2006 Honda Jazz: Grooving to a Jazzed-up Jazz

Pepato is a new avant-garde Italian restaurant in Greenbelt 2. The entrée is nouveau Italian, the interior design is retro modern and the ambience is trey chic. In short, the place is groovy cool.

We find it fitting that Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) chose this groovy and cozy restaurant to launch the revised 2006 Honda Jazz because there are several similarities between the car and the place. Let’s just say that the new jazzed-up Jazz was introduced in a jazzy new place.

The new Jazz is Honda’s answer to the public’s growing demand for cars that define today’s active lifestyle yet conforms to the demand for frugality with today’s rising prices. HCPI retains the Jazz’s overall utility, performance and appeal but adds a little more fun and a lot more groove.

Hot Hatchback

Launched in the Philippines in 2004, the Honda Jazz revived a segment that many marketing professionals in the automotive industry thought of as "just a niche" — the hatchback market. When the Honda Jazz 1.3-liter i-DSI was first introduced, the public responded by gobbling up all the Jazz that Honda can make. Honda then introduced an even more powerful Jazz 1.5-liter VTEC model in 2005, which led to the expansion of the hatchback market to 3,100 units. The Jazz eventually became a recipient of numerous awards and remains a standard setter in Euro-dynamic design, high performance engine and flexible interior layout.

The 2006 Honda Jazz, with its enhanced and versatile styling, reinforces the car’s fun-to-drive appeal. It sports a refreshing change with its eye-catching, vibrant hues of Purplish Blue and Bluish Silver. Further, the new Jazz comes equipped with 3-dimensional body color headlights that complement its vibrant personality. These, along with the Jazz’s assembly of other sporty features such as 15" alloy wheels, color keyed side protector moldings wrap-around skirts, a high-mount stop lamp and rear center-mounted sports roof antenna, all add up to its clever and dynamic exterior design.

Honda retains the remarkable comfort and functionality that made the Jazz the benchmark in its class. With its unique central fuel tank layout, the Jazz opens up to generous cabin space and flexibility in virtually all dimensions of the car, as its fuel tank is strategically shifted forward, beneath the front seats. The Jazz reemphasizes the convenience of space with its ingenious U.L.T. (Utility, Long and Tall modes) seat features.

Flexible and Safe Performance

With the U.L.T. Seat, flexible seating arrangements can be made for maximum space and functionality. The U.L.T. Seat allows exceptional versatility in cargo loading with up to 3 maximum storage size varieties to accommodate any luggage or recreational gear. The Utility mode, with its maximum storage size of 1720mm is spacious enough to carry a bicycle. The Long mode extends by as much as 2400mm, which is long enough to load a surf board. And the Tall mode, with its maximum storage size of 1280mm in height, makes an ideal cargo area for tall plants or furniture. The luggage area of the Jazz is also remarkably spacious with its 382-liter trunk capacity with a low and flat layout for easy storage.

The Jazz continues its uncompromised performance with its VTEC and i-DSI variants, providing exceptional power and fuel efficiency. The 1.5-liter VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control System) engine automatically adjusts its performance by varying the timing and the lift of the valves. The 1.3-liter i-DSI (Intelligent Dual and Sequential Ignition) engine, on the other hand, employs a dual-spark plug system (2 spark plugs and 2 valves per cylinder) with individually controlled ignition timing to achieve rapid and complete combustion for enhanced fuel efficiency.

The Honda Jazz adds an aura of driving excitement with the Steermatic and CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) 7-speed mode which is controlled by a simple touch of a button on the steering wheel. With the Steermatic system, drivers can choose from normal shiftless driving to sporty, manual 7-speed gear selection in a seamless and shift-shock-free system. Additionally, the Jazz incorporates G-CON (G-Force Control) technology that absorbs and controls the g-forces of a collision to maintain a survival zone and minimize the impact on the occupants.

2006 Jazz Lineup

The 2006 Honda Jazz is available in six colors, with Purplish Blue and Bluish Silver as the new colors and Silverstone, Vivid Blue and Nighthawk Black as the other color choices for all 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter variants. The 2006 Jazz 1.5 VTEC also has a Brilliant White exclusive color and comes with Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) dual airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution System (EBD) as extra standards of safety.

Prices start at P650,000 for the Honda Jazz 1.3S with 5-speed manual transmission; P690,000 for the Jazz 1.3S with the 7-speed Steermatic CVT; P731,000 for the Jazz 1.5V with 5-speed manual transmission; and P772,000 for the Jazz 1.5V with the 7-speed Steermatic CVT. Visit your nearest Honda dealership to see the new 2006 Honda Jazz variants and get into the groove!