[Rameshdude]

I have a Jazz and I have got two enquiries , whether I would be selling it. Of course, I have no plans as such. Jazz doesn't have much resale value too. So, yes, car lovers would be looking out for a steal.

[aim120]

As per Honda when asked why the Jazz was stopped its seems honda doesn't have the plant capacity to handle new product launches(Amaze and new CRV ),so they had to make room resulting in the end of production of civic and jazz.
Even prior to these two launches there was a capacity constraint and Jazz was always been made on limited numbers despite having a huge demand where at beginning had a waiting period which used to stretch up to 9 months.

Even before the thailand floods it was the launch of the Brio which made the Jazz waiting period longer and now its due to the launch of the Amaze the production of Jazz is coming to an end.

I don't see how honda can introduces the new CRV which will only sell in two digits numbers vs stopping the Jazz which even some 2 months ago had a waiting period of 3 months ,jazz monthly lower sales figure was not due to poor demand but due to poor supply.

[coolmel]

Originally Posted by coolmel

Fresh update from Mumbai is none of the dealers are accepting orders or are keen on doing the same if you budge them! And since Honda sold a dismal 61 units of the car last month, I clearly see this baby either being readied for a possible diesel motor or the worst possibility, being discontinued.

Its such a shame that ever since its introduction, the company never did anything to sell this amazing car seriously. You cant expect numbers by just cutting the price!

Just thought I will quote my quote which I posted last week, and the worst has come true! Was evident since Diwali of 2012 as no dealer was ready to accept orders. The way they have handled this car has been really disgraceful & even though Honda may have closed their failed Jazz chapter, I hope they seriously learn a thing or two from it and implement it when they 'do' plan to launch it few years down the line, which frankly right now seems an uncertainty. 99%.

[C300]

RIP Jazz! what a disgrace. One of the best all round hatch in the market and they managed to kill it. Honda needs to get their act together.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by C300

RIP Jazz! what a disgrace. One of the best all round hatch in the market and they managed to kill it. Honda needs to get their act together.

Slightly disagree there. More than Honda, the blame should go to the market. Why should the manufacturer push for a product with minimum profit margin? It's a good decision to drop it now, reintroduce the new version with extensive localization.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Slightly disagree there. More than Honda, the blame should go to the market. Why should the manufacturer push for a product with minimum profit margin? It's a good decision to drop it now, reintroduce the new version with extensive localization.

But the initial insane pricing was what killed the product in the first place. The car never really recovered from that initial disaster. So a manufacture can indeed make or break the sales of a car depending upon the amount of profit it wants to make. Infact wrt I am more in favor of the recent trends of launching a vehicle at an introductory price, gauge the market response and then decide upon future trends.

Anyways lets hope that they have learn there lessons and price the new Jazz aggressively.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

But the initial insane pricing was what killed the product in the first place. The car never really recovered from that initial disaster. So a manufacture can indeed make or break the sales of a car depending upon the amount of profit it wants to make. Infact wrt I am more in favor of the recent trends of launching a vehicle at an introductory price, gauge the market response and then decide upon future trends.

Yes, the pricing was indeed the key reason for the failure. Along with that I believe the launch was at a wrong time (when the buyers were not really warmed up to idea of an expensive hatchback, that too petrol). And our's maybe the only market were Honda had to sell the Jazz at a much lower price compared to the City. I personally find the Jazz a superior product compared to the City, especially with the 1.5L engine.

But yes, completely agree with the introductory pricing route. That should have helped the product to catch up in a big way.

[Hayek]

I think the Jazz was killed by an insane tax regime. Honda was forced to substitute the usual 1.5 l engine with the 1.2 to fit in with the lower excise slab, which made the Indian Jazz inferior to the City. And the widening diesel petrol gap led to the entire upper end hatch back segment migrate to diesel. Personally, I would have seriously considered the Jazz for our second car if it were not so under powered. Unfortunately, it ended as a car for no one - neither the boot and Diesel engine obsessed average Indian car buyer, nor the more affluent who liked its style and practicality but not its apology of an engine.

[adimicra]

Originally Posted by Hayek

I think the Jazz was killed by an insane tax regime. Honda was forced to substitute the usual 1.5 l engine with the 1.2 to fit in with the lower excise slab, which made the Indian Jazz inferior to the City. And the widening diesel petrol gap led to the entire upper end hatch back segment migrate to diesel. Personally, I would have seriously considered the Jazz for our second car if it were not so under powered. Unfortunately, it ended as a car for no one - neither the boot and Diesel engine obsessed average Indian car buyer, nor the more affluent who liked its style and practicality but not its apology of an engine.

It did end up as the preferred car for a 'stupid' few including yours truly
And we will continue to enjoy the exclusivity

You mean to say that if Jazz would have been launched with 1.5 L engine, it would have been a hit? I am sorry but in such case, it would have been discontinued long back.

