thought initiatives which I could figure out that Honda has taken in order to achieve this magical number:

- Lip spoiler underneath.
- Windshield flowing contiguous to the hood = reduced drag.
- Solid front grille with contiguous headlamps to let(more) the air flow go around rather than through.
- Windshield mounting A pillar garnish(see picture below).
- Front windshield wiper blades sit covered with the raised plastic cladding.
- ORVMs are mounted on the doors from under-pivot(and not sideways).
- Black sash tape on the B pillar.
- OEM FM radio antenna mast is short and has been positioned towards the rear, I have ameliorated it further with a shark fin.
- Shoulder crease flows along the doors to seamlessly merge down into the rear bumper.
- Rear edge of the roof(except VX trim) is inspired from boat tail diffuser and hence, contoured. However, I have gone for Honda OEM accessory spoiler which offers a drag reduction profile(unlike lift reduction).

That said, the rear end of the car still tends to collect a considerable amount of dust(especially near the wiper blade & the area just beneath the spoiler) owing to the vacuum zone formed as a result of aerodynamics.

The nose of this car isn't much extended ahead of the front wheels = easy judgment while parking, a lesser chance of hitting that pavement or speed breakers(I call them car breakers) or on an uneven road and also during a sudden uphill/ramp ahead. This is unlike our Honda City, wherein I always have to take into account that ~3/4 meter long protruding nose which hasn't yet got the needful lift since the responsible wheels to do so are trailing behind.

Had the nose been extended further(as in City ZX, Polo etc.), it was sure to scrap on this uneven road!


Short extend = Park it with ease!


Some judgment is needed though!


This is the first car in our home equipped with alloy wheels and I am not an alloy wheel guru but understand the fact that too much visually appealing alloys(i.e. less number of spokes/cover less circumference) are potentially dangerous for being prone to breaking since they are unable to bear those occasional extreme stress levels. The stock 15" alloys(Enkie) in my Jazz feature 10 spokes and the cool looking turbine blade design is contemporary. Further, I am happy with the stock proposition of 15" inchers to encircle 175 section rubber. Agree, a 185 or 195 section would have offered an even better ride and grip, but 175 section isn't a matter to complain either. More so, on the very day of launch, I had noticed that of the 2 display cars, 1 was shod with MRFs(ZVTS) and the other with Michelins(Energy XM1), while the test drive vehicle came wearing Bridgestones(B250). The reasoning was simple. Different lots, different rubber, but for the same priced car. So, at the time of buying I requested my SA to allocate me the one wearing either Michelins or Bridgestones. Request entertained, my Jazz came shod with B250s which offer a fair balance in all aspects(comfort, wet/dry grip, FE, wear resistance and road noise).

However, as I was detailing my car in her early few days, I noticed rust on the tie rods. The car was hardly 2 weeks old(and a maximum 1.5 months of its existence ever since Tapukara plant, Rajasthan - ~100 km from my residence in Gurgaon) and weather been dry, this raised my eyebrows to question on quality aspects at Honda. Well, no easy way, either get it painted or DIY wax it with water beading properties. During the first servicing, I checked out other Jazz and noticed the rusted tie rods on all of them. Well, I chose to profusely wax them myself.

Tie rods rusting. Huh!


A closer look.


165 mm of ground clearance was one of the critical deciding factors, as anything below wouldn't have been accepted. The car was bought but later it made me worry as the combination of 165 mm ground clearance and large 2530 mm wheelbase could fairly let the underbody to scrap. One slackness and my Honda City ZX(Length=~4.4m; GC=160mm; WB=2450mm) is sure to touch. With those figures, the picture below(clicked while parked unladen) may scare everyone, yet till date my Jazz(Length=~4m) hasn't suffered even a single belly touch. Not to mention, a couple of times though unintentional(and unavoidable), it has been subjected to jump over the speed breakers(a.k.a. car breakers) in high speed. Apparent reason to this = stiff suspension.

Easy-peasy! It won't touch!


But be wise & careful while negotiating turns since the wheelbase of 2530 mm affects the turning behavior. How? Simple, the radial path taken by rear wheels is significantly shorter than that of the fronts. Also, longer wheelbase = larger turning radius. The minimum turning radius of this ~4m long car is 5.1m vs. 4.9m for my ~4.4m long Honda City ZX. That said, large wheelbase brings in the goodness of:

- Added comfort
- More leg room
- Added stability at triple digit speeds

One peculiar thing I have noticed in my Jazz is the mismatch between the rotary speeds of left & right ORVMs. This difference is a good ~half a second and is noticeable both while opening and folding since the motor is audible. I wish Honda's quality control could have figured this out and corrected so that both the ORVMs rotate in tandem as a single system.

Get into this mono box and it feels spacious, open and a good visibility all around, however, the thick A pillars may pose to block your line of sight as you lookout before making a turn. Although, the quarter window has been provided to go about this, yet as a responsible driver, I always let move my head fore and aft to ensure none remains unnoticed behind these A pillars.

Let me look around the A pillar before I go around the circle to the right!


And now to the left. Ok the quarter window comes as an aid!


Housed on a rare to find asymmetric dash, I simply love the cockpit of this car which indeed is a sibling of the ones found in the current generation of City and W-RV. From design perspective, the most appealing is the manner in which the left(including ICE & touch panel) and the right of the MID(multi information display) are both tilted towards driver = easy access. Love the touchscreen auto a/c climate control. Thank you Hondafor this upmarket and contemporary feature. We need Honda cars be equipped with features like this. During initial days of ownership, I had to take my eyes of the road to make settings but this isn't a case anymore. Be it summer or winter, the a/c is all the time on, but I do not operate it on auto mode(for the blower is noisy) and rather operate it only in the climate control mode. Overall 7 levels of blower speeds, beyond 3 is audible if using "face only" mode. However, during peak summers, I go with "face + feet" mode(audible only after 5th level), where as in peak winters, I let it through the defroster vents. The feet vents strategically point the blow at A, B(larger vent) and C(smaller vent) pedals respectively, while co-passenger side also gets 2 vents pointing towards floor. Overall, cooling is ok. Never that my attention has gone to that dummy circular point for the missing push button start/stop.

