Honda is reportedly working on a Jazz EV for the Chinese market. We wonder if it will make it to Indian shores as well.
Hardcore EV fans will remember the Jazz EV (otherwise known as the Fit EV) that Honda leased out to customers in Japan and the US back in 2012. It was quite simply a modified version of the first-gen Jazz that we had in India till 2014. One of those rare pieces was spotted in New Delhi just yesterday. Considering how Honda is reportedly working on an all new Jazz for the Chinese market, there’s a good chance India might get some electric action as well. At the moment, Honda Cars India has confirmed no such plans.
The Honda Jazz EV in question was spotted on the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) Flyway, an expressway connecting two major cities in the National Capital Region, India. It was reported by Cartoq yesterday. In the spy shot, the car is seen bearing an Indian number plate. The car is most likely on test on Indian roads because Honda had earlier mentioned plans of launching an electric vehicle in India by 2023 or 2024.
There’s no official word from Honda on plans of launching the Jazz EV in India. When or if it launches, we imagine it will cost upwards of Rs 12 lakh. Some reports suggest it will be priced around Rs 16 lakh, which is double the price for the outgoing petrol-powered Jazz. Even though the Jazz EV has been spotted on test here, we reckon Honda will use what it learns from the tests to build something more specifically for India. In other words, it needn’t be an electric-only car at all. Honda could well launch a hybrid hatchback that seats four and has some luggage space.
Honda’s first attempt at selling a hybrid in India was met with lukewarm enthusiasm from customers. The Japanese automotive giant launched the Civic Hybrid in 2008 as an imported CBU at over Rs 20 lakh (owing to the 104-percent import duty) with a plan to sell more than 400 units in its first year. When the company realised soon after that the car had very few takers, it was forced to slash the price of the car by nearly half its starting price to clear out remaining stocks. We hope Honda’s second attempt at selling hybrids and electrics in India is more successful.
Inline images courtesy: Cartoq
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Vignesh Giridharan
Progressively identifies more with the term ‘legacy device’ as time marches on. View Full Profile
