The 5-door hatchback segment is an evergreen category for the automobile manufacturers. These cars are designed to offer a spacious interior with an adequate amount of luxury, good features, pleasing looks, and are easy on the pocket. Malaysia has got two very popular such cars in the hatchback segment that are roping in many customers. These cars are the Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. Both of them have been on the market for quite some time now. Here is a quick comparison between the two.

Engine

Considering the popularity of the Jazz, this 5-door hatchback comes with one of Honda’s trustworthy engines. It is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol mill that churns out 120 PS of max power at 6,600 revs and the peak torque of 145 Nm kicks in at 4,600 revs.

The Jazz engine is coupled with Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology CVT unit which promises to deliver outstanding fuel efficiency and quick throttle response.

On the other hand, the VW Polo engine is a 1.6-litre unit, tuned to produce a max power of 105 PS and 153 Nm of max torque.

The engine comes mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. VW says that this unit has been designed to adapt to your driving style and adjust the power delivery to the wheels instantly. With this engine and gearbox combination, the Polo is capable to achieve a top speed of 184 km/h.

Exterior

The styling of the latest Honda Jazz is set towards a sportier side. The front end features large headlamps that are connected together with a simple front grille that carries the Honda logo in the middle. The front bumper has got a streamlined appearance with nice angular lines and houses the LED daytime running lights. It enhances the sporty look of the car. The side view of the Jazz is sharpened by the bold character line that starts from the front door and merges with the tail lights. Talking about the tail lights, they are vertically placed and are designed to reflect the sporty character of the car from the rear.

The Germans went with a contemporary design with the Polo. It is not too much in the face but still manages to lure you with its charm. The sleek headlamps have become a signature for this car, and so have the small tail lights. The VW badge is mounted on the elegant horizontal front grille that matches the appearance of the air intake of the front bumper. The side profile of the Polo is not very exciting but VW has handled the proportions of the car very well. We would have liked a more stylish set of alloy wheels, though.

Interior

The Jazz offers a spacious and comfortable cabin. The all-black color scheme with silver accents here and there carries the sportiness from the outside to the cabin. The seats provide a good amount of comfort and support and can be folded in different configurations to accommodate your luggage. The LCD meter cluster is stylish to look at. The numbers are easily legible thanks to the high brightness. There is a large screen to take care of your entertainment needs. Just below the screen is the touch control panel for automatic air conditioning.

The cabin of the VW Polo has been designed very elegantly. Just like the Jazz, you will see the all-black scheme. However, we can see the use of silver accents on the center console of the dashboard. The three-spoke steering wheel feels very sporty and has mounted controls. The meter cluster behind it is simple, clear, and precise. The 6.5-inch touchscreen offers various connectivity options and also feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which is a welcoming feature.

Price and variants

There are four Jazz variants available in the Malaysian market. These include 1.5L S, 1.5L E, 1.5L V, and 1.5L Hybrid. Depending on your budget and requirements you can pick one of them. Honda Jazz price range starts from RM 70,242 for the base model.

There are only two Polo variants to choose from - Comfortline and Comfortline Vienna Leather. The Volkswagen Polo price for the Comfortline is RM 74,990 and RM 77,990 for the Comfortline Vienna Leather.