Looks fabulous during the day!


And uber cool in the night! Notice the illuminated steering mounted audio & BT telephony buttons.


Upper one with silver accent is a dummy air-con vent to form symmetry.


Before I talk any further, let me share this timed click displaying all the 13-3 warning lights on my Jazz. Why -3? The low fuel warning light, the low engine oil warning light & the battery malfunction warning light. Sorry for the poor orientation as my primary focus was on capturing every light before it goes off.

While driving, the instrument panel must be free from any warning lights.


Lets talk about the ambient rings. Please click on the image for enlarged view.

Dark Blue <------------<----------<----->----------> Light Blue <----------<----->---------->------------> Green

Sitting behind the wheel, I keep watching the real time color transition(read it as dance) of ambient rings. While they look cool, they also cut the monotony without distracting and certainly come as an aid in changing your driving habit to a more sedate style. The change in color is a complex function of your driving style, gear level, RPM and engine profile(will touch upon this soon), all being measured & fed from the ECU to signal the appropriate color. But are these really that intelligent? Lets check 'em out:

• Unlock the car using remote key and open the door(only the driver's) and green rings welcome you. Your car is ready.
  
• Close the door and the rings quickly transit through light blue to dark blue.
• If the door is left open, the green rings stay there for 180 seconds (3 minutes) before going off. Once gone off, no illumination until the key is inserted in the starter.
• Insert the key in the starter, rings stay dark blue.
• Crank the engine, rings stay dark blue. Obviously, for fuel consumption has started while the car is still motionless.
• Shift it into 1st, bring it to motion but the rings continue as dark blue. Why? This is a very low gear ratio which can pull 1044 kilos(+ occupants) to 40 degrees of incline with ease, but doesn't offer a fuel economy range.
• Shift it to 2nd, and if haven't been revved hard in 1st to have crossed 20 kmph, the rings continue dark blue to soon transit to green. If you tend to push it hard in 2nd, rings again transit to dark blue.

Here, I'd like to mention that the behavior of rings is based on the amount of throttle opened, the current gear, the rpm and the speed. If one has a tendency to lug at low rpms(<1100 for Jazz), it is again a blue zone.

• Shift it to 3rd and if not lugging = speed is already >=25kmph and a light pedal touch = green post 30 kmph after which it again tends to fall in light blue and eventually dark blue. If pedal is pressed extra(which is generally the case since Jazz has a poor low end torque), the rings change to light blue and eventually as the speed picks up changes to green.
• Shift it into 4th(post 30 kmph) and a light foot = green. Again, below 30 kmph is lugging but still with a feather touch it stays green. Accelerate gently and it stays green until 40 kmph/1500 rpm is touched, post which even with a light foot, it immediately transits to dark blue.
• Shift it to into 5th(post 40 kmph) and continue steady acceleration to stay with green rings. Any sudden opening of throttle = light blue / dark blue rings.
• Shift it to neutral(while it was running in green zone), thus letting it scoot with revs fallen = Dark Blue. Why? This is where the intelligence of ambient rings fail. As you shift to neutral, the system correlates it to idling at standstill, whereas its still covering distance at a good 50 kmph and adding excellently to the fuel efficiency.

Further, since i-vtec offers a dual profile valve timing(which intelligently switches between sedate & aggressive), so is the behavior of ambient rings visible in both the profiles. To understand this, lets take below scenario in sequence:

Leveled road + 5th gear + 50 kmph(1600 rpm) = Green
Light hill incline coming ahead
Shifted down to 4th maintaining 50 kmph(2000 rpm) ahead of uphill(in order to avoid loosing momentum or revs) = Dark Blue
Uphill starts and you rather press it further down to maintain 50 kmph(2000 rpm) = Green
Similarly, uphill + 3rd gear + 40 kmph = Green, otherwise in plain = Dark Blue.

Why? Because now the i-vtec is running in aggressive valve timing profile. But any further pressing down in order to gain more speed while climbing will transit it straightaway to dark blue. Again, the entire behavior depends on how much is the incline and the amount of throttle you opened. Another instance is when you cruise at 100 kmph in top gear and ambient ring is green. Are you really driving in economy? No(from sedate engine profile perspective) & Yes(from aggressive engine profile perspective).

Apart from all what I have said above, there is something more I have noticed which impacts the performance of this car as though the color behavior of the rings. The outside temperature.
Hot outside(35 degrees or more) = drop in pickup and efficiency. Ambient rings tend to stay more in blues than green. Post 42 degrees, this drop in performance is very noticeable. Why so? Apparently due to hot air being sucked by the intake manifold. That said, during winters, I find the vehicle performing significantly better in terms of torque and fuel efficiency once the engine has fully warmed up. Add to it the yearend leaves and no wonder its my favorite time to plan the road trips.

One has to adapt in order to enjoy driving Jazz, and for that, one needs to understand this 1044 kilo creature powered by 1199cc i-vtec. The brochure states it churns 90 bhp @ 6000 rpm(note the red line is at 6500 rpm) and 110 Nm torque @ 4800 rpm. Meaning:

- Peak power delivery is close to the red line. Do I really drive close to red line? Ok, may be some day.
- Every day city driving hovers to a maximum 2000-2200 rpm which is far being only about 1/3rd of the scale to experience the peak power and not even 1/2 to experience the peak torque.
- To me, these figures are significant only for marketing and/or measuring the peak deliverables. What really matters to me as an owner is how it performs between 1000 till 2500 rpm(3500 at the max).

