Honda reveals Fit/Jazz facelift in Japan – June launch

You’ve seen the rear of the Honda Jazz facelift, first by our spyshots and then the official image by Honda Malaysia (HM) this morning. Here’s a look at the rest of the car, via images from Honda Japan’s preview site for the Honda Fit facelift, the JDM version of the Jazz. It has just went up in Japan, hinting at coordination between Honda’s Japan HQ and its Malaysian outpost.

The minor model change Fit confirms what we’ve seen from the leaked brochure images earlier this month. There’s a new grille and new front bumper with significantly larger “side intakes” and an obvious lip. Honda City facelift-style LED headlamps and LED daytime running lights feature. The new face is similar in theme to the City facelift, but with a sportier emphasis.

Honda Japan does not have an image of the new Fit’s rear end online, but there’s a close up shot of the tail lamps, which differ in arrangement (smaller white section, separate reverse lamps) and graphics (LED bars) from what we have. Then again, this is the Fit Hybrid, and HM’s rear end shot is of the regular Jazz 1.5L, so our Jazz Hybrid might yet get these rear lights. The top JDM Fit Hybrid gets black wing mirrors, too.

We get to see snippets of the Fit Hybrid’s interior here. The regular seat has tall side bolsters and a fabric design with a central spine, Civic FC-style. Japan also gets the option of a black-brown leather interior, with brown hide on the seats, door cards and steering wheel. The Hybrid’s gear selector sports additional gloss black trim. The Honda Sensing suite of active safety features makes its debut in the Fit.

The Fit facelift will launch in Japan in late June. Four variants will be available there – this Hybrid, a 1.3L, a 1.5L and a “sporty model”, which should be the Fit RS.

As reported, Malaysia will be getting two variants of the Jazz facelift – a familiar 1.5 litre i-VTEC version sharing the City’s powertrain and a Jazz Hybrid. The return of the Jazz Hybrid doesn’t carry over the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system used in the old CKD Jazz Hybrid and models such as the Insight and CR-Z, but uses the new “Sport Hybrid” i-DCD (Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive) system. We’re the only market outside Japan to get this, by the way.

The hybrid system combines a 1.5 litre DOHC i-VTEC engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with integrated electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery pack located under the boot floor. Unlike IMA, i-DCD is capable of EV mode (car powered by the electric motor and battery alone), and HM says that the combined 137 PS output is equivalent to that of a 1.8L engine.

The Jazz facelift – in petrol and hybrid form – is now open for booking in Malaysia. The CKD roomy hatch will be launched here in the present quarter and Hybrid deliveries will start from Q3. LED DRLs and keyless entry/push start will now be standard across the board. Part-leather seats, a multi-angle reverse camera, ABS/BA/VSA/HSA and six airbags will also available, but probably not from the entry variant onwards.

GALLERY: JDM Honda Fit Hybrid facelift