Next-gen Honda Jazz to be unveiled at 2019 Toyota Motor Show

KUALA LUMPUR: Looks like the Japanese automaker, Honda is taking its electrification plans seriously now. Tom Gardner, Honda Europe Senior Vice President, revealed that the next-gen Jazz that is scheduled to make a debut at the Toyota Motor Show would be introduced in Europe with hybrid tech as the one and only power source.

It was only recently that we reported about the new Jazz being the next-in-line to benefit from the company’s i-MMD dual-motor hybrid tech. It is primarily the same Sport Hybrid Multi-Mode Drive engine found under the CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid. On the Honda bigger cars, the setup comprises of a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle i-VTEC petrol mill that’s paired to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery that deliver a maximum power of 184 PS along with a peak torque of 315 Nm.

We are sure that the same old 2.0-litre unit won’t power Honda Jazz. However, an i-MMD tech works without having a gearbox. Instead, the powerplant in the Hybrid Drive mode will drive an electric generator/motor. Thus, the engine powers the drive motor that in turn drives the wheels.

When in Engine Drive mode, the engine gets connected to a single-ratio gearbox via a lock-up clutch to drive the wheels directly, this, in turn, improves efficiency at highway speeds. We are also expecting an EV model in the new Jazz Hybrid.

Fundamentally, the Sport Hybrid i-DCD and the i-MMD system are entirely different, the former is found in the current Jazz and City. Also, the new unit is more refined than the conventional hybrid setup with planetary gearset, like the one used in the Toyota Prius. Honda engineers have ensured that the shift between drive modes will be seamless and smooth.

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