That said, let me share my understanding:

• Steering is progressive, quite effortless at the parking speeds and stiffens significantly on the highways. OEM leather wrapping is premium but sometimes slippery. Offers tilt adjustment only. My favorite position: Tilt it all the way down and let it touch my thighs.
• Although feels confident, but there is some body roll while cornering due to its tall boy stance. Thanks to stiff suspension.
• Also, stiff suspension = unsmooth ride on rough roads and some good jolts on potholed or so called pathetic roads. Jazz is best suited for smooth urban roads.
• Clutch is light and gear shifting is well slotted via the short(but ergonomic) leather wrapped gear stick.
• However, transiting from 3rd to 4th in particular, makes some lever movement noise. Better if it was dampened in a fashion similar to the rest of gear shifts.
• ABS(antilock breaking system)+EBD(electronic brake-force distribution) power assisted brakes are effortless and very effective. Will tend to skid only if the surface has sand/gravel.
• One touch lane change indicator feature is simply fantastic. A light touch and it flashes thrice to let you safely change the lane. However, 5 flashes instead of 3 would have made a better sense seeing our traffic conditions. So my take is touch it twice(meaning 6 blinks) for each time I change my lane.
  Certainly, this feature comes as an aid to civil one's driving.
• Seats are nicely designed and offer a good lumbar support. On the day long drives, no sort of things as in back pain.
• No Magic seats, yet the co-passenger(only) can be configured in "Refresh mode". All it needs is removing head restraint, sliding the seat all the way in front & pivoting the back all the way down. I wonder, Honda hasn't mentioned this feature anywhere. Knowingly?
  
  Enjoy the stretched leg sitting on the highways, but do remember to belt yourself on the rear bench
  
  
  ...And it levels seamlessly to bed!
  
  
• Driver seat has a healthy range(20 steps either way) of height adjustment from ultra low slung to high SUVish sitting and feel. Take your pick.
• That said, low slung position isn't ergonomic in city driving due to frequent need to lift your left foot to engage clutch. Unless you really want that racing car sitting posture all the time, it is only during those relaxed(but alert) highway cruises that I'd recommend.
• Rear tail lamps are contemporary LEDs. However, the turn signal, the reverse light and the license plate illumination lights are old school filament bulbs.
• Never felt air-con barging on its share of engine load. I had kept it on in defroster/climate control mode throughout my trip climbing up some 2000 meters altitude in the state of Uttarakhand. No issues noted here. The car was about 2900km on the odo at the start of 1080 km trip and this gave it an excellent opportunity to further run-in before the first oil drain.
• Fuel tank can hold 40 litres. The MID gauge is 20 pointer, but this doesn't mean each point denotes 2 litres. Firstly, the gauge isn't scaled linear. The first half takes longer while the second half tends to vanish the points sooner. Secondly, the entire 20 point gauge is calibrated for 35 litres and doesn't include the reserve capacity(5 litres). Moreover, the "km range" on the MID is based on 35 litres only. Meaning, while the range is showing 0 km, you may still continue to run another 70-80 km before the tank dries out. That said, this is only for your information based upon my test, please do not try stretching to extremities. My intent is to bare you from panicking in that rare event. Play safe and refuel well in time.
  Low fuel indicator lights up somewhere when 2+5 litres reserve is left.
• From OEM standards, the infotainment system is wonderful with 5" ICE head unit and 4 real loud speakers which are capable enough to produce those lower frequencies. The volume scale ranges from 0 to 40. I do not think any need for upgrade. However, a pair of tweeters is what has been missed(the reason, it loses half a star in my report card).
  Options available: FM1, FM2, AM1, USB, AUX, BT.
  The steering mounted controls can be used to vary volume, select source(USB/iPod/AUX/BT/CD/FM/AM), change songs & preset FM frequencies.
  Pairing your handset for Bluetooth(R) telephony is easy. Multiple phones(upto 6) can be paired but only one of them can be functional at a time. If pairing count(with same or different) phones exceeds 6, the system would need you flush the existing paring under the Hands-free telephony setup before a new pairing can be established. Caller's name/number flashes on 5" ICE screen. One can also make calls as the entire phone book gets copied to the ICE with recent call history. The voice quality is absolutely distortion free. Further, the car is well insulated and outside noise doesn't impact your call on the go. The party on the other side cannot make out that it was via the car's microphone.
  
  On call with my friend & clicking with the same phone!
  
  
  Further, change the source to BT audio and it speaks out GPS navigation directions from Google maps on your handset "in 200 meters turn right"!
  Connect your handset via USB port and use it as a mobile charger(1 amp). But, this requires you turn off the ICE till such time you want to charge your mobile. Meaning, playing FM radio or via AUX and charging your mobile cannot go simultaneously.
  The 5" screen of head unit offers a wide range of visual customization with multiple color themes(blue, red, amber, black) with/without analog clock display, audio file information display and a memory storage of 3 wallpapers. Take your pick. However, you cannot have audio file information display along with the wallpaper of your choice.(another reason contributing to the loss of half a star)
  
  Audio file information display
  
  
  Analog clock + amber color theme
  
  
  ...And here's my pick! No better way can "my Jazz" welcome "me" each time that I sit in!
  
  
  Team-BHP wallpaper - Something which can never take the mundane lane!
  
