Honda has launched a Jazz hybrid at the Paris motor show.
It will have CO2 emissions of 104g/km and combined economy of 64.2mpg, the company has revealed.
See the official pics of the new Honda Jazz hybrid - plus pics from the Paris motor show
The Jazz hybrid, shown ahead of its Paris motor show debut later this week, will reach UK showrooms early next year.
It will share many of its components with the Insight, including that car’s 1.3-litre petrol engine-based hybrid powertrain.
The engine/electric motor mix is mated to a CVT gearbox and, like the Insight, the Jazz will be able to run on electric power alone in low-speed conditions.
The new model gets a few visual cues to make it stand out from regular Jazz variants, including revised headlights with a blue surround, clear tail-lights, a new front grille, different bumpers and flashes of chrome on the rear hatch.
Read more on the recent changes to the Honda Insight
The interior gets a single-colour dashboard and blue-lit dials and instruments. Leather trim will also be offered for the first time on a Jazz in Europe.
And despite the addition of a battery pack and IMA control unit under the boot floor, boot space is unchanged at 300 litres or 831 litres with the 'Magic Seats' folded flat.
The Jazz hybrid's CO2 figure is 21g/km lower than the current lowest-emitting 1.2 petrol Jazz, while economy is 23 per cent better than the best-selling 1.4 ES model.
It will be exempt from road tax in its first year and will cost £20 per year to tax thereafter; as a hybrid, it will also be exempt from London's congestion charge zone.
Full UK pricing and specification is yet to be revealed.
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Re: Honda launches new Jazz hybrid
You're basing this on their new car market share in Europe, where they've cut diesel supply this year, but Honda is still massive in North America, Asia and of course back home in Japan. It's the biggest bike manufacturer, biggest engine manufacturer and not insignificant in power product sales. And (unlike Saab, which is small in Europe, miniscule in global terms and had nothing but an historical aeronautical link) it actually makes aircraft too, not to mention pioneering home energy stuff which will be part of our homes in 10-20 years.
Their latest car offerings may appear slightly underwhelming when others are flashing fancy concept cars and low-volume eco verions of their most basic offerings, but the real-world situation with the Jazz hybrid will still be a road tax-free first year and only £20/year thereafter, so a bit of proportionality is needed.
When it goes a bit quiet at Honda, it usually means they're working on the next big leap - we saw the FCX hydrogen car on these shores last month - but the question is whether the European market will be a priority for Honda when the continents' governments continue to focus on supporting home-grown, short-term EV projects.
Re: Honda launches new Jazz hybrid
Re: Honda launches new Jazz hybrid
Sad to say it, but Honda appears to be drifting towards being the next "Saab". Sales to date this year are poor - Mercedes, Hyundai, Citroen, Nissan have overtaken them, Kia and Fiat are close. Must be vulnerable given their size - tie-up with a Chinese manufacturer soon?