In its first product announcement since confirming a dramatic restructuring of its business, Honda’s Australian arm has revealed an update for the Jazz and HR-V due to arrive in April, giving these cars a new head unit that is now Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.
As is the case in Malaysia, the company has been using aftermarket infotainment systems since 2017 (reportedly after a number of complaints regarding the touch-sensitive controls on the original OEM system), and while the new seven-inch touchscreen is claimed to be similar to to built-in ones in the Civic and CR-V, it’s still housed in a discrete 2-DIN head unit.
On top of the aforementioned smartphone connectivity functions, the system also features voice control using either Siri Eyes Free or Google Voice Search built into iOS and Android devices respectively. This can be accessed by pressing the dedicated button on the steering wheel or the microphone button on the head unit.
The update also moves the USB ports back to their original positions low down in the centre console, as well as adding a smartphone screen mirroring function via WebLink.
This will likely be the last update for the Jazz in Australia, as CarAdvice reported that Honda will stop selling the hatchback and the related City sedan Down Under as part of sweeping measures to improve flagging profits. The company will also implement a fixed pricing strategy and reduce the number of showrooms, moving towards a hub-and-spoke model with regional delivery points instead.
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SEA specced Honda HU is totally cheap crap. I don’t know how Aussie market could have stomach this crap for 3 years but this one is much better.