• For the supplemental restraint system(SRS) airbags to correctly perform their function of saving life, it is mandatory to wear the seat belt. For it is supplemental to seat belt. And so comes the seat belt reminder, which if unbuckled, will not only flash a warning light in front but also sound a buzzer(6 times in a row). Still ignored it? It will flash + buzz again in a minute. Still didn't buckle up? Flash + buzz in 30 seconds and then again at each 15 seconds. Trust me, it will irritate you enough to an extent to force you put on your seat belt. Feature available across all the trims, I bet you won't find a single Jazz on road being driven unbelted. Good job Honda!
  However, this feature is available only to the driver's side and has been missed for the co-passenger side who too is obliged to wear the seat belt. Well, keep a manual check here.
• Missed to release the parking brake and started to move? Again, the buzzer will follow to make you check the miss.
• There isn't any auto-sensing door locking feature. So every time you start, please manually do it via the central lock on the driver's door so as to lock all 4+1 doors. While one needs to form a habit of locking the door each time while starting, there's an advantage I see. Every time you turn off the engine waiting at a long traffic signal, the car remains locked & hence safe. Forming this habit is easy, simply link it as a task to follow each time you buckle-up your seat belt.
  Unlocking is easy. Pull the driver's door-open latch regardless and it is preceded by central unlock.
  Hood & fuel lid aren't linked to the central locking system.
• Fuel lid provisions a clip(inner side) to avoid letting the fuel cap hang loose while refueling.
• 1st gear isn't just necessary, but compulsory.
• In bumper to bumper traffic, do not hesitate to rev past 2000 rpm. That's "the only" way to cope up.
• Below 15kmph, 2nd gear is sluggish.
• Below 25kmph, 3rd gear is sluggish.
• During the initial running-in days and may be till 4K on the odo, if speeding up while resting your hand on the gear knob(to soon upshift), there was a good level of vibration felt in the 3rd gear. Today at 13K+, it has "almost" vanished.
• 3rd gear is tall. Swiftly shoot to 70 kmph with a breeze. Otherwise, even skip it to 4th, if you already touched 30 kmph in the 2nd.
• 5th gear can pick(sluggishly) from as low as 30 kmph, just in case you are lazy at shifting.
• Speed to rpm mapping in 5th gear on a leveled road:
  40 kmph - 1300
  50 kmph - 1600
  60 kmph - 2000
  70 kmph - 2200
  80 kmph - 2500
  90 kmph - 3000
  100 kmph - 3500
  110 kmph - 3700
  Haven't pushed it any further although the engine seems happy to accept my foot. Did maintain at 100-110 for almost 2 hours of easy and confident cruise, the vehicle stayed very much grounded. Yes, with a drop in FE.
• I think, i-vtec transits from sedate to aggressive profile somewhere around 2600 - 2700 rpm = <80 kmph in top gear, and this is where it feels drool powered, but at an expense of sudden dip in FE.
• Steep uphill, car tends to lose the momentum(and revs) the moment you engage the clutch in order to upshift. Why? Sluggish low end torque + 1044 kilos + occupants & cargo + upshifting = letting revs to fall. So either keep revving in the current gear and let it climb its own sweet way or push it hard enough before shifting up. I choose the former.
• However, 1st gear is low enough to let it climb as much as 40 degrees with ease. All you need is ensure it doesn't lose the revs while maintaining a healthy 2500+ rpm throughout, until you overcome that steep stretch.
• Reversing? On the leveled surface, sometimes you don't even need to press the accelerator(a.k.a. the diesel-ish way).
• Reverse camera is very finely calibrated to easily and confidently let you reverse to the last inch or ensuring the path the rear tyres will take. IMO, no need for reverse parking sensors. Although I did carry out a few tests during the early days itself for my judgment & confidence, today I again carried out a test in the car park to cook some food for blog. Sorry for the glare as the sun was shining right in front of the camera and on to my ICE screen.
  
  2 bricks have been placed on the yellow parking box in such a manner that if reversed straight, the car will closely pass through without touching
  
  
  Now, lets go inside and look these bricks & yellow box line through the reverse camera using different modes.
  
  Normal view: Notice the size of the bricks looks elongated. Meaning, even a small piece of object will become visible.
  Notice that one of the grid lines is outside/touching the brick while the other one is passing over it. But we know, neither of the bricks will touch the tyres.
  The view covers enough to accommodate 2 cars parked behind in the side boxes.
  If I turn the steering all the way in either direction, the farthest of grid lines is pointing at the projected radial path the will take.
  
  
  Wide angle view: Notice the panoramic view. I can see all the way in either direction. Cars parked next to these 2 cars are also visible. Meaning, very useful while reversing on a turn/T-point for the vehicles coming from ether way will get captured.
  
  
  Top-down view: Oops! The bricks are so close to my car. Looks I just saved.
  Notice that the bricks look smaller than even their actual size = Capture more objects in the view.
  
  
  Now let me go out and check the real estate. Wow! felt less, but I could still stand.
  Verdict: Calibrated very well. Rely on the camera grid lines & view, and you'll never regret. Yes, please keep the eyes open!
  
  PS: Post test, the strategically placed bricks responsibly removed from the parking lot.
  
  
• While sitting and driving ergonomics are favorable, I feel the floor somewhat slants forward while I rest my left foot closer to myself(urban driving) rather than on the provided dummy dead pedal(possible only during highway cruises).
• Jazz is a fuel efficient car and provided you understand it well, it will return a happy mileage. On the highways, 70-80 kmph is the optimum range to cruise. Post 80, it starts decreasing while post 90 this decrease is exponential. On the other hand, since Jazz loves to cruise and its coefficient of drag being as low as .285, it demonstrates an excellent scooting character. Fuel economy enthusiasts can make the most of it. As already mentioned, cooler = better, and so the mileage is better in winter than in summer!

