After three generations and more than 100,000 units sold, the Honda Jazz has bid goodbye to Malaysia. The last unit destined for our market, a Lunar Silver model, has just left the Honda Malaysia factory in Pegoh, Melaka, as these images from the Kucing Gemok Channel Facebook page show.
The writing has been on the wall for some time for the B-segment hatchback. Company insiders have long hinted that the new fourth-generation Jazz may not be offered in Southeast Asia (except for Singapore), saying that it could be replaced by a sportier – and presumably cheaper to build – five-door version of the new City. That car was eventually revealed late last year, seemingly cementing the Jazz’s fate.
Even so, Honda Malaysia didn’t confirm outright that the City Hatchback would replace the Jazz over here, but these photos should put the speculation to rest once and for all. In all, the eminently practical runabout spent 18 years on the Malaysian market – nine of those as a CKD locally-assembled vehicle, starting with the second-generation Hybrid model (incidentally Honda Malaysia’s first CKD hybrid) in 2012.
As the Malaysian-market Jazz passes from the mortal plane, it won’t be long before the City Hatchback takes its place. Expect the car to be identical to the sedan, down to the engine options – a 121 PS/145 Nm 1.5 litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol mill and CVT combo and an e:HEV hybrid that pairs a 108 PS/253 Nm electric motor with a 98 PS/127 Nm Atkinson-cycle engine for a total system output of 126 PS.
GALLERY: Honda Jazz 1 Million Edition
This is a very successful model in Malaysia, can’t comprehend why Honda Malaysia wants to discontinue and not bring in the new Jazz.
Because the new JDM Jazz look too cute for SEA market. The City Hatchback will replace the Jazz here. Don’t always think that JDM models is the best. If you look at Yaris , the JDM version is much smaller than ours sold by UMW, making it less appealing to our market.
From my knowledge, Honda Japan mandated that all the new Jazz must be at least 50% made in Japan regardless of which market it wants to offer in.
Hence, it will very likely jack up the prices and more strategically, the city is something more suitable for the SEA markets.