Honda gets jazzed up
Honda NZ has unveiled its all-new Jazz e:HEV RS, which has been developed with the same “sports DNA” as the Civic Type R.
The design of grille and bonnet have been adjusted to achieve cooling drag and front lift without sacrificing air resistance.
The frame and overall model now boast an aggressive design with external accents, such as blacked-out headlight rings, RS badging, and front and rear bumpers and side skirts.
Attention to detail continues inside with a sporty overhaul. There’s an upholstered premium grey ultra-suede interior with yellow stitching wrapped around a sports interior, including new sports seats.
Adding to this is a deceleration selector to continue the sport driving experience with three selectable modes including “econ”, “normal” and “sports”. In the latter, acceleration has been increased.
And the ability to set four stages of deceleration on the fly for increased handling and manoeuvrability has been added. This is supported by a customsportst suspension and tailored engine tuning on the e:HEV electrified hybrid powertrain.
Despite these upgrades, everyday comforts and premium features of the RS remain present. The intuitive infotainment continues across the next-generation range with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto on the nine-inch infotainment screen.
Class-leading space remains with versatile rear “magic seats” that offer “fold-flat” or flip-upp” seat flexibility depending onthe cargo space required.
The latest Honda Sensing Suite ensures drivers have the highest level of safety, including the collision-mitigation brake system, lane-keep assist, road-departure mitigation and adaptive cruise control.
A panoramic windscreen offers a 90.2-degree field of vision for minimal blind spots and maximum visibility while driving. There’s also smart keyless entry with push-button start.
As part of the 2023 range update, the marque is introducing the updated Jazz e:HEV Luxe Sport. It features an exterior sports upgrade and minor interior updates. This model also comes with a soft brown leather interior available in different colours.
The Jazz Crosstar 1.5L i-VTEC starts at $30,700, the e:HEV RS at $36,700 and the e:HEV Luxe Sport at $37,000. The latter two attract a clean car discount of $3,930.