What you see is NOT what you get! - Fuel economy analysis of my Jazz(combo: urban + highway)


That said, you can notice that the car runs a healthy range before needing a refuel and I am very much satisfied with her fuel efficiency. However, I made an attempt to squeeze the maximum out of it for a short run which was more like an ideal situation but YES! PRACTICAL on real roads amidst traffic, and this is what MID had on display.

Going by above FE analysis, can I read it ~26kmpl?


The glitches & the fixes

The very day I rolled out my Jazz from the showroom, I could hear some #1 niggles coming from my door side when driven on a rough tarmac'd patch of road. Knowing the fact that no dealership work can ever match the factory standards(only 95% at the best) and the fear of letting my new Jazz fall pray of hit & trials, I decided to live with them and cover the annoyance with lovely music from ICE.

Months later, came hot(read it very hot) summer. One weekend afternoon as the car was parked under sun in the open parking lot and as I came back & stepped in to turn on the a/c in auto climate mode = full blast, there came a tickle noise and to my surprise, #2 a crack appeared on the windshield starting from A pillar to horizontally run about a feet before coming to a halt. What now? Took my Jazz to the Honda service and explained them the case. Yes, a lot of explanations to a lot many people to make them believe that it wasn't a stone hit as everyone would suspect.

The visible scar


The matter was covered under warranty. A replacement windshield was ordered against my car's VIN and was replaced free of cost the coming weekend. Thanks to Honda for having considered it and that was the only sigh of relief. Else, I still had to pay a price in terms of spending a weekend off at the workshop, loss of the original RFID tag + PUC certificate stuck on the factory fitted windshield and lastly, not to mention workshop fitting can at maximum reach only 95% factory standards, no matter how much skilled the workforce is. Rework is bound to leave that rubbish mark. And its visible too.

Another couple of months and there started coming a #3 quirking noise from the dash/front. Sorry, I couldn't take it. Its high frequency would go past my ear drums to shake my soul. By this time, the car was about to turn an year old. I reported the matter to Honda since I wasn't sure of the capabilities of workshop. An appointment was fixed at the dealership workshop with one of their most experienced boffins. A test drive was conducted and with in initial 200 meters, the root causes of all the niggles were identified. The quirking noise was due to rubbing of plastic cladding(the one housing the wiper & washer) against the windshield. The Honda OEM foam lining(the one used during the replacement of windshield) was replaced with 3M foam lining and the issue was fixed. This foaming is much more thick and felt durable than the OEM which indeed felt ordinary.

The other niggle(from my door side, I mentioned above) which I was living with right from the day 1 was also fixed. The cause was an untucked cable running under the dashboard near my door side. Was it left loose right from the factory and missed QC checks at Tapukara? Anyways, after almost an year, now my Jazz was absolutely free from all sort of niggles. No charges were levied whatsoever. On another note, I must mention that I was indeed impressed with the skillset of this chap at Honda service and I well appreciated him. These are the kind of people at Honda service who set examples. Smell it, correct it!

Another 2-3 months, I happened to notice that many a times upon dis-engaging the parking brake, the car would still resist to move = #4 jamming of parking brake which would eventually come down upon driving a few kilometers. I thought that might be the rear brakes need cleaning or the piston(s) are jammed and need replacement I decided to take it up during subsequent visit for service. During this period, living with this issue, I did make a 2500+ km road trip as well. Showed this to Honda dealership during the 4th service later in Feb'17 and it was identified as defective right hand side parking cable, while the one on the left hand side was working normal. No spare readily available, I had to wait a couple of weeks till such time one was procured against the VIN of my car. I was asked to come over on a weekday, for this is a time consuming and a labour intensive job. A video was shot on how one wheel continues to stay jammed upon releasing the parking brake. No explanations were asked for everything was visible live. Covered under warranty, no charges did I have to pay. 1 day applied leave from the office and some botheration is what it did cost me. Still, I appreciate Honda for respecting warranty and fixing it fuss free.

That all experienced, it is evident that there has been a downgrade in quality standards at Honda both in terms of OEM supplies, as well as workmanship. Or, is it due to heavy localization by Honda in order to save & keep their profit margins? Or, focus on quantity is taking a toll on quantity? Not to mention, I am already living with(and will continue to) the rusted tie rods.

[Nohonking]

Jazz - An excellent opportunity Honda didn't fully leverage

While all along the preceding posts, so many times I had to use the word "however" to indicate that "missed factor" alongside.
Jazz has been one of the most admired premium hatches/MPVs. With, the re-launch of 3rd generation Jazz, Honda could have leveraged upon its potential making it the choice of masses. However, the monthly sales have nowhere been trending the chart. Why so?

Well, first let us have a look at Honda's marketing strategy with the 3rd gen Jazz. Screenshots courtesy: Inaugural speech & presentation by Sir Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, HCIL.

Who is the customer of Jazz?


What is his mindset?


That said in Honda's own words, their strategy should have made an attempt to steal the hearts of youth. But looking at the product revealed, there's certainly a significant gap. Not to offend anyone(company/person) in anyways, it seems either Honda's strategy is confused or they really didn't understand the target customers well. Let us see how the car could have really touched the customer's heart?

• 5 variants + 2 CVT, yet none of them a fully baked proposition in terms of features = Compromise/trade-offs. Does 25-35 year old youth love settling for compromises? Gap!
  