And the 1.2 IVtec is one of the best engines in that segment. Not sure what you are expecting in this segment.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by Hayek

...Unfortunately, it ended as a car for no one - neither the boot and Diesel engine obsessed average Indian car buyer, nor the more affluent who liked its style and practicality but not its apology of an engine...

Wonder why a "car for no one" commanded a 9 month waiting period at a point of time!

"Apology of an engine"?? My friend, there are a lot who would beg to differ. Anyways, not starting a debate here.

Honda always believed in selling quality, which didn't quite go well with the Indian consumer. I always felt the City (in her times) was terribly overpriced too. But that was a segment which the Indian public loved - the sedan. And without competition, for years, she ruled. Till the Fluidic Verna came along with all the things Honda never offered - reversing camera, 'electric start', blah blah, which the Indian consumer liked, and preferred to pay for instead of the Honda reliability. And of course, the CRDi - with 128 PS and 6 gears!

So where Honda went wrong, is not with their pricing strategy, but with their lethargy in bringing in a diesel powerplant. How many of you can say that the Fluidic Verna could have toppled the City off the top of the sales chart had the latter been offered with a 1.5 iDTEC and retailed 1 lac more than the former??

Coming back to the Jazz, I guess Honda looked at her as a boot-less City, rather than as a hatch, and hence tried the same pricing startegy as the City, which of course, failed.

My point is that the Indian car buying community and their narrow outlook is what killed the Jazz. Looking at it retrospectively, Honda has my respect for not concentrating on quantitiy, but on quality. I believe the Jazz should have been the car all those City buyers bought, who did not actually need the boot and the extra 300 cc.

My respects to the Little Honda who never saw the limelight she deserved.

[9thsphinx]

I have kept on stressing the fact that the Jazz's engine is one of the best in its segment. And I speak nothing but a fact! For those who own one, including me, we know what we're talking about. For those who are in the waiting line to own one, I wish you get one before they get sold out, and for those who never thought this hatchback was worthy enough, you missed out on owning one of the finest Honda engines that money could buy!

Mehtunantly (Fortunately and unfortunately) the Jazz will fade away, but at least the Brio is here to stay! Nuff said.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Wonder why a "car for no one" commanded a 9 month waiting period at a point of time!

"Apology of an engine"?? My friend, there are a lot who would beg to differ. Anyways, not starting a debate here.

My respects to the Little Honda who never saw the limelight she deserved.

The aggregate sales of the Jazz are probably less than what some of its peers like the i20 sell in a few months. The wait list existed due to supply constraints, not due to demand.

Drive the Jazz with a 1.5 and you will know why I consider the 1.2 an apology of an engine. The Jazz is sold worldwide, for a price similar to that of the City, with the same engine. All Honda achieved with the 1.2 is a discount to the City driven by excise differentials - which obviously was not enough to induce the value conscious to pay for it over the i20 and its ilk.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Jazz for its packaging, and very happily owned a Honda City from 2004 to 2010. At one stage, I never thought I would shift from Honda. But Honda is getting things wrong beyond just the absence of a Diesel engine. And it's failure to position the Jazz appropriately, such that it found favour with at least one substantial segment of Indian buyers, is an example of that failure. The fact that a Honda loyalist like me ended up buying a Superb and a Vento (both petrol automatics, by the way) instead of an Accord and a City (despite having loved my old City) is another example of this failure.

[jithurao]

It's truly truly sad to hear that the Jazz will be out of sight at least for the time being if that's what Honda is saying. I might just be one of those last customers to be getting delivery of one of the best hatchbacks around. I'll be picking up my hot red SMT by this weekend. When one of the BHPians commented on another thread that I just might be one of the final customers of the current production line, I was confused. Now I know. It's a bittersweet feeling when you learn that your car has finally arrived after (6) months and just when you're about to take your delivery, you learn that this may well be one of those final deliveries.

Hope the lucky few who actually got to own it won't turn unlucky enough to not find service and spares in the coming years. (Gasp!!) Hope not.

[aim120]

If they had put a 1.5l engine it would fall into a different excise duty slab and will make it even more expensive.
Jazz sales would have been much more had it not been for the limited supply and the fact that most showrooms don't have one on display nor was it advertised in newspapers.You see Ads of brio,city and even Accord but not of the Jazz.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Drive the Jazz with a 1.5 and you will know why I consider the 1.2 an apology of an engine. The Jazz is sold worldwide, for a price similar to that of the City, with the same engine. All Honda achieved with the 1.2 is a discount to the City driven by excise differentials - which obviously was not enough to induce the value conscious to pay for it over the i20 and its ilk.

Completely agree. Not that the 1.2 is a bad engine, but it’s actually more suited for the likes of the Brio. Atleast when they were made aware (by the market) that the price advantage gained by the 1.2 is not working, they should have shown the courage to bring in the 1.5 at a price point closer to the City. Probably it would have opened up a whole new segment in the hatchback space.