  If you want Magic seats, you cannot have a CVT.
  If you want Magic seats, you will have only 1 reverse camera view.
  If you want Magic seats, your approachability to USB/AUX ports will be thin.
  If you love the sporty spoiler, you cannot have a CVT.
  If you want beige interiors, you cannot have Magic seats.
  If you want black interiors, you cannot have a CVT.
  If you want black interiors, you will have only 1 reverse camera view.
  If you do not go for Magic seats, you will neither have a 60:40 split, nor rear adjustable head restraints.
  
  IMO, E trim makes no sense from any angle but for space & ride comfort. Believe, Honda kept this variant on offer only for marketing and boosting customer footfall at the dealerships - "All new Honda Jazz starts at just 5.3L". If I have spotted 100 Jazz on road till date, barely 3 or 4 E trims that I would have figured out. Moreover, the youth today is always willing to stretch further and shell out an extra provided he has his heart on. So the focus should rather have been on how to win their hearts rather than offering the lackluster E trim. It only adds to spoil the car's positioning. The E variant should rather have been scraped. Gap!
  
  S and SV make some sense for VFM conscious customer(may be some proportion of youth, but typically 40+ age) looking for a good ride with basic/utility features, but again V & VX should have rather been merged, with V offering more features such as beige magic seats + armrest while VX offering black/beige(choice of) magic seats + matching armrest, goodies of DRLs, push button start/stop, shark fin antenna, cruise control, UV cut glasses etc. Moreover, may be it was prudent to not to offer the AVN system at all which finds only little utility(once a while) and for that, our cell phones readily come handy. A level next, an optional variant VX(O) could have been offered with all the features of VX, but with a punchy 1.4/1.5L i-vtec and 16" alloys + 195 section rubber in an attempt to target that extra demanding youth who would be happy spending even more.
• USPs attempted to make delicacies: Room/Boot space + magic seats
  Rather than focusing on widely offering USPs across the variants, Magic seats have been restricted as a delicacy only in the top trim = Loss of popular sale. Gap!
  Another day, an office colleague looking to buy a nice hatch came to me excited enough that he loved the way magic seats go fully flat. I replied yes & told him that its only with black interior VX variant and do not expect in lower 4 variants to see him frown his face. This is just one such example.
• Missed some essential utility features: While many good features are there on offer, I wonder a vehicle which is obsessed with XXL size windshield and glasses all around doesn't have heat absorbing or UV cut glasses. Such a utility feature at least on the top end trim would have made a lot of sense for the hot/tropical climate of India. Moreover, when we already have the apex court ruling in regards to zero tinting, and mind you, youth is the first to feel the most of heat. Gap!
  Lack of OEM driver's armrest. Gap!
  The rear bench is missing 60:40 split in any variant unless VX. No adjustable head restraints either. Meaning, compromise. Gap!

Lastly, IMO, the accessory range hasn't been very mindfully composed and rather been priced insanely only for discouragement.

- The driver's armrest is available only in black. Why not beige as well when 4 out of 5 variants feature beige? Compromise!
- Further, its priced 15000+/-.
- Alloy wheels are priced at 11000+/- per piece = ~44,500/- for the set. In contrast, the OEM alloy wheels(featured on V & VX) have been priced less than 6500/- per piece = ~25,500/- for the set, not to mention the OEM supplier being the same.
- No option of beige floor mats. Compromise!
- Spoiler kits(non-Mugen) do not justify their price either. Complete set = ~64000/-
- At least DRLs could have been offered under accessories line instead of things like cabin foot light.

Honestly, till date I haven't spotted a singe Jazz on road fitted with replacement accessory front grille, underbody spoiler kits and accessory alloy wheels.

Only, the PU seat covers, mud guards and black fabric floor mats that I found reasonable for their quality, fit and finish.

[Nohonking]

Filled up those gaps! Confronted those compromises! Jazzed up my Jazz!

For the sake of feel good!
For the sake of utility!
For the sake of safety!
For the sake of tastefulness!
For the sake of style!
For the sake of love!

Before my new Jazz came home, we took it to Honda dealership for following:

• Mud guards
• Seat covers(Kit seat cover PVC - Horizontal stitch with stripes)
• Fabric floor mats(black)
• Ordered gear lock(pin type)
• Ordered tail gate spoiler.

Already waiting at home was beige armrest console. Thanks to BHPian vprabu for coming up with this better and a viable option. Although a manual transmission, its an added comfort in city driving and a boon on the highway cruises. Not to mention the utility console box.

With elbow rested, all gears are approachable(the farthest 5th level of transmission depicted for illustration). Doesn't interfere while applying the parking brake either!


The fit & finish of seat covers is top notch. Worth 7,633/-


Notice the back pockets and the "Honda" branding. Also featuring in this picture are aftermarket beige 3D mats(Brand: Coozo)


The gear lock as an accessory is from Blackcat. Dealership had called Blackcat authorized fitter to fit it. Workmanship, fit and finish - Excellent!

Installing the gear lock.


An added layer of security - Gear lock! Also depicted is the armrest in extended position(read it highway position).


The contoured beige boot mat for Honda Fit did fit well!


It took more than a month for tail gate spoiler to be available. Made up of durable sold ABS plastic, it weighed about 2.5 kg. It was painted Alabaster Silver in the paint shop a day before the agreed date of installation.

Spoiler part number beneath


Ready to spoil(the air flow)


Supplied along with a paper alignment marker to accurately mark the drilling points for installation. I am still keeping it with me!


Did a small DIY to let the shark fin antenna shine up above my Jazz.

Analogous to whip antenna, notice the dense copper core housed inside to perform its utility function without any compromise on reception.


Copper core connected


Shark fin antenna shining up


...And here it is - The spruced up rear dynamics


3M PPF done on ORVMs, door trims, door grab handle cups & underneath fuel lid(for filling attendants who may unmindfully let the filling cap hang lose over the painted surface). Please click on the image to gather the details.


India friendly ORVMs further become scratch friendly!


On the exterior, those nasty looking dummy DRL slots had always been an eye sour and an everyday reminder of some vital missing on a premium hatch.

My Jazz gets her day time eyes. The smart looking gets bold!


Honda without Mugen is like a body without soul. Looked out for Mugen parts but honestly neither I could find any, nor do I have that much knowledge. Checked with a few dealerships, but to my surprise, they didn't even know what Mugen is all about.

A teaspoon of Mugen added to taste & enhancing overall flavor! Doesn't it look decent?


Tissues on the go! Premium quality beige tissue dispenser. That said, no littering!


Blind spot mirrors installed strategically to perform their function well, yet do not interfere with the view in ORVM.

Notice this overtaking Wagon-R captured in the blind spot mirror, yet the primary view of ORVM is unhindered.


Similarly, notice this unmindfully left, dangerously lying cut-stone in the blind spot area.


The 16GB micro pen drive barely sticks out, thus letting the flap come down all the way resulting in complete enclosure!


There has been a criticism over the gap between the rear seatback and the parcel tray. Well, why not convert this weakness into strength?

Jopasu duster happily sits in here . I call it Jopasu seat!


...And finally, a strategic view of all the T-BHP stickers put on my car!

[Nohonking]

Its 9 years with Honda: An experience share!

April '08 till today + 2 x Honda cars = rich experience

While the initial few years with Honda dealerships was more confined to quality, professionalism, focus on details, honesty & trust, the graph has surely gone down. When we bought City ZX in 2008, at every visit for service, the driver's seat and steering wheel used to be covered while in the workshop & would be removed only at the time of delivery. Today, this isn't the case & when I collect my car(s), I look for any greasy hand marks left on the steering wheel. What does this mean for me? Moreover, unless you yourself spot an issue, the guys won't care. Honestly, I have no hesitation in stating that there has been a loss of trust. Whereas it seems HCIL wants to gain more trust(with the likes of Honda121), the dealerships are only focused on minting money that too often going the unethical way. Why am I saying all this? Let me share a few instances.

Instance #0
Yes, I start with "zero" for a reason, for this is different from the others to follow. The reference is made to seamless recalls done by HCIL(then HSCIL) pertinent to driver side power window switch panel in Honda City ZX. During those initial days, first an insulating tape/padding was added and later after an year or so, the entire switch panel was replaced. Not to mention, a very proactive approach by Honda service under the guidelines of HCIL. A responsible brand for sure.

Instance #1
Give your car for servicing and service advisor would advise a list of things to be carried out based upon the mileage. Agree, please do it as per Honda's recommendation, but please honestly do it. Everything mentioned on the job card involves cost, so do not just tick mark for many things which aren't visible to the customer viz. throttle body cleaning, brakes cleaning, wheel alignment, fluid top-ups etc. During one of my visits for service as I stood besides my car, I knew that alignment wasn't carried out. So I pointed out to my SA and he argued that it was done since it is mentioned in the job card. To this, I said ok agree if it was done, please provide the report which he was unable to. The car was then taken over the alignment bay and I noticed the misalignment then being corrected. I told my SA that if the alignment was just carried out then how come the figures beyond the permissible (+-)limits. He remained silent.

Instance #2
During one of my recent service visits, the SA mentioned topping up of fluids(brake oil, clutch oil, coolant, windshield washer) in the job card. While I was inside along with my car, I noticed that only normal water was been added in the washer reservoir while all other fluids were found up to mark. As a customer I was to pay some INR 170/-(including taxes) towards topping up these miscellaneous fluids, but the thing is if nothing was put why should I have paid? The boffin dealing with the car should have honestly mentioned his comment on the job card "no consumables added". The thing is why should I pay for nothing?

Instance #3
While I gave my car for service, I explicitly mentioned for 0w20 synthetic engine oil. The SA started telling me the cost to which I said that I am aware and know what I need in my car, please go ahead with synthetic engine oil. I stood besides my car and silently kept noticing the job being done. The boffin poured in normal engine oil despite the stated 0w20. which I did notice. When the final bill was presented to me, it mentioned the price of synthetic engine oil. To this I raised my concern and SA agreed to call down the boffin from workshop who said it was normal engine oil been poured in. SA felt sorry for it and got the bill corrected. But what if I hadn't kept a vigil?

Instance #4
Very recently, I took my Jazz to a different dealership for her 4th service. This was the second time she was to have her engine oil changed. During the third service, I had gone for normal engine oil which was billed as "36 quantities of 100ml". Whereas, during the 4th service, this dealer billed as "37 quantities of 100ml".

1. Why this difference? The question isn't about how much difference it counts in the billing, but the fact that there is a variation from one Honda service to other. Next time, I am going to try out a third Honda service to see what standard do they follow?

2. Owner's manual of Jazz states 3.2L(including oil filter) at every drain. Why do these authorized Honda dealers charge for 600-700ml above? For this, next time I am going to carry the owner's manual along to be one bad customer at the dealership to question this unless they justify with a meaningful logic. Also, will check for my City ZX whose owner manual states 3.6L(including oil filter) at every drain.

Further, I noticed that the same measurement jar was being used for both 0w20(synthetic) and 5w30(mineral based). Okay, no problem provided the remainant oil in the jar is drained back into the barrel from where it was procured. But sadly this wasn't the case. I noticed that the car before me was poured in with 5w30 and after pouring some ~250ml was still left in the measuring can. Came my car's turn, the boffin unmindfully filled the same can further from 0w20 barrel and poured it in my car leaving behind some ~200ml in the can which was later again filled up with 5w30 for another car. Is this a good practice? Is my car being given 100% to what it deserves? Am I being charged genuinely for what I am getting? I got to know this since I stood along my car and kept a vigil. What about those sitting on the sofas in the customer lounge?

Instance #5
Standing besides the car is a challenge as many a times I am told to please go and sit inside the customer's lounge which now a days is more infested with cabbies(of Amaze)and having experienced so much in the past, I always ensure to stand besides my car(without interfering with the boffin) and here are my other observations. They treat your car as much rough as they can(skid/spin the tyres, keep the clutch engaged for minutes & minutes waiting for space to move further). Its customer's car and adding to his clutch wear. What more, I have even noticed the washer guy in hurry leaving the hood from a good 1.5-2 feet height in order to close it post wash. By the way, do you know how is air filter cleaned at Honda service? No, no, not using any compressed air or a specialized equipment, instead by banging it a couple of times against the wall. Huh! If one reads the owner's manual for opening/replacing certain parts, it states wrap the screwdriver head with a handkerchief & then gently insert it to open in order to avoid any scratches. Ideally, Honda service should religiously stick to these guidelines, but unfortunately the boffin will take his bare headed screwdriver and rather give it a big thud. More so, the cars are washed in batches = loss in attention to each car. Watch it all to believe it all!

IMO, HCIL really needs to put a check on the authorized service centers for these service centers are the face of HCIL to customers during the course of ownership. Maintaining stringent standards, sticking to ethical ways & enhanced customer experience(even in his absence) can only let them (re)gain trust. HCIL should have a healthy competition amongst the dealerships and should quarterly publish the rankings on their website. While this will have the dealerships take measures on how to distinguish themselves better over others, it will gave customers a better choice, thus only helping in enriching overall experience.

That said, no easy way for me, my take has eventually moved from sitting inside the customer lounge to standing besides my car and now you know why?

[Nohonking]

Annexure: Small, yet significant!

Leather piece flap(the one used to cover steering wheel) has been used to cover this gap.


Stanley high mount stop lamp houses 6 LEDs & has been sourced from China.


Stanley LED tail lamps. Doesn't state the country of origin but apparently China only.


Point of dust collection: As a result of vacuum zone which gets created due to the aerodynamics. Keep driving & picking dust!


A pair of gas struts for tailgate been supplied by Suspa Liftline.


Alternator assembly has been supplied by Mitsubishi Electric(India)


Electronic Control Unit(ECU) comes with a protection cover & has been supplied by Bosch. I was expecting Keihin as in B-RV. Removed the cover to discover that dear ECU had been eating a lot of dust. Tried cleaning it before replacing the cover.


Notice the Phillips screws upon opening the glove box. Shouldn't they be black?


Well, that's all I have for now. They say devil lies in the details. With all those revealed, did I miss any? Oh yes, "the horn". Why? You know better!

Cheers,
Simmi

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[AkMar]

Nohonking, That is a lovely review of your Jazz! You have gone into great details and covered every aspect of the car very nicely, without being boring to read anywhere I had already read about most of your modifications in the official review thread. Must commend you on the very tastefully done mods. Also this review couldn't have come at a more appropriate time, as dad will be getting his WR-V petrol this weekend. So these details about our car are making my excitement levels go up! Rating it a well deserved 5 stars!

[Reinhard]

Massively detailed and wonderful report! Rated 5 stars. Wish you unlimited happy & safe miles ahead too..

One point - you mentioned that the seat belt warning is "missed" on the front passenger seat. Its not exactly missed per say. A car can never get moving without a driver. So simple to always have the warning buzz when the car is running etc & seat belt is not locked on the driver's seat.
But it can certainly go places with nobody in the passenger seat. You won't like to just buckle up the belt there without anyone sitting right? If you still want the warning, it would mean sensors for weight etc being added in the seat itself to identify if anyone is actually in the seat . A bit too much to ask when these car makers save on even a simple 10 Rs mirror on the driver's visor.

Happy motoring.

[Flanker99]

Excellent write up Nohonking! Quickly went over some key aspects (especially the rust issue). But, definitely worth a re-read over the weekend.

Wish you many happy miles with your Jazz.

- Fellow Jazz owner.

[feluda86]

Fantastic review! You beat me to the Jazz ownership review - though mine is diesel VX. Are those Honda supplied DRLs? Have you faced any rattle issues?

[bullock-Car]

Fantastic review; great details for a wonderful Hatchback.Jazz was/still is an epitome of space, i fancy Hatchbacks more than sedans, they are more useful in-terms of usability of space.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Nohonking

Instance #4
Very recently, I took my Jazz to a different dealership for her 4th service. This was the second time she was to have her engine oil changed. During the third service, I had gone for normal engine oil which was billed as "36 quantities of 100ml". Whereas, during the 4th service, this dealer billed as "37 quantities of 100ml".

1. Why this difference? The question isn't about how much difference it counts in the billing, but the fact that there is a variation from one Honda service to other. Next time, I am going to try out a third Honda service to see what standard do they follow?

2. Owner's manual of Jazz states 3.2L(including oil filter) at every drain. Why do these authorized Honda dealers charge for 600-700ml above? For this, next time I am going to carry the owner's manual along to be one bad customer at the dealership to question this unless they justify with a meaningful logic. Also, will check for my City ZX whose owner manual states 3.6L(including oil filter) at every drain.

Fabulous thread. I had just given my Jazz CVT for service earlier this week at Whitefield Honda in Bangalore. They charged me 32 units of engine oil (100 ml) which matches what the owners manual says. It looks as though the SVCs in your city have been taking owners for a ride and charging a few hundred extra rupees from unsuspecting owners. Do escalate the issue and get a refund from the